‘Inspired by Nawaz and Irrfan’

Actor Sharad Kelkar has portrayed some powerful characters on the screen. Whether it has been the character of the principal antagonist or an extended cameo, he says he has taken his time and chosen the right projects.

“I am happy with the way things have shaped up. I wanted to go slow. I have seen people from TV just jumping for a film — not seeing what the film is exactly about. They think ‘I’m playing the hero’ but the percentage of failure is much higher than success for such films,” says Sharad, who had decided very early that he won’t take up any work just for the sake of it.

“I don’t want to just work around. I want to choose films that I really want to do. And that approach has helped me a lot. I don’t think you have to be the hero in every film that you do, but then whether the film is releasing or not, you are not bothered. I go a little slow, as I want to stay there,” shares the actor, who has been a part of films such as Ram-Leela (2013), Mohenjo Daro (2016), Bhoomi and Baadshaho (2017).

On what really inspired this thought process, Sharad muses, “I’ve seen actors like Nawazuddin [Siddiqui] and Irrfan play a hero at the age of 44, and they, too, have worked in TV. But patience and the kind of work they chose was what made them a hero, and gradually a star. So, I want to go in that order.”

While actors hailing from a TV background often admit to feeling insecure when they start out with films, Sharad says he has been lucky that way. “Touchwood, the industry has welcomed me nicely, and my journey has been smooth. All my co-stars have been sweet, and I think it’s because of my karma that not for once I was treated like an outsider. Be it John Abraham, Sanjay Dutt, or Ajay Devgn, they have been really supportive, and I share a great camaraderie with them,” says Sharad.