As artistes it’s in our hands to not get stereotyped: ‘Sacred Games’ star Jitendra Joshi

Marathi actor Jitendra Joshi says his performance as constable Katekar in "Sacred Games" gave his career a much-needed push, changing his life from that of a struggling artiste to a performer who aims to build a versatile profile.

Joshi’s stint as the much-loved loyal cop Katekar, alongside Saif Ali Khan's inspector Sartaj Singh, in season one of the Netflix Original series earned him instant recognition from the masses as well as the industry insiders.

But it took him a while to board his next big project as the actor did not want to give in to fame by doing similar kind of roles.

"In initial days, the struggle was to just run the house. Even today, the aim is to give a good life to my family, but at the same time I want to do good work. I would say from struggling to run the house to striving for good work, I’ve come a long way. I want to come up with something new every time I appear on screen," the actor told PTI in an interview.

Joshi, 42, said he now focuses most of his energies on self-analysis, which in return helps him in polishing his acting skills.

"Now I struggle with self-doubt. I always have this hesitation before getting into the mind of character, that will I be able to pull it off or not. But I believe self-doubt and self-analysis play important role in an artiste’s life. Both these feelings give us the sense of right and wrong," he added.

The actor said he was offered many roles similar to Katekar post the success of Anurag Kashyap-Vikramaditya Motwane-directed "Sacred Games", but he decided to say no to the projects as he didn’t want to get pigeonholed.

"I believe, as an artiste, it is in our hands to give or not give the makers a choice to stereotype us. With every project, I want to do something that challenges me and surprises the audience. Makers should also feel I have more to myself as an actor. I waited for long after ‘Sacred Games’ to get the right kind of role."

His wait ended with another Netflix India Original series "Betaal", which gave him a chance to give a complete makeover to his affable image as Katekar.

Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, the show is written and directed by Patrick Graham, who previously helmed the horror series "Ghoul".

Nikhil Mahajan is also serving as the co-director, while Blumhouse Television and SK Global Entertainment are attached as executive producers.

"I fell in love with the character of Mudhalvan during the narration. Katekar was the most loved character and this will be the most hated character. In this show, people will hate me and I will love it," he added.

The zombie-horror series also features Viineet Kumar, Aahana Kumra, Suchitra Pillai, Jatin Goswami and Siddharth Menon.

Joshi said what makes "Betaal" stand apart is its treatment of female characters.

"Till now, in most of the horror shows or films in India, the way women are portrayed is mostly erotic or sexy. But ‘Betaal’ is different in that sense. The women in this show are very strong. They are all fighters. I found this really interesting. This kind of show has not been made in India."

The actor said he is eagerly awaiting the May 24 premiere of "Betaal" and hopes his performance in the series leads him to more interesting work.

"I don’t have any new projects with me right now. I had finished a Marathi movie with Drishyam Films but have no clue when will it release. Hope that ‘Betaal’ does well and I get more work," he said.

Image credit: Instagram/@jitendrajoshi27