SWWAPNIL JOSHI, who is ranked as a rising young superstar of Marathi Cinema frankly confesses to JYOTHI VENKATESH that he is a novice to comment on what exactly is ailing Marathi Cinema today.
Tell me something about your latest TV show No 1 Yaari!
No 1 Yaari signifies the best and whatever you do with panache is No 1. The show is about best friends getting together on a platform to talk about themselves in their own individual phases. We try to get thirteen pairs of friends, not necessarily couples but mostly boys. Your friend can be a girl or a boy because friendship is a rare thing that is not at all bogged down by sex, creed and caste. Each episode is of one hour.
What is the USP of your show?
The USP of the show produced and directed by Sachinji is that it will be a great respite from the soaps. You watch it once and you will savor it for the rest of the week as it titillates your taste buds. The best thing about the show is that it is not script -driven because my next question will come based on the answers to my questions. It will be a conversational and purely emotional show which is not at all promotional.
Tell me the names of the celebrities who have graced the show till date!
Sachinji- Ashok Saraf, Swapnil Bandodkar-Avdhoot Gupte, Subodh Bhave- Mahesh Kale and Nipun Dharmadhikari- Amay Wagh are some of the celebrity friends who have appeared in the show.
How did you bag the job of anchoring the show?
With Sachinji, you do not have to bag the show. I took up the offer because I have a No 1 Yaari with him though we are like father and son and Sachinji is someone who stands by yaari.
You have been a part of both TV and films. What difference do you find between both?
There is a lot of difference between TV and films. TV is compulsive viewing and comes directly to your bedroom but has lesser impact as far as it’s longevity is concerned though both TV and films have their own pros and cons. Both are here to stay and have stood the test of the times, but as far as films are concerned, you have a choice to watch them by going to the theaters. Dialogues like Arrey Oh Sambha are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago.
Can you evaluate your growth as an actor in 30 years?
I made my debut as a child actor with the TV serial Luv Kush over 30 years ago. It is for the audience as well as the directors to judge to what extent I have grown as an artiste. My hunger and passion for acting have increased over the years, though I confess there is a lot more potential in me to be tapped as an actor. The day I feel that whatever potential remaining in me has been tapped as an actor, I will retire. I am blessed and fortunate that I have been able to tap a lot of genre in theatre, TV as well as films
Do you think you are handicapped by your chocolate romantic boy hero in films?
In the last three years, I have consciously tried to move away from my romantic image as I like to break my image as an actor. I need to strike the right balance between my image and revisit what my audiences perceive of me as an actor in order to sustain their faith in me.
Ghulam E Mustafa is the only Hindi film in which you have appeared till date. Why have you cut down on your Hindi films?
It is a two faced question. A lot of repetitive roles came to me on the Hindi front but now Hindi Cinema is changing a lot and has even gone beyond the hero –heroine running around the trees. I will always be the product of Marathi Cinema. Cinema has an independent language. I want to do good cinema in any language whether Marathi or Hindi.
Which are five best films of yours in Marathi?
I have acted in just 14 films in Marathi and most of them have been successful at the box office. I made my debut as a leading man with Kanchan Adhikari’s Manini with Girija Oak as my leading lady. Mumbai Pune Mumbai, Duniyadaari, Tu Hi Re, Mitwa and Bhikari are my five best films till date out of the 14 odd Marathi films in which I have acted till date.
You are the first Marathi actor to come up with a hat-trick of films which are sequels to each other. How do you feel?
It’s the first ever Marathi film to have a part three. It’s a proud moment not just for MPM team but for the entire Marathi film fraternity. I am really really excited about this hat-trick!
Which are the directors who have inspired you a lot?
A lot of directors in Marathi have inspired me a lot. Like Sameer Vidwaans, Nipun Dharmadhikari, Prakash Kunte etc. It is extremely good that a lot of new young directors also try to tell new stories with aplomb these days.
What do you think about Marathi Cinema today?
Marathi Cinema is growing and progressing through a transitional phase. It is shedding its old clothes and is in the process of wearing new ones.
Do you think Marathi Cinema lacks the star system?
As far as Marathi Cinema is concerned, your content is your star. The script is the USP of a Marathi film. I feel that I should not be a part of a film if I do not suit the role in the script. I produced the film Tula Kalnar Nahi but asked Subodh Bhave to play the lead because I felt I would not fit the part. We try to be honest to the script as possible in Marathi Cinema.
What ails Marathi Cinema today?
My job is to do just act. I am not an Institution or for that matter a legend and hence not at all in a position to comment as I consider myself a novice. Last year had been bad not only for Marathi Cinema but also Hindi films. Even ten years ago, if a Marathi film had earned more than a crore, it was considered a benchmark and a rare feat. The very fact that the benchmark has grown from a crore of rupees to 10 cr with Sairaat itself proves that Marathi Cinema has evolved in a big way.
You are a producer too now. How do you manage to multi-task?
I just keep on working. Thankfully, I have a great team which manages my work. I co-produced Fugay with Swapna Joshi Waghmare as the director and Subodh Bhave as my co-star and Tula Kalnar Nahi. I also produced the serial Nakalat Saare Ghadle. Right now two more TV shows, a play and three films are in the pipeline.
You have acted only in 14 films starting with Manini till your latest Ranangan over a period of 30 years. Why are you very choosy?
If I act in a lot of films, I am asked why I am not trying to be choosy and if I do select a few films, I am asked to do more films. Either way, I get flak from the media.
Can you please share a memorable anecdote from your life?
I remember an incident when Duniyadari was running successfully in theatres. At that time I got a call from a theatre owner. He requested me, “Will you please get me two tickets for Duniyadari?’. I was taken aback and I told him, ‘You have your own theatre, how can I give you tickets!”. He said, “I called you to inform you that despite having my own theatre, I am having a tough time getting even two tickets!” Probably, he didn’t literally mean it, but I believe it was a huge compliment. I was really amazed at how big my cinema turned out to be. I will always cherish this incident in my life.
Do you plan to turn a director too, like Sachin Pilgaonkar?
Life teaches you several things. I produce and act right now. Everything has the right place and the right time. All that I can say is that I do not want to take a box on my bucket list. Direction will happen when it happens and I am not in a hurry at all.
What next as an actor?
I have three films lined up right now for release. They are the third part of the sequel of Mumbai Pune Mumbai and two more films including one with Sachinji.
