#KetchupTalks: "Actors in general don’t like the spotlight at all", says Aspirants actor Naveen Kasturia

On-screen IAS turned IPS, Naveen Kasturia talks to us about his new show Salakaar, his relationship with TVF, his journey in this industry and some myths related to actors! 

When you think of Naveen Kasturia, chances are you picture a sharp, brainy character, the kind who’d rather outwit than outmuscle his opponent. Over the years, he’s become almost synonymous with such roles! So it's no wonder that he went from playing the earnest IAS aspirant in Aspirants to slipping into the shoes of an intelligence officer in Salakaar, tasked with preventing Pakistan from building a nuclear bomb. His onscreen journey has built an accidental but fascinating legacy of characters defined by intellect and resilience more than sheer physical strength.

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But beyond these roles lies the actor himself who, in this thoughtful, candid, and refreshingly grounded conversation talked about it all. Naveen spoke about what drew him to such parts, his beloved film Sulemani Keeda and his long-standing association with TVF that not only gave him his breakthrough with Pitchers but also cemented his place with Aspirants, and whether he now feels he has “arrived” as an actor. 

Read all about it here!

Salakaar is already out! How has the response been so far? And is there a particular feedback or comment that has really stayed with you?

I’m my own biggest critic. When I finally got to watch it, it was almost like seeing everything for the first time. While you’re shooting, it’s very hard to imagine what the director has in mind or how it’s all going to look once it comes together. But when I saw it, I really understood what Faruk was trying to make, and I actually liked most of it. I was also very happy with how he presented me, I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself like this before. There were moments where I was literally watching myself in a way I hadn’t before. And the response has been really heartening. Most of the people who have reviewed it have said nice things about my work, which is such a relief because honestly, I was worried. I wasn’t sure how people would react to me playing a character like this, whether they would accept me in this world. So the fact that I haven’t been criticized for it, and instead people are appreciating what I’ve tried to do, that’s a big win for me. I can’t point to just one compliment, but overall, I’m just very happy with the way people are receiving it.

Adhir is such an interesting character, almost like a fictional version of Ajit Doval in some ways. What struck me was his ability to just slip into other identities, like a form of cosplay, to get out of situations. What was it about him that really hooked you?

Honestly, I didn’t think about it in such detail at first. It started very simply- I got a call from Romil, the casting director. He told me, “It’s the story of a spy based in Islamabad, it’s going to be directed by Faruk Kabir, and it’ll be on JioHotstar. Are you free? Do you want to meet the director?” And I was like, haan, bas mujhe yeh karna hai. Even before reading the script, I was hoping they’d like me and cast me. The moment I heard “spy in Pakistan,” I was sold. Everything else from the disguises to the action, the thrill of it was like a bonus on top. For me, it’s really about exploring different worlds and playing different kinds of roles. I feel like I’ve done very little so far and there’s so much more to try. So even if Adhir didn’t have all those cool elements- the cosplay, switching identities, or action sequences, I would have still said yes, because the world itself was so exciting. But the fact that it did have all of that just made it even more fun to do. I enjoyed every bit of it. And to be fair, in one character got to do different things together, something that I always wish to explore! 

What do you look for in a script or a character that makes you say yes to the project?

There’s no one fixed thing. The whole reason you’re in this field is because you want to be surprised, you want to keep discovering something new every time. That’s the coolest part about being an actor, you never know what’s coming next. Like, I never sat down thinking, “I want to play a startup founder” or “I want to be a district magistrate or an IAS officer.” These parts just came my way, I liked them, and I did them. So there’s no rigid plan or rulebook. If something new comes to me, and it’s being made well, good production values, a proper release, and my role is interesting and something I haven’t done before, then there’s a 90% chance I’ll do it. At this stage, I’m not getting ten scripts every day and having to choose between them, so for me, it’s really about instinct. One of my main concerns now is: Will this actually be made properly and released properly? Because in the past, I’ve done projects that didn’t see the light of day in the right way, and that’s very disheartening. So I look at who the producer is, because a strong producer gives you that guarantee. After that, it’s the script and the role that matter most.

You’ve gone from engineering to acting, and now you’re headlining shows. Do you feel like you’ve “arrived,” or is it still a long road? Is it still challenging to find roles?

That’s the biggest challenge. Even when I started, I was headlining like Sulemani Keeda and Pitchers. But those projects weren’t very popular at the time, so it didn’t feel like I’d “arrived.” Then came things like Aspirants, and in shows like Breathe or Bose I wasn’t the main guy, but I was part of them. The truth is, once you start working as an actor, the hardest part is finding good scripts and good roles. And I don’t think that challenge ever really goes away, not even for people who you think have arrived. Because the reality is, in India, truly great scripts are rare, and even when they’re being made, the chances of them landing in your lap are slimmer. So yes, finding quality work is always a struggle. But that’s just part of the job. Also, I don’t have this rule that I always have to be the main guy. I’ve done supporting roles, cameos, even recently, a few years back, I did a cameo in Sapne vs Everyone. At the end of the day, it comes down to the role, the script, and the production. Of course, it’s great if I get to play the central character, but even if I’m not, and the role is solid, and the script is strong, I don’t see any reason to let it go. Because sometimes even a small part can leave a huge impact.

Despite everything, when a film like Sulemani Keeda doesn’t work out the way it was supposed to, does it feel bad? What’s the general emotion there?

Sulemani Keeda is very close to my heart. I shot it in 2012 and it finally released in December 2014. Just the fact that it played in a Mumbai theatre for three weeks was a huge deal for me—it was my first time on the big screen, and seeing my parents watch me there was priceless. At that point, I wasn’t thinking about whether the film would “run” or not. I was simply happy it got released at all, because in this profession so much is beyond your control, what roles you land, how projects shape up, whether audiences connect. So even though the film didn’t do as well as some had hoped, it didn’t upset me. A few years later when Pitchers really took off, that was a completely different high. I went into it with no expectations, and that’s something I’ve realized over time when you don’t overthink outcomes, the good surprises feel even sweeter. With Sulemani Keeda, the release itself felt like a victory because we had struggled so much just to get it out. The only regret is that it isn’t available on any OTT platform. I honestly feel that if young audiences could discover it today, they’d connect with it in a big way. Unfortunately, it still remains under-watched simply because it never reached enough people.

You’ve had such a long-standing relationship with TVF whether it’s Pitchers, Aspirants, or even all those early spoof videos. How did it all actually begin with them? 

My focus was on Sulemani Keeda, which we’d been trying to make since 2011. The TVF guys, though, were already experimenting with that space. Since we came from similar engineering backgrounds, we had mutual friends, and they knew I was trying to act. So when they decided to make the Rowdies spoof, they called me. I’d been doing TV commercials, so in a way I was the only “actor” in that gang. Before that I’d also worked as an AD on Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai and had a blink-and-miss role, you can actually spot me in the song Dua with Kalki Koechlin. So when they asked me to do Rowdies, I read the script, found it hilarious, and jumped in. We shot it casually and it went viral, at a time when almost nothing like that was coming out of India on YouTube. While waiting for Sulemani Keeda’s release, I did a few more sketches with them like Chai Sutta Chronicles. Then when Sulemani was screened at MAMI, the TVF team saw it. I was living with Biswapati Sarkar back then, he went on to write Pitchers and he was the one who asked me to do the show. That’s how Pitchers happened, and honestly, my roommate played a big role in shaping my career.

Later, when Pitchers Season 2 was still on hold, I auditioned for Aspirants through a casting director and got Abhilash. By then TVF had become this massive setup with a big office and teams of writers and directors. What people often don’t realize is that every time I’ve worked with TVF, it’s been with a completely different team. Pitchers Season 1 was Amit Golani and Biswapati, while Aspirants was Dipesh as the writer and Apoorv Singh Karki directing. Even Aspirants Season 1 and 2 had different teams, apart from Apoorv. Same with Pitchers Season 2, it had an entirely new director and writers. Ambrish Verma, who directed Sapne vs Everyone, had his own style too. So it’s never been one fixed group, but rather different teams under the TVF umbrella, each with their own way of working. For me, Pitchers was a turning point. It changed my career and I’ll always be grateful to TVF. They’ve grown into a big company with solid writers who consistently create good work. And yes, I’d love to collaborate more with them in the future.

From then to now, what do you think has changed in the OTT space, something that TVF sort of kickstarted?

Honestly, at that time I didn’t even know what “OTT” was. Pitchers was just a YouTube show. Now it’s a whole universe. There are so many channels, so many platforms, it feels cluttered at times. And it’s not just web shows competing with each other, now they’re competing with Instagram reels. People are glued to their phones, sometimes they don’t even get around to watching shows. Even if I face it. I’ll sit down with food, open an OTT app to start something, and by the time I’ve finished scrolling through options, my food is already over. There’s just too much. Add to that, every film now comes to OTT within weeks of a theatrical release. So in many ways, OTT has become the biggest medium. But the upside is massive. It’s created opportunities for so many stories, so many actors, so many careers, including mine. I feel really lucky that my journey with OTT began through Pitchers and TVF, right at the time when this whole wave was just starting. It feels great to have been there at the beginning of something that changed the industry.

It's actually new for me that even different seasons of the same show can have completely different teams. Do you think when the crew changes like that, it also changes the tone of the show?

See, there’s no hard rule here. Of course, everyone tries their best to take the same characters forward in the same spirit, but this isn’t something new, it happens all over the world. That said, I do feel that shows where the original creator continues tend to be more successful, because that person already knows the nuances of the world they’ve built. When the creator changes, the rhythm or even the soul of a show can shift. It’s the nature of a creative field. Sometimes, even after being part of a show for so long, I myself only truly understand the director’s vision once I watch the final cut. Which is why, especially for drama series, I feel the show is better off if the same creator stays with it. Of course, if every season tells a completely different story with new characters, then it may not matter as much. But if you’re continuing the same story, then having the same creator really helps. Like in Aspirants, the writer has been consistent from the start, so the person who gave birth to these characters continues to shape them. That continuity makes a big difference as you see Abhilash’s growth in seasons in continuation. That being said, it’s not like shows can’t work otherwise. There are Indian examples too, take Gullak. It’s had different writers and directors across seasons, and yet it has managed to soar. So both things are possible, but yes, my personal opinion is that consistency in creators benefits long-running dramas the most.

Coming back to you, between Abhilash, Adhir, Naveen and others, are you building an extended universe of heroes who use their minds more than their muscles? Or maybe even an extended “civil services” universe? What kind of legacy do you want your characters to leave behind?

No, nothing like that. I’m not even thinking in those terms. I just feel lucky that I’ve been offered these kinds of parts. Maybe logon ko lagta hai main padha-likha aadmi hoon, toh automatically samajhdaar characters mil jaate hain, people who operate more from their heads. But I’m very happy someone thought of me for an IAS role, and now for an IPS role. But none of this is by design. So I think from a distance I come across as intelligent, and that’s why such roles come my way. Which is exactly why I avoid hanging out too much with people from the industry. I don’t want them to know the truth! Dur se they think I’m smart, so I’d rather keep it that way.

What has this journey of staying and struggling in the industry as an actor taught you? And what’s one common misconception about actors you’d want to clear up?

What I’ve really learned over the years is that waiting is such an important part of this profession. In the beginning, I used to get restless, like, I’d do a good show, I knew people had seen my work, so I’d wonder why am I not getting offers immediately? That impatience would eat me up. But slowly I realized, this business just doesn’t work that way. You have to make peace with the gaps, you have to be patient, because waiting is as much a part of an actor’s journey as performing. Now I’m in a place where I’m actually very comfortable with it. I do a show, I give it my all, I celebrate it when it comes out, and then I move on. I don’t sit around thinking, ab toh mujhe bohot saare offers aayenge. I’ve stopped attaching expectations to outcomes. And that shift has made me much happier.

Another thing I’d like to clear out is this common idea that all actors are attention-seekers, which is not true at all. Of course, there are some people who enjoy being in the limelight and actively chase it, but that’s just a small section. A lot of actors including some of them with very successful names actually prefer a very low-key, family-oriented life, away from media glare. Just like there are filmmakers who don’t keep posting pictures at airports or trying to stay visible, they’re simply focused on making good stories. Acting is the same as there are many actors who are shy, reserved, even socially awkward, but they come alive when they’re performing. Otherwise, attention makes them uncomfortable. 

Something Jesse Eisenberg said recently about this, that actors in general don’t like the spotlight at all, that’s why they act, because it gives them a chance to hide behind characters. I relate to that. I enjoy the work, I enjoy slipping into different roles, and that’s enough for me. If good work keeps coming, I’ll keep channeling that into a meaningful filmography. That’s the kind of legacy I’d want to leave behind. Sure there are many people out there who want to become powerful, and get a lot of fame, so they might choose differently and I am not judging as right or wrong, just stating a fact but people who genuinely enjoy acting do want to be as Eisenberg said.

And one more myth I’d like to bust is this idea that “the industry” is one big family, where everyone knows everyone. That’s just not true. From the outside, people imagine actors constantly bump into each other and are all closely connected. But in reality, it’s like any other profession. Just because all engineers belong to the same field doesn’t mean they all know each other personally, right? The same goes for us. There are so many people in the industry I’ve never met, even some of the biggest names. We’re not one big collective, we’re all individuals, all on very different journeys. And that’s something people on the outside don’t always realize.

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