Having essayed a variety of roles in films and serials, nothing has given Sharad Kelkar as much of a sense of pride as playing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He stepped in the shoes of the celebrated Maratha ruler for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), one of the biggest hits of his career. As the actor shoots for us exclusively on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti aka Shiv Jayanti, today, the first thing he does is remove his footwear as a mark of respect.

He says, “This is a day of celebration for all Indians, not just Maharashtrians. It’s a matter of pride to celebrate the day of his birth.”

The 47-year-old was “surprised” when he was offered the role. “I had never met or spoken to (director) Om Raut before. He called and said he wanted me to play Shivaji. It took me two minutes before asking, ‘Why me?’. We did a look test, and when I came to the office in the attire, everybody went quiet, and I realized they were looking at me. That gave me a lot of confidence,” he shares, adding, “For a Maharashtrian and a Marathi actor this role is once in a lifetime. It’s the biggest achievement [of my career] and a matter of great pride to have played Shivaji.”

Having spent his childhood years in Madhya Pradesh, the actor didn’t have much exposure to learn about Shivaji in school and the film’s set was his learning ground.

After the film’s release, capitalizing on the adulation he received for the role, he says, “I requested the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh to add a chapter or prescribe a separate book in schools [in MP], so people would get to know about him more. I used to see a very small story on Shivaji Maharaj in our textbooks [when I was in school].”