Actor Kanwar Dhillon has raised an important conversation about the way television shows credit their cast. He believes actors, who are at the centre of bringing characters and stories to life, should not be left out of the credit roll. For him, the issue goes beyond recognition and is ultimately about respecting the work that actors put into a show.
Kanwar says this is something he has thought about for a long time and has also discussed with colleagues, his father Deep Dhillon and other people from the industry. He feels the absence of actors’ names becomes especially noticeable when the credit roll acknowledges several other departments but leaves out the performers who portray the main characters.
“I have been thinking about this for a very long time. I have discussed it with many of my colleagues, my father and other people from the industry, and I could never really understand why this change happened. When I watch a show and see the credit roll, the absence of actors’ names really pinches me. I felt it was something I should speak about because I genuinely believe actors deserve that credit,” he says.
The actor is quick to clarify that his point is not about taking credit away from writers, directors, editors, DOPs or any other department. According to him, every person involved in creating a television show deserves to be acknowledged, and the same should apply to the actors who play its central characters.
“It is not about taking away anyone else’s credit and giving it to actors. Every department works hard and deserves recognition. But actors are equally important to a show. Just like a director, producer, writer, cinematographer or editor is a backbone of a show, so are the primary actors,” he shares.
Kanwar also points out the amount of time and effort actors invest in their characters. Television performers often spend long hours on set and can remain associated with a character for months or even years. He feels that once a character becomes popular, the actor’s contribution should not become invisible.
“An actor spends hours and hours shooting every day and works extremely hard to make a character relevant and create a place for that character in people’s hearts. Once that happens, not even being given credit in the credit list feels unfair. If other departments are being credited for their contribution, actors should also be given that same space,” Kanwar says.
For him, the conversation is also about allowing actors to retain their own identity outside the characters they play. He would like to see television return to the practice of mentioning an actor’s real name followed by the character name.
“I would like my real name to come first and then my character name in brackets. I am Kanwar Dhillon, and that is my identity. I play a character called Sachin Deshmukh. But Sachin is not my identity as a whole. I don’t want every person watching television to only know me as Sachin,” he explains.
Kanwar recalls growing up watching television and discovering the names of actors through the credit rolls. He believes that even today, when social media has made it easier to find information about celebrities, television credits remain important for audiences who may not actively follow actors online.
“Earlier, that was the norm. I remember knowing the names of so many television actors because I saw their names in the credits while watching shows. Even today, there is a large section of people who do not turn to social media pages to find out who an actor is. They know you by your character name because that is how they see you on television every day,” he says.
He also feels the change does not have to be complicated. Kanwar is not asking for every member of a large ensemble cast to receive equal prominence, but believes the leads and key performers should have a place in the credits.
“I am not saying that if there are 20 actors, all 20 names have to be shown. But your leads and key characters definitely deserve that space. If you can give a few seconds to acknowledge other departments, you can certainly give a few seconds to your primary cast as well,” he says.
Ultimately, Kanwar believes the conversation should be about respect rather than popularity or social media visibility. For him, crediting actors is a simple way of acknowledging the work they put into making a show and its characters connect with viewers.
“For me, it is first about respect and then recognition. Recognition is very easily available today through social media, but this is about doing what is right. Actors work day in and day out to make a show successful, make their characters relevant and connect with the audience. Giving them their due credit is a basic form of respect for that contribution,” he adds.
