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THE GR8! MAG 10TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTOSHOOT
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'Chatur' Omi wanted Saloni's autograph...

Omi Vaidya aka Chatur Ramalingam has mesmerized one and all with his flawless performance in 3 Idiots followed by a league of movies..

 Not many know that he is  a well- known actor in the West and has been an integral part of many U.S. TV series and movies. He has directed two short films and his film 'Out of Time' won numerous awards and was selected for screening at 25 film festivals worldwide. In fact, he’s been acting since the age of six in Marathi plays that is why his Marathi is far better than his Hindi.

In this exclusive tête-à-tête with GR8! He unveils his views about Bollywood, Indian Television and much more.
 

According to you what distinguishes Bollywood from Hollywood?

Hollywood is more organized. There are union, healthcare and more protections in place to protect not only actors but directors and producers a well. But with so much legal statures in place, Hollywood has become a place for numbers and is very impersonal. Bollywood however is very personal and to continue to work in the industry you have to meet personally with people. People hang out on sets; they don’t sit alone in the vanity vans. I have made strong relationships with people in couple of years in Bollywood that are much stronger than most I have made working in Hollywood for five years.
 

What is the major difference that you notice in the Indian & American shows?

TV shows? I don’t watch much Indian TV. I guess you could say the sentiments are different. Because of the background, the religions, and the culture, TV in both countries is bound to be different. What is funny, dramatic, and tragic is all different therefore it is hard to compare.
 

You have acted in a few U.S. TV series like The Office, Arrested Development, etc; how was your Experience?

I have acted in numerous TV shows including The Office, Arrested Development, Bones, Kath & Kim, CSI: Las Vegas, Life, Greek, Sons of Tucson, & Better Off Ted to name a few. Working on these shows was a good experience. Each one has a different style and feel of its own. I would say the larger and more prestigious the show, the less stress on set. The Office is definitely the most comfortable TV work environment I have worked on. It’s like a real office. Whoever is not working is usually looking at YouTube Videos and playing pranks on co-workers. I think because of the multiple years of success along with tending to have only one set to shoot on, everybody is relaxed and enjoy themselves immensely.


Given a chance would you like to act in, anchor or judge an Indian show?

Depending on the show I might do something like that. If I was a judge I would want to be pretty good at what I am judging otherwise I wouldn’t be the best for that job. Anchoring is an interesting idea also. I have hosted Screen Awards and Cintaa Superstars Ka Jalwa so I am getting better at playing the host.
 

TV is not at par with the film industry (Bollywood) in India, is it the same when it comes to U.S.?

No, I think TV is pretty good in the U.S. They try really hard and advertisers flock to successful shows. Of course reality TV is king almost anywhere in the world now so that does cheapen the quality of TV as a whole.
 

The most adorable TV personality is…
Hmm… Saloni that little girl on Indian Television is so cute and cuddly. She came up to me and asked for my autograph during the Lions Club Awards. I felt like asking her for the autograph as well! (Smiles)
 

As a kid the shows that you never missed were…

Eerie Indiana, Wonder Years, Salute Your Shorts and The Crystal Maze. I have always been attached to these four shows and never missed them.

If you could change one thing on Indian TV, what would it be?

There are too many song or dance competition shows. Everybody seems to watch them constantly so I don’t think they’re going anywhere. But most of them are just not my cup o’ tea.
 

In one line, Indian Television is…
A mish-mash of mass and niche culture, religion, & news bytes in an ad-run popularity contest, all in the hopes of continuing and increasing viewer ship and market share.

 

- Dharmishtha Dagia