Herald Café: Does this come as a much needed break in the middle of doing TV, films, dubbing, etc?
Sharad Kelkar: (laughs) Yes. I’m meeting a lot of people and having a good time. This is my first time at Film Bazaar. I’m here with a Marathi film that I have produced, called ‘Idak’, that is part of the Indian Panorama. The film is about a village boy and his goat – a journey of wisdom and love. Being a creative person, you crave good content and I thought this story should reach out to people. We have made this film. It has premiered at MAMI and now we’re at IFFI; we will be taking this to Pune, Berlin and as many film festivals as we can.
HC: Do you think the industry has matured, to be able to accept people experimenting with multiple skill-sets?
SK: I think the industry is changing. There is more acceptance of multiple talents. Even a small but pivotal role in a film can fetch you the lead role in your next film. If any individual is willing to explore different skills and showcase it, people will accept it. People usually have a fear of losing one thing by getting into something else. I don’t have that fear. I know I will gain something extra; you are also constantly learning. Trusting, knowing and understanding yourself is the key.
HC: What else are you working on currently?
SK: I have two upcoming films – ‘Rakshas’, a Marathi film that is releasing on February 2, 2018, and a Hindi film with Sharib Hashmi, called ‘Darbaan’, which will release sometime in March next year.
