I’ve let go, I let people talk, says Amol Parashar

Amol Parashar’s rise has been anything but conventional. The most surprising part is what’s happening off-screen. If you’ve scrolled through his Instagram lately, you’ll know it’s a vibe. Comments, responses, appreciation, and a striking amount of love.

At 38, the actor is not just attracting attention for his roles but also for the respectful, emotionally open space he seems to foster online. “It’s almost like my Instagram has become a safe space,” he says, adding, “Historically, women haven’t been allowed to express desire. Men haven’t been allowed to express grief. If I can help facilitate that expression without exploiting it, that’s meaningful.” Does he worry about the adoration fading away? “200 comments will become 100.

But as long as people feel safe and respected, I’m happy to be that space, women, men, anyone in between,” shares Amol. Excerpts from our chat with the actor.

“I don’t want to be boxed in by that label”

Over the years, Amol has earned a particular kind of fan base, one that sees him as thoughtful, layered, and charmingly grounded. The term that often gets attached to his name? A ‘thinking woman’s actor’. “I don’t think of it as limiting, but I try not to let it define what I do.

I enjoy playing flawed people. That’s more fun,” says Amol. He recalls a recent conversation with a filmmaker friend who offered him a morally ambiguous role.

His thoughts? “Make him (the character) a completely bad person. That serves the story better. Why dilute it just to protect how people see me?” He also credits social media with giving actors more freedom to explore morally grey characters. “Earlier, actors avoided playing unlikable characters because people would start believing that’s who they were in real life.

Now people know who I am. I like it when someone says, ‘I didn’t expect that from you.’ That’s a win,” adds Amol.

“Sometimes the mood of the characters stays for a bit”

Amol’s laid-back presence online is mirrored in how he works on set - quietly, from the inside out.“Sometimes a character feels close to who you are; sometimes it doesn’t, even if people believe it does, especially when you’re playing a bad person,” he explains. He credits much of his process to internalising how a character thinks.

“We all have a voice in our heads. Amol has a voice, which sounds like Amol, which thinks and judges like Amol. But if you can, through research or conversations with the team, create a different voice in your head, the voice of your character, that helps a lot.

” The Tripling actor believes that with experience, the ability to switch off from a character becomes easier. Still, certain moods linger. “I don’t know if I would put it as emotionally challenging.

It can be a 'mood' thing. You try to create a certain emotional space in your brain or heart for a scene, and sometimes, that mood stays for a bit. Maybe the way you talk, or habits you pick up.”

“If a character is well-written, the camera will do its job”

Having worked in ensemble casts as well as solo narratives, Parashar has developed a strong sense of screen awareness, especially when he isn’t the flashiest character in the scene. “Sometimes when there are too many people in a scene, everyone wants to stand out.

There’s that instinctive extra effort to be seen. But then you look back and realise, I didn’t have to do so much.” With time, he’s learned to trust the scene and the director’s vision.

“If a character is well-written, even if you’re quiet in a scene, the camera will do its job. The editor will do their job. If what you’re doing is honest, the emotion will come through.” He adds, “I’ve never looked at visibility as something to chase.

Even outside of scenes, I don’t say no to unflattering roles just to protect some public image. That feels limiting.”

“Every character gives you something”

When asked if a role ever changed him personally, Amol answers, “Every character gives you something. Chitwan [from Tripling] gave me levity, Whereas playing Bhagat Singh in Sardar Udham made me reflect on idealism,” he says, adding, “Even if it’s just small things, standing up for something I believe in, with no reward, that’s what I took from him.”

“I’ve made peace with the fact that fame brings curiosity.”

He’s also learned to handle gossip and speculation around his dating life more gracefully. “There was a time I used to get bothered. Now, I’ve made peace with the fact that fame brings curiosity. If people are talking, it means they’re interested,” says Amol. He recalls an incident in the earlier days of his career, and says, “Once or twice, I wasn’t happy and requested not to publish, and they didn’t. But now, I’ve let go.

I let people talk, but I’m not talking. Sometimes link-ups are just PR strategies. Sometimes they don’t even like each other! But the image is crafted.”

Up next, Amol Parashar is set to take the stage with Besharam Aadmi, a solo theatre performance he will present in Pune on July 5. Written and performed by him, the show is a sharp, humorous monologue that examines the contradictions and absurdities of urban life, masculinity, and social behaviour. With equal parts wit and introspection, Besharam Aadmi navigates everything from dating app dynamics and societal expectations to everyday shamelessness that’s often shrugged off as normal.

The performance, which has already had successful runs in other cities, marks Parashar’s theatre roots and showcases his skill in blending satire with social commentary, all while holding the stage alone for over an hour.