Eijaz Khan Was Hospitalised After He Returned From Bhram’s Shoot In Shimla, Deets Inside
BollywoodEijaz Khan shares that he was prescribed an anti-anxiety/anti-depressant after he completed the shoot of the ZEE5 Original web series Bhram.
Eijaz Khan is best remembered for his stint in popular television shows Kkoi Dil Mein Hai, Kkavyanjali, Kasamh Se amongst several others. He has also immortalized the role of Jassi in the Tanu Weds Manu franchise. Earlier this year, the Hyderabad-born star made his digital debut. Last seen in ZEE5 Original Bhram, Eijaz shares that the web shouldn’t be censored. In an exclusive interview, the actor opens up about how TV content has changed, advancements in OTT space and more.
Read excerpts from our exclusive chat with him below.
Q. Bhram underlines PTSD, you have earlier opened up about depression. Do you think it is still a taboo to talk about mental health?
My doctor just described an anti-anxiety/anti-depressant pill to me. I came back from Shimla and I was hospitalized for 10 days. When you are sick, your electrolytes are low and your immunity is weak. If I can talk about it, everyone should. If you catch a viral infection, you get it treated. Similarly, if someone’s mental health is weak, they should get help. There is nothing to be ashamed of.
Q. Is content truly the king?
I think naagins are king now. There is a market for that kind of show also. Sameer Nair has this term ‘Naagins to Narcos’, so yes, there is an audience for such kind of content too. The recent years have been a deviation and can be marked as milestones.
Q. Do you feel the advancements in the web-space have challenged actors, writers, producers to perform better?
OTT platforms are not a challenge, they are an amazing opportunity. Earlier, we weren’t challenged. There wasn’t so much going on. You’d only do so much. Content made earlier was targeted at a particular audience but now we can see, our audience is loving the variety. We can easily make shows that cater to a niche or a larger audience. We can make content in relation to that. They haven’t put pressure but you can now actually do whatever you want. You can experiment so much. I don’t know who planned this but the internet is cheap as f**k and now everyone can binge-watch at home. It has made viewing so much easier. We saw this in people’s consumption abroad first, I remember I used to go there and watch. Hopefully, this wave sustains.
Q. Are there any drawbacks?
I don’t think there are any drawbacks. Unfortunately, some producers put in explicit content just to grab eyeballs. I also did some shows and wondered why is so much sexuality included, it’s not even needed. I think that is the only drawback, unnecessary sexual content. Having said that, I don’t think there should be censorship. It’s an on-demand service.
Q. What would you term as your career’s highest-high and lowest-low?
I took myself very seriously when I was at my highest high. I thought this industry wouldn’t last without me, but I learned my lesson. The right lesson was given to me in my personal life actually. Ever since I didn’t want to take myself seriously, I do things I can be passionate about and are interesting.
Have you watched Bhram yet?
In the meantime, catch the latest episodes of Movie Masti with Maniesh Paul only on ZEE5.