3 things Karan Tacker learnt from Neeraj Pandey

MUMBAI: Celebrated television actor Karan Tacker, who made his digital debut with the web series "Special OPs", says he learnt three very important lessons from the director of the show, Neeraj Pandey.

"I would say dedication, discipline and clarity are the three things I have learnt from Neeraj sir. He really knows what he wants as a storyteller, what he wants from his actors, and how he will use it in the post-production. The clarity he has in his mind is really worth learning from! After shoot, when we would rest, he would sit with the production guys to discuss the next days' shoot. I think during production, he slept for about four to five hours because he was working constantly," Karan told IANS.

"Also, he is an emotionally sensitive person with a sense of humour. One should really work closely to understand him! It's fun!" added the actor.

"Special OPs" is a spy-thriller streaming on Hotstar, and the show also features Kay Kay Menon, Meher Vij, Sana Khan, Saiyami Kher, Vinay Pathak and Vipul Gupta. The story of the show is set against the backdrop of Parliament attack in Delhi that took place in 2001.

Giving an insight into his role, Karan said: "My character Farooq Ali is a RAW agent recruited by Himmat Singh (played by Kay Kay Menon). He is always on field with clarity on what he wants, and has his strategy. The character is very well written -- in fact, not just mine but of all of us. Neeraj sir is such a great scriptwriter. We all see the kind of vision he has, in all his films. But as an actor it is great how one can deliver so much just by following the script when it is well written."

The show has been shot across various locations including Azerbaijan, Turkey and Jordan.

Asked about the difficult part of shooting such an action-packed show, the actor replied: "I have to mention one of the outdoors we were shooting in Jordan. In the show, it shows summer but we actually shot in the winter. The temperature was around minus two and I was just wearing a shirt and pants and no winter gear, as we were showing summer. In the extreme cold, it was tough to mouth dialogues because I was shivering!"

He added: "I have a fear of height, and there is this scene where my character Farooq attempts suicide. I did that stunt by myself! It was a 25-storey building and I did the scene. Although there was a team of people along with the stuntmen, I thought if I do it myself it would look real. But when I stood there -- Oh God! Overcoming the fear of height was a thing for me."