Vishal on actor labels: backs Rupali on TV bias

Vishal Jethwa, best known for ‘Mardaani 2’ and ‘Homebound’, has made the leap from the small screen to critically praised roles in Hindi cinema. He recently responded to Rupali Ganguly's observation that television actors were once treated with disdain, even though many of them now earn applause for the very same work.

Vishal Jethwa on actors being labelled by platform

Speaking to The Free Press Journal at FICCI FRAMES 2026, Vishal echoed Rupali's views, saying actors often get labelled according to the medium they have worked in. "Logon ka ek point of view hota hai ki, 'Achha, TV actor hai, TV se hai.' Toh woh mujhe thoda khatakta hai. Maine dekha hai ki kaafi log films mein kaam karte hain, aur unhe aisa lagta hai, 'Achha, yeh TV actor hai,' aur woh unhe categorise karte hain," he said.

(People have a certain perspective—'Oh, he's a TV actor; he comes from TV.' That bothers me a bit. I've noticed that many people working in films think, 'Oh, this is a TV actor,' and they tend to categorize them.)He added, "Mujhe aisa lagta hai ki actor ko actor ki tarah dekhna chahiye, aur kisi tarah ki category nahi deni chahiye, ki yeh TV actor hai, theatre actor hai, sirf ads karta hai ya sirf modelling karta hai, aur usse zyada kaam nahi karte.

I think, woh ek change mujhe chahiye ki har ek actor ko equal opportunity milni chahiye, phir chahe woh kisi bhi platform par ya kisi bhi position par kaam kar raha ho.” (I feel that an actor should be viewed simply as an actor, without being pigeonholed into categories—such as being labeled a TV actor, a theatre actor, or someone who only does ads or modelling and nothing else.

I believe there needs to be a shift where every actor gets equal opportunities, regardless of the platform or position they are working in.)

Vishal Jethwa's next film 'Shakti Shalini'

On the work front, Vishal will soon be seen in ‘Shakti Shalini’, with Aneet Padda headlining opposite him. It's a reunion of sorts, since the two first shared the screen in ‘Salaam Venky’ back in 2022. The film, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, is the newest entry in Maddock Films' expanding horror-comedy universe.