A film like My Brother Nikhil would have had a wider appeal today: Sanjay Suri

I have always been associated with projects that I believe in,” says Sanjay Suri (below), who is best known for his films Jhankaar Beats (2003) and My Brother Nikhil (2005). The actor is set to be seen in Ekta Kapoor’s web series that is a new take on Devdas. Interestingly, the actor will play the male version of courtesan Chandramukhi. “Initially, I was curious about the role that was offered. The thought of [playing] a male Chandramukhi was a little disruptive, but was exciting at the same time because edgy content works on the web. The content in the series is very relatable and believable,” Sanjay says.

Ask the actor if the content-driven films that he explored in the past could have done better business today, and he says, “It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, I’m thinking ‘Wow, we were ahead of the time’ (laughs). On the other hand, there’s also the fact that the film could have been exploited better and the audiences could have received it well. Aligarh (2016) is a great film and was received well, My Brother Nikhil happened 10 years ago and it definitely would have had broader appeal today.”

Watch: A still of Tu Aashiqui Hai from Jhankaar Beats featuring Sanjay Suri

Besides acting, Sanjay has produced films, most notably, the critically-acclaimed I Am (2011). The actor says that he can easily jump between acting and producing. “I think those lines [between acting and producing] have disappeared now. There are many people doing it. My only challenge is, because I’m doing independent films, we are not banking on stars. We’re banking on our stories. The funding becomes a challenge,” he says.