Celebrated actor Ashutosh Rana makes his first foray into short films with director Sameer Chand’s Test Drive, where he plays the role of a young actor who struggles to get his first break in Bollywood. In conversation with The Statesman, the actor spoke about his experiment with various mediums to explore the dynamics of his craft as an actor. Excerpts:

Q. Why did you choose to break from mainstream cinema and experiment with short films?
I believe in acting not in the medium. Whatever the medium may be if an actor has the potential then he should make full use of it. These times, the digital platform is considered a very big platform for any artist — it is not out of the box, it is in the box. An actor should not be restricted to anything in terms of medium, if there is an opportunity to excel anywhere — be it cinema, short film, theatre, television — wherever there is a medium, an actor should make an attempt to explore and expand.

Q. Your film is about an actor, and that is quite a common topic in theatre acts and short films. What is different about Test Drive?
I don’t consider the story of the film in terms of the life of an actor. It is about the challenges that everyone faces in their day to day lives. Suppose a person has a capability to do something, some potential, and is not getting the right opportunity like the character in the film, then that person goes through a regular struggle. It is a common practice. The film looks into common life and is based upon it. It is about getting the opportunity to proof your talent. It is not limited to the life of an actor, it is for everyone.

Q. An actor is often known to be the melting pot of several personalities. Isn’t it quite difficult to accommodate all those personalities in a single being?
I believe in what Lord Krishna had said, “Jo kuch bhi aap dekh rahe hain wo aapke andar hain, aur jo kuch bhi aapke andar hain, wo aapke aas paas ke dunia mein dekhte hain.” (What you see around you is within you, and what you see within you is around you.) Human beings are the microcosm of the world; every human has many personalities in one life. There is an external glow and an internal glow. It is not difficult, it is exciting for me. I get an opportunity to explore the different personalities that are there within me, it is a part of the discovery.

Q. Do you think there is more creative freedom in making a short film than in big budget cinema?
It is not a matter of freedom; it is a matter of vision and having the liberty to do it. Creativity should be about experimenting and exploring, be it any regional platform. You should always explore — like in your cell phone or the camera — or as musicians explore the stage. It is about the matter and the content, and that liberty should be restricted to any platform. Art has no boundary.

Q. What sort of challenges did you face while casting for a short film?
Every moment in acting is challenging. But that is exciting enough, and for me that excitement is the challenge itself. It is about getting to expose your inner persona, and I consider it to be the actor’s biggest challenge.

Q. Lastly, what are you more comfortable with — short films or big budget cinema? And how do you think you are being accepted by the audience?
I am comfortable with anything. The last thing I want to do is perform extraordinary characters under different opportunities. And about my audience, if they love me as an actor they will appreciate to see me anywhere — on TV screens, stage, cinema, everywhere.