Omi Vaidya: I always thought directing was more interesting than acting helobaba.com
In a notable comeback, Omi Vaidya, renowned for his unforgettable role as Chatur Ramalingam in 3 Idiots, has ventured back into the industry after a brief hiatus, and this time, he takes on the role of a director in his Marathi film debut with Aaichya Gavat Marathit Bol.
Vaidya’s journey to filmmaking began at New York University, where he studied film and television production with a focus on directing. “I went to New York University for film and television production, to learn directing before I ever became a professional actor,” he shares.
Reflecting on his dual roles, Vaidya expresses, “A director has much more freedom when he creates art, especially when you are writing and directing, you have almost complete freedom to tell the story. As an actor, you are limited by your dialogues and performance, you cannot control the staging or script. I always thought that directing was much more interesting.”
Breaking away from the Bollywood mainstream, the 42-year-old chose to make his directorial debut in Marathi cinema. He explains, “I always wanted to make a Marathi movie, and I was not confident that the vision I co-wrote would be successfully translated by someone else.” This decision was not merely artistic; it was a conscious effort to address industry dynamics. “My experiences in Bollywood definitely affected the way I handled my Marathi production. One issue that I observed was the lack of females on set, so I made sure every department had both men and women in the crew and cast.”
The transition from actor to director posed its own set of challenges for Vaidya. “Many people only see you as an actor and question if you have the skills to be a director,” he admits, adding, “Convincing veteran actors can only come when they come to set and see how focused you are.”
