Kamal Sadanah walked into Bollywood as Kajol’s first hero in 1992 with Bekhudi, following which she went on to attain new heights of fame, while his star lost its sheen. Now, Sadanah reveals that he was more enticed with the world behind the camera.

“I was born in a film environment. It was the only thing I knew. It was quite a journey, right from my birth to getting launched to taking a break for a few years. In those years, I got into adventure sports and travelled the world,” shares the actor, who saw moderate success with Rang (1993).

He also spent his time away in upgrading his skills. “I got into production, directed and edited films. I did a course about visual effects, which I had to use while filming Roar: Tigers Of The Sundarbans (2014). I also did a course in animation and I started a small studio, specialising in pre-visualisations. Now, I am getting back into acting. So I have come full circle,” shares the 50-year-old actor-filmmaker, who also faced personal tragedy before entering the industry when his filmmaker father, Brij Sadanah, killed himself after shooting his mother and sister.

His last big screen appearance was in Victoria No 203 (2007), which he also produced. And he says going behind the camera was a very organic step for him. “My father was a filmmaker, my uncles and aunts are, too. So, it’s natural to do production,” he says, adding that exploring the world behind the camera is the first step for every star kid. He adds, “Spending some time behind the camera is critical. That’s the advice I give my children if they ever seek to become actors”.

Ask him if he missed acting, or the spotlight, and he shares that he never really disconnected from showbiz. “I don’t think I missed it. I was always connected to cinema in some way. I’ve always been in and out of the studio... It has been an interesting journey of learning. I have never really had the time to sit back and mull, ‘Oh, God, those were the days’,” he explains.

Now, he is trying to restart his acting career, and is busy sieving through projects coming his way. “I’ve signed some interesting films, and I also hope to explore the OTT world. There have been some delays because of the pandemic, but I hope things revive soon,” shares the actor, who will start shooting for the film Pippa next month.