By Ila Sankrityayan
New Delhi [India], August 29 : What makes an actor stay relevant when audiences have endless choices? For Pratik Gandhi, the answer lies in refusing to play safe. The actor believes performers need to keep experimenting across genres and formats because the same audience that applauds them for one kind of role can reject them if they begin repeating themselves.
"Box office numbers are one of the parameters but these are one of the parameters, it's not the only parameter. The success of the film cannot be defined only by these numbers," Pratik told ANI
The actor, known for doing theatre, films and OTT, said the absence of a fixed formula is what makes the creative process interesting.
"We are in the field of experiments and we keep experimenting. I think the experiment should also be applauded equally," said Gandhi while speaking on the sidelines of Ideabaaz Startup Fest 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Pratik believes the changing viewing habits of audiences have also made it important to look beyond theatrical collections when judging a project.
"Not all the subjects need theatre. There are subjects that you see on your television, there are subjects which are more enjoyed on the smaller screen like your mobile. Each subject has a different audience, should be enjoyed differently," he said.
For an actor, however, the challenge is not only finding the right story but also ensuring that audiences do not see the same performance repeatedly.
Pratik, who has taken on vastly different characters across his career, said versatility is key to longevity.
"I think this is the biggest asset for an actor if he can establish himself or herself in all different genres. That works the best for the longevity of the actor," he said.
He believes audiences are quick to respond when an actor begins repeating a successful formula.
"Otherwise, the same audience who's clapping for you for a couple of things that you did similarly, the same audience will reject you immediately the moment they see you repeating yourself," he added.
Asked whether actors today have to be more willing to take risks, Pratik was direct: "Absolutely, that's the only way to survive."
His own career reflects that approach. From his breakthrough performance as Harshad Mehta in 'Scam 1992' to his work in 'Phule' and projects across theatre, films and long-format streaming, the actor has continued to move between genres and formats.
Rather than choosing projects based on how they may be perceived, Pratik said he follows his instinct when a script comes his way.
"If a story is so compelling that it wants me personally to know more about it. If the character is so interesting that it demands a lot from me, will add value to me and I can add value to it, then I guess it largely works for me," he said.
One of his biggest challenges so far has been stepping into the shoes of Mahatma Gandhi in Hansal Mehta's series 'Gandhi'. Pratik said his biggest task was not to approach the character as the larger-than-life figure people already know, but to understand the person behind the historical image.
"The biggest challenge for Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's character was that I was not supposed to portray him in my mind as Mahatma. I was not talking about Mahatma. I was talking about a person, like one of us, who is full of failures," he said.
Instead of judging or sympathising with his characters, Pratik said he tries to understand them psychologically.
"I don't judge my character. I don't sympathize with the character, I just empathize and I try to create the character as is," he said.
For Gandhi, this meant exploring the internal conflicts behind the decisions that eventually shaped his public image.
"The decisions that he took are known to the people. But when he took those decisions what was happening inside his mind is still open to interpretation," Pratik said.
He also believes Gandhi's ideas remain deeply relevant today.
"I guess it is more relevant now than ever before. The world needs more Gandhi than ever before," he said.
Pratik also spoke about 'Mess', describing his character as complex and the film as a layered story that moves through different tones.
"It is a complex character. 'Mess' as a subject also is very layered. And it starts on a different note, takes a different note, and ends at a different note. And I guess one needs a very extremely balanced and disciplined approach to, portray these characters and pull through the whole film," he said.
Pratik added, "Rajesh A Krishnan, as the world knows him for his quirk, for his madness of filmmaking, kind of films that he has made, leading the project as a director. So it's a very interesting world that he's created with all the characters and the quirks of the character. Especially my character, he has a lot of things going on simultaneously. So at this point, what I can reveal is that I am sure the audience is up for a treat with this film."
For Pratik, the constant challenge is to keep moving, between formats, genres and characters, not in simply repeating what worked once, but in having the courage to keep experimenting.
The actor is also exploring another intense role in Tigmanshu Dhulia's 'Ghamasaan', in which he plays a cop. Pratik described working with Dhulia as a "treat" and praised him as a filmmaker who brings together the skills of a writer, director and actor.
"It is a fascinating character. Inspired from real-life stories. So it's a treat to work with him and I hope it works wonderfully with the audience too," he said.
Interestingly, despite sharing the film with Arshad Warsi, Pratik revealed that the two actors do not actually share the screen.
"The fun fact is: so there are two actors like Arshad Warsi and myself, but we have never worked together on this film. We have not shared the screen and that's the script. The dacoit that this IPS officer is chasing, nobody has seen him," he said.
Also starring Ishita Dutta in a pivotal role, the film will be out on ZEE5 on September 11.