"That’s quite liberating for an actor."
Ahad Raza Mir has opened up about playing Arjun Batra in the OTT adaptation of the zombie game series Resident Evil.
He has also spoken up about how OTT is helping artists break geographical and conventional boundaries in an interview with Variety.
The show marks the second time Ahad Raza Mir, popularly known for his television roles, will be seen in the OTT realm.
Following the success of his portrayal of Hamlet as part of The Shakespeare Company, Ahad, who’s currently shooting for the second season of BBC’s World on Fire, believes he’s ready to take on greater challenges.
And he plans on being as unconventional with his choices as possible.
Before Resident Evil’s release, the 28-year-old said: “OTT gives you this avenue to explore anything and that’s actually quite freeing for an actor.”
He added: “When you’re working on TV, there are things you can’t do. But the nice thing about OTT is that it gives you this avenue to explore anything.
“And that’s quite liberating for an actor. But the best part about OTT is that it’s global. You can watch it from anywhere. That’s why platforms like Netflix are really valuable for everybody.
“As an actor, it’s exciting for people to see your work but I think it’s also great for the audience to engage with each other from different parts of the world, viewing the same content.”
The Netflix interpretation of the Resident Evil franchise is “a brand-new retelling of the story that follows the lore,” Ahad told Variety.
Ahad, who is guilty of having played all Resident Evil games and watched all the films, describes his character as someone who plays more of a pivotal role in the emotional moments.
The Ehd-e-Wafa actor added: “I really have a great understanding of the lore and the story that Resident Evil presents.
“But what’s really interesting about this show is that it’s taking that lore and turning it on its head, giving it a brand-new presentation.”
The actor, albeit, feels that the real success of the show is in its representation:
“Sometimes in a show, you’ll have the token brown guy or the token Asian, but what Netflix is doing is, they’re getting rid of that.
“People are there in the show, not based off of a stereotypical idea of that character based on the skin – it’s more about ‘this is the right person for the role.’ And I like that that’s happening.”
Ahad also revealed that there could be a second season for Resident Evil and he hopes to be in it.
The actor said: “From what I’ve heard, I think there will be follow-up series.
“Obviously, it depends on how the show goes the first-time around. But I’m hopeful.”
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