I look for like-minded people: Sandeep

Actor Sandeep Kulkarni has been a part of National and State Awards winning films such as Shwaas (2004), Dombivali Fast (2005) and Traffic Signal (2007). The Krutant actor reached homes with his realistic portrayal of a middle class Maharashtrian man, frustrated with work and life in Dombivali Fast. This year, after a gap of five years, Sandeep will be seen in the sequel of the film, titled Dombivali Returns. Earlier planned to be made as a Hindi film, Dombivali Returns was selected to be screened in several film festivals in 2014. There were many corporates who were interested in backing the project. However, things did not work out. Sandeep says, “The Hindi project backing wasn’t shaping up the way we wanted. So, we thought, objectively, the Marathi version had a brand value and set of audience. Also, when people saw the film in the festivals, they were eager to see the Marathi version.”

With a ready project, the makers still took a while to bring the film to the audience. The reason being, Sandeep did not want to get caught in the crowd of several releases. “We were to release in November 2018, but the last two months of 2018, saw a bunch of big releases. Now, we have strong brand and are confident of our film. So, we decided to release on a date that doesn’t harm others and gives us the required space, too.”

With Premsutra (2013), the actor ventured into production as a line producer and this year again, he will don the hat of a producer. “Basically production is something in which one has to be literate. You need to understand the content and the pulse of the industry. We have producers who put in their money and stay away. I do not want to be that guy. Yet doing something practically is always different and an adventurous game,” says Sandeep, who is looking forward to back more films and projects in the future.

As far as his choice of acting projects are concerned, he adds that having being an artist and art student, he has seen world cinema and is very clear of the cinema he would like to be a part of. “I did whatever I could do and was a part of various films. For me, the genre doesn’t matter neither does the experience of the director. I look for like-minded people, who have the energy and urge to do something new and different. The drive should be there.”

PHOTO: RAHUL RAUT/HT Sandeep Kulkarni