Jim Sarbh on International Emmys nomination, says he’s in a ‘brave new world of filmmaking at the moment’

Excerpts from the interview:

How did you react after being informed that you have received an International Emmy Awards nomination?

I was surprised and confused. I had no idea the nominees were being announced that day. I was also an hour late to watch Dirty Harry with a neighbour. So, I tried to ignore the phone calls and messages and watch the movie. But I think I will have to watch it again. Once I came back downstairs, I tried to respond and read all the messages. I was a bit overwhelmed, so instead, I distracted myself by assembling a chair. The confusion turned to excitement.

What does this international recognition mean to you?

I believe quite a few shows from all over the world apply for the International Emmys. Perhaps 5000 to 6000 shows send in their material. It is very gratifying that Rocket Boys managed to stand out amongst such a formidable amount of high-quality television. I am overwhelmed and excited to be nominated in the Best Actor category. A story wants more than anything to be heard, and the more the merrier. So the fact that Rocket Boys resonated with a national audience, as well as an international one, only makes me glad.

 

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In this process, are you building your own niche away from mainstream Hindi cinema?

I don’t look at it that way. I like to act in all forms of the medium, from short films to series to features. I like to act in experimental films as well as commercial movies. My focus is always just the quality of each project, how interesting the script is, the director, the production value, or my particular character. I think an experimental film can be just as interesting as a blockbuster. It all depends on the vision of the director and the quality of the project.

While you have played some very interesting roles in feature films, your work on OTT really stands out.

OTT is coming out with some very exciting shows, and I am glad to be a part of some of them. I hope to continue to be a part of long-form storytelling, which is the brave new world of filmmaking at the moment. It is a form people are still experimenting with, different narrative structures, cold opens, intersecting narratives, episodic pastiches. So, while the makers are experimenting so much, there is more scope for actors as well.