It is difficult being an actor: Shankar
Singer Shankar Mahadevan’s film debut as Pandit Bhanu Shankar Shastri in the Marathi film Katyar Kaljat Ghusali (2015) impressed cinegoers and critics alike. Since then, the singer-composer has been flooded with acting offers. However, Shankar has realised that facing the camera is quite a task, and he is more comfortable making music.
“I can sing and compose, but acting was difficult. Working in a music video is something, but in a film, it’s a completely different ball game. You need to be mentally transported to another world and time period, and become another person,” he explains.
“In the beginning, I used to fumble, but I slowly understood what was expected from me,” says Shankar, adding that his character being a classical singer was what helped him.
Interestingly, Shankar, known for composing music for films such as Rockford (1999), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Lakshya (2004), Wake Up Sid (2009) and 2 States (2014), along with fellow musicians Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa, had made his acting debut on TV with the reality show, Ek Se Badh Kar Ek (1995).
Talking about the acting offers that he has been getting, Shankar adds, “Though even Nagesh (Kukunoor) had made me act in his film (Music Men), I don’t think I am good at acting. But one should never say never,” he says, adding, “I’ve realised that it’s very difficult to be an actor. And this realisation has made me develop a newfound respect for stars.”
Shreya Mukherjee