Karan Tacker: I don’t come from any kind of backing, so breaks hit harder

Karan Tacker has been steadily carving a space for himself in the OTT landscape. His journey began with his role as a RAW agent in Special Ops, followed by his portrayal of IPS Amit Lodha in Khakee: The Bihar Chapter. His most recent outing sees him playing the central character in Bhay: The Gaurav Tiwari Mystery.

Talking about what drew him to Bhay, Tacker says, “Gaurav Tiwari’s story, all the way. He came to Mumbai to become an actor but couldn’t crack it because he couldn’t do ‘ji huzoori’ and eventually became a trained pilot in the US. After a paranormal incident, he studied metaphysics, returned to India, practised it, and died a mysterious death at 32, within eight years.”

Ask him how he navigated the ‘ji huzoori’ norm often associated with showbiz, and he replies, “I have no complaints about my career. Every industry has its own challenges, and I am happy to embrace the challenges of the industry I am part of.”

Reflecting on his career journey, he says the most difficult part has been navigating the industry’s unpredictable phases. “The first season of Special Ops, which was meant to be my big entry into the OTT space, released on the day India went into lockdown. As an actor, you expect momentum after a successful release, but instead I was at home for nearly two years and lost crucial time in my career. When Khakee released, the industry was going through a slowdown, and there was barely any work. Dealing with these circumstances has been my biggest challenge.”

He adds, “I try to choose projects that excite and challenge me as an actor, but long gaps disrupt momentum. Since I don’t come from any kind of backing, phases like these make it even harder to stay visible and understand what works at a given point.”