Actor Sharad Kelkar is completely “satisfied” with the response to his latest web show, The Family Man 2. While a lot of questions from the first season were answered in this, the sole question unanswered belonged to this track: What happened between him and Suchi (Manoj Bajpayee’s wife in the series, a character played by Priyamani) in Lonavala? Social media is full of questions and memes.

“It’s a mystery, wait for the third season,” the actor chuckles, adding, “We’ve not started yet, so I don’t even know.”

Talking about the overwhelming response the second season of the show is getting, Kelkar says he did anticipate it and was sure because things were “bigger and mature” this time around.

“The writing, Raj & DK (directors)... it had a different class to it. It dropped on the OTT platform a day before (than it was meant to release). I didn’t read reviews immediately, and got done watching the show the next afternoon. Everybody has done such a brilliant job,” he says.

The actor further shares that when he watches content, “it’s regardless of whether I’m there in it or not, and I watch it unbiased and more critically”.

The release of the second season of the show was also met with some resistance, and there were calls for ban as well, as some people felt that it portrayed Tamilians in a negative light. Kelkar says these things keep coming up.

“To criticise something, it takes nothing. But to create something, it takes a lot. Obviously, the makers are educated and learned people, they’ve seen the whole world and will incorporate that. It was carefully written. Aisa nahi hai ki mann mein aaya aur likh diya,” the actor asserts.

Stating that whatever people see in films or web shows is mostly “fictional”, Kelkar goes on to cite a rather relatable example: “Daadi kehti hain raat ko, ‘So ja, varna bhoot aa jaayega’. Will you say, ‘Daadi, ban horror stories’? It’s stupidity. Nobody is abusing anyone, or taking someone’s name, then why should anyone be against anything.”

In the past one-and-a-half years since The Family Man’s release, Sharad Kelkar has often been asked the same question by hordes of fans. “I get so many calls and messages asking, ‘Lonavala mein kya hua tha?’ They will have to binge-watch the show to know the answer,” he laughs, surprised at the audience interest in the romantic track between his character Arvind and Priyamani’s Suchi. As colleagues in a start-up, the two characters are seen growing close in the course of the series, especially as Suchi’s husband — played by Manoj Bajpayee — can devote little family time.

Bajpayee’s character will take centrestage again as the second season drops on Amazon Prime Video today. Kelkar says that the fans’ curiosity will finally be rewarded as the Raj-DK (Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK) creation will delve further into the complex relationship between Arvind and Suchi. Crediting the director duo and writers for handling the extra-marital relationship with sensitivity, the actor says, “It’s a tricky track this time around. Arvind was always shown as a mature character, and the makers have handled it with more maturity. Arvind can’t be called a homewrecker. There are many factors that are [driving a wedge between] Suchi and Srikant, and Arvind becomes a catalyst here. These things happen all around the world. How you handle it or control it is what matters.”

The actor is glad to have forayed into digital entertainment with the show, though it sees him in a supporting role. “When Mukesh Chhabra [casting director] called me for the role, I found it interesting because I was mostly being offered negative parts at the time. I am an admirer of Raj-DK’s work, so I was kicked to join the series.”

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 19, 2020)

“It is so painful to talk about Nishi sir. More than a friend, he was a mentor and guide throughout my career,” says actor Sharad Kelkar remembering the late director Nishikant Kamat, 50, who passed away on Monday. He was battling liver cirrhosis in a hospital in Hyderabad.

Kelkar had known Kamat for the past eight years when he began his journey in films. “My last project was with him for a web show, Rangbaaz Phir Se, where he was the creative producer and edited the show too. I remember, he wasn’t well, yet he came to the set and met everyone. He was a strong-headed and positive person. The last time he fell sick and was serious, he fought hard and was on his feet soon. This time, too, we were hoping he would get well soon. I was constantly in touch with friends who were with him in Hyderabad. He was improving but this disease is unpredictable and Nishi sir was fighting hard but it didn’t work. It’s so sad. Talking about him, I am getting flashes of all the lovely memories with him. I remember, I would drop by at his office in Andheri whenever I could and we would chat for hours sipping tea,” says Kelkar, who worked with the director in two films - Lai Bhaari (2014) and Rocky Handsome (2016).

There has been an outpouring of posts and condolences for Kamat on social media and Kelkar attributes it to the person that Kamat was. “He was a lovable, lively guy with a great sense of humour. He would call everyone Sir, and was a disciplined man on the set. He would encourage everyone and as he was an actor first, then became an editor and a director. I spoke to him right before the lockdown and he was planning a film shoot in London,UK, and was supposed to go on a recce. Due to his ill health, even a small infection could lead to serious concerns yet he never let that stop his work. But he fought till the end and that shows how strong his spirit was,” says Kelkar.

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.

Sharad Kelkar on 15-year stint in Bollywood playing supporting roles, portraying Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Ajay Devgn’s next and life after Baahubali
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 10, 2019)

Sharad Kelkar entered showbiz in 2002. After finishing as a finalist in a modelling pageant, he ventured into TV. His first major success came with the 2005 daily soap Saat Phere. At the peak of his career, Sharad decided to graduate to films. Fifteen years after a cameo in Priyadarshan’s Hulchul, the actor is set to deliver what he considers to be one of the biggest performances of his career—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to Ajay Devgn’s titular role in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior.

Sharad says, “It was a big responsibility as no one had portrayed the character in the recent past in Bollywood. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is treated like God in Maharashtra and even one wrong gesture can create problems. But it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If it hadn’t come my way, I’d have asked for it. For any Marathi actor, the answer would always be ‘yes’ to playing him.”

At the film’s trailer launch recently, Sharad corrected a scribe when they referred to his character as ‘Shivaji’. “It came out casually. We need to be more careful. It’s our duty to respect a hero who was the pride of India. We address Gandhiji as Mahatma Gandhi, right? People have expectations from me; I need to be careful,” he reasons.

Sharad has also dabbled in voiceacting and recently tasted success with the eponymous character in the Hindi version of S S Rajamouli’s Baahubali. Pointing this out makes him blush. “Sometimes I feel overwhelmed (by the love), sometimes I just laugh. I try to avoid (the adulation), but you can’t hide your voice. I am told my voice is number 2 in India, after Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan’s,” he laughs. Does he agree with the comparison? “I guess, my voice has a texture that people like, but I don’t think I am the number 2 voice in India.”

He adds that such compliments weren’t common before Baahubali. “People would appreciate my voice but publicly no one gave a damn. After Baahubali, things changed. As an artist, it’s a great achievement that I have a Rs 500 crore film under my belt,” he beams.

Sharad’s Bollywood stint has seen only supporting roles. Ask him if that bothers him and he says, “In TV, success is measured by the duration of a show. I realised I wasn’t growing as an actor there. Besides, many successful actors’ careers started with character roles, like Manoj Bajpayee, Kay Kay Menon, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Boman Irani. I think I am on the same path.”

To him, the industry has been sweet and accepting. “This is my third film with Ajay sir. I have worked with Akshay (Kumar) sir and Riteish (Deshmukh) as well. Now, let’s see who gives me my first lead,” he laughs.

Riteish, in whose Marathi home production, Lai Bhaari, Sharad featured, has been planning a film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj for over five years. “We’ve been chatting about his film. It’s in the scripting stage. When you are making a film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, you have to be responsible with not just his portrayal but with the whole film. It’s a big film, so they are taking their time,” he informs. The actor’s own home production, Idak: The Goat, released in 2017. There are plans to produce more films, in Marathi and Hindi, but that will happen gradually.

Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; May 6, 2017)

When Sharad Kelkar dubbed for Prabhas’ character for the Hindi version of Baahubali: The Beginning (2015), his name barely came to the fore. But with Bahubali 2: The Conclusion setting box office records, the telly actor is revelling in his share of the limelight. He didn’t admit to lending his voice to the first part because no one expected the film to do so well, he says.

“When Baahubali was offered to me, the makers wanted to do a voice test and I was not keen, because at that time, no one thought the film would be that big. I agreed because I wanted to meet S S Rajamouli [director of the Bahubali series],” adds Sharad.

Did the success of Part 1 result in higher pay for the sequel? “I didn’t ask for a fee hike after Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). In fact, I didn’t ask for any money at all. I accepted whatever they gave me,” says the actor, adding, “Working with Rajamouli was my remuneration.” He is elated with the response the film is garnering. “If it crosses Rs 1,000 crore, I’d be a small part of something that is creating history,” he says.

He also lent his voice to Vin Diesel for the Hindi version of XXX: Return Of Xander Cage and Dwayne Johnson for Moana (2017). Though he is among the most sought-after voice-over artistes at the moment, Sharad reveals he battled a speech defect until a few years ago. “I would stammer when I got too excited or angry. In fact, I was thrown out of a show because of that,” he says.

Tehseen Khan (BOMBAY TIMES; July 1, 2016)