Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; January 9, 2020)

Sharad Kelkar has been a part of numerous television shows and now, has many films to his credit, but that still didn’t prepare him for the time he was approached for the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the film Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. “I thought they were looking for a bigger star for the role,” says the actor, adding, “I was shocked that they were considering me for the part. Of course, eventually, I was happy to see the resemblance during the look test.” In fact, his avatar as the Maratha warrior king seems to have confused his five-year-old daughter Kesha, who on spotting the historical figure’s statue at the Gateway of India, asked him, “Dad, is that you?”

Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior is Sharad’s first brush with a period film. “Since it’s my first historical film, I was very careful about the way I portrayed the character. Om Raut (director) made me rehearse each scene several times. He wanted me to portray the character so strongly that he said, ‘Dialogues theatre mein goonjne chahiye’. He boosted my confidence so much that I did not have a single retake. Everybody has read about Shivaji Maharaj’s bravery and his strategies, but this film reveals new aspects of his personality — like the bond he shared with his mother Rajmata Jijabai as well as Tanhaji.”

Speaking about his off-screen bond with costar Ajay Devgn, who plays the titular role, he says, “I have worked with Ajay in Baadshaho, and he would leave us in splits. This time, however, it being a period film, we were serious on the set.”

Currently busy shooting for his South film, Sharad is excited about making his debut in Tamil cinema with Ravikumar’s sci-fi starring Sivakarthikeyan. The actor, who’s known for his deep voice, is also looking forward to dub Hindi versions of international movies. “I enjoyed working on xXx: Return of Xander Cage. I hope the franchise reaches out to me again,” he signs off.