While he does want to do leading parts, Aly Goni is equally happy doing small yet impactful roles. The actor shares that he is inspired by the likes of Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Sushant Singh Rajput, among others, who also started off doing smaller roles on TV and in films.
`For me it was never like either lead roles or nothing else. After Ye Hai Mohabbatein I' did let go off many lead roles in TV shows that have topped charts and lost out several lakhs in terms of remuneration. But I've no regrets,` he says.
Goni reveals he was cautioned by many that he wasn't doing right with his TV career. `I want to do different things. TV is home, I'm grateful to the medium for what it has done for me. I'll never say no to TV. But there are so many other things that I want to do. At 28 I don't want to limit myself. Even if I'm getting small but meaningful roles in film or web, I'm ready,` adds the actor, who makes his web debut with Boney Kapoor production Zidd that also stars Amit Sadh and Amrita Puri. He plays an army officer in it.
`Again I don't play a leading part but the character does add to the narrative. I'll keep doing such interesting characters till I start getting substantial leading characters in films or web. On TV, I want to concentrate on supporting roles and non-fiction shows that I really enjoy,` says Goni, adding how Rajput's journey has inspired him.
`Sushant was at the peak of his TV career when he started doing movies. Even when he made it big in films, he did a small role in PK. He was close friends with my cousin and would visit our house often, play cricket and party with us. He was humble and ever ready to help. I would always tell him how he has shown us the way, gave hope to many of us working in TV. There has been this divide between TV and film actors.Kahin na kahin unhone woh change kiya hai, aur Bollywood mein nepotism ko maarke gaye hai,` he says.
It was the kind of person that Rajput was, which reflected on screen too, which made him so relatable, feels Goni. `His demise broke many of us. We're yet to come to terms with it. The way he has inspired us, very few people could possibly do that,` he ends.