Abhishek Chauhan talks about his 'complex' character in Khauf, shares working experience with Monika Panwar, his take on OTT censorship | Exclusive

Actor Abhishek Chauhan, who is known for his versatile performances in Cubicles, Kill, and Asur 2, is all set to feature in the upcoming series, 'Khauf'. The series promises a thrilling ride with a mix of psychological complexity and supernatural suspense, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Recently, the makers unveiled the trailer, revealing not much about the Chauhan’s character. 

In an exclusive DNA interview, Abhishek Chauhan discussed his debut in the horror genre, his character's nuances, and working with Monika Panwar. He also shared insights into his journey from theater to film and series, as well as his thoughts on OTT censorship.

Created by Sacred Games fame Smita Singh and directed by debutant Pankaj Kapoor, Khauf tells the haunting tale of a young woman hoping to start afresh in a new hostel.

Ahead of its release, Chauhan shared his excitement about exploring the horror genre for the first time in his career. “It was exciting, it's new, I haven't shot anything like this before, but having grown up watching a lot of stuff, horror has been like an interesting genre. The way the show's been written and the way the show was led by the makers, Smita ma'am, Pankaj sir, who directed it along with Surya, all of them had great sensibilities and how they wanted to shoot it and create it which gave it a lot more colour,” he said.


Abhishek Chauhan talks about his character in Khauf.

Although Chauhan refrained from divulging details about his character, he said, “There are multiple characters in the story. I just happen to be one of the characters who is going to face the scary side of things a little here and there, so I think it's more interesting to sort of watch the show and then be able to see where all the characters go.” However, while sharing his preparations, he revealed it is a layered and complex character. 

Khauf marks Chauhan’s second collaboration with actress Monika Panwar after Mast Mein Rehne Ka. Calling her ‘terrific actor’, he said, “She's a terrific actor and I mean I have, I get inspired by her a lot and I respect her dedication towards her craft and how she keeps surprising me and that is also something that in turn pushes me to work harder and she's such a giving actor.”

Originally from Uttarakhand, Chauhan honed his craft in theater before transitioning to film and series. He credits good mentorship and working with the right people, which helped transition from theater to film and series, due to his training and experience. 

Abhishek Chauhan on his transition from being a theatre artist to a film actor

"I had done theatre for three or four years. I had also trained in it and was constantly doing plays. When I started out, I began with the show Undekhi, where Siddharth Sengupta and Ashish Shukla worked with me for about three weeks in front of the camera, helping me understand the medium better. With every project, I was carefully guided and helped into understanding the medium better. I owe it to all the directors and the makers because they have trusted me with the work that they've given me, and they've also like sort of handled me through the process of it,” he said.

Abhishek Chauhan says his path to OTT has been circumstance-driven

Abhishek Chauhan has been seen more on OTT than in films. When asked if it's a conscious decision, Chauhan explained that it's largely been circumstance-driven and revealed that Hotstar film, Bahut Hua Samman(2020), was initially supposed to be released in theatres. “It's also a time-relevant thing because when I started acting, a lot more web shows were being made. It was when the OTT was sort of booming. So, a lot of web shows and films were going on OTT platforms. So all the projects that I had done then were all on OTT. But after that, I did, I mean Kill was released in the theatres. There are a few things that I've done recently, they were released. So, it's not a conscious choice. I am very open to doing anything,” he said.

Abhishek Chauhan’s take on OTT censorship 

“I do 110% support freedom of expression because we are in a field where we express and how differently we express the same thing is the beauty of it. I would want to encourage a lot more of that. I don't really know how much it affects people and how it affects people. But being able to at least convey what you want to convey and say it the way you want to say it, I feel like it's something that should be the bare minimum.”

Meanwhile, Khauf is set to be released on April 18 on Amazon Prime Video.