Sachin, young at heart!

An actor par excellence, a child like smile that reminds us of the teenage actor in Satte Pe Satta, or the young hero of Geeth Gata Chal, Sachin is a powerhouse of talent. From being a child artist, to being a director at the young age of 24, Sachin has done it all. This actor has tried his hands in Production, Direction and has also been a writer and a singer too!

Nach Baliye, the unique reality show on STAR One, saw Sachin and Supriya win it with grace. The audience praised Sachin's talent to dance and loved his energy level.

Sachin still has more movies and more avenues to cover… He is no doubt going strong, Sachin yet again tries his experienced hand in directing an unique project - a Kannada movie for the first time. Know all about Sachin in this exclusive interview while he is in Bangalore working on his latest venture.

The Early Start
How did you get into the glam feild? Which was your first project?
I started my career as a child actor when I was four and a half years old. I acted in a Marathi movie called Ha Maza Marg Ekla which means 'this is my path', or this is my road. I won the National Award for the same. His Excellency Dr. Radha Krishnan handed me the award. I have done 55 films as a child actor, that includes English, Marathi and Hindi movies.

Later on, I went on to become an adoelescent hero in Geeth Gata Chal, 1975. I played a cameo in Sholay. I became a director at the age of 24. I have been a writer, singer, distributor and dancer too. I thought it was luck!

I told Sanjeev Kumar one day, that I have been very lucky, he got angry and he said that you are not lucky, it is because you can do it and so you are doing it.

Did you have a godfather, to lead you in the industry?
No, I did not have a Godfather. At the age of four, you can only have a father! (laughs)

You entered the film industry at a very young age, do you think you were deprived of enjoying a normal life while you became a star?
To gain something you need to lose something, ofcourse I was gaining a lot, and so, I didn't feel like I was losing on anything at all!

What is the most important thing to be an actor?
An actor must have sincerity. No one can match perfection, but one can be devoted and committed. You need to have command over the language, the meaning in the langauge must be known, only then can you emote.

How did you turn a director from being an actor?
I always wanted to be a director. I wanted to be a director at the age of seven! For two years, I assisted Rishikesh Mukherjee in the editing room… Then I worked on Geeth Gata Chal, which became a huge success. After that, I got 25 more movies and people were trying to repeat my performance. So I wanted to do something different.

There is no barrier between languages - it has become too common for Indian actors to act in English movies. Do you feel this would help the Indian films in any way?
No, it is not going to help the industry in any way but the actors learn some discipline. An actor cannot make the film a success. It is the script, the director's narration and team work that helps.

Why is it that we don't see much of you in Hindi movies now?
Well, there is a custom. When an actor becomes a director, people shy away from asking him to act. They very conveniently put it off saying, "He will not act!"

Tu Tu Main Main saw great success, do you still feel you should have continued doing it, especially when there is so much hype and opportunities in the television medium?
I don't regret making it, it is more fun to have done it when things were not happening! Now, there are too many channels and too many programmes.

What's difficult, acting or direction?
There is nothing easy in life. I see both as one path. Basically, I feel comedy is not an easy thing to do.

The Nach Baliye experience

How was it competing in Nach Baliye?
Excellent. Although it was very tiring and there was tension.

What was the most difficult part in Nach Baliye?
It was just one take, so you don't have any retakes to do better, you will need to be perfect the first time itself. We had to rehearse and prepare for a song in five days. It was not as easy as people think it was.

Nach Baliye judges were kind to you, is it because of your experience, or your charm and Supriya's elegance?
It is definetly Supriya's elegance and my experience that they respected. But it is our performance that they liked a lot!

Would you be part of another reality show and why?
Yes, why not? I would be part of it but before that I would like to know what kind of a show it is and then accept it. I agreed to be part of Nach Baliye because it was closer to my heart and music has been an important part of my life.

STAR Plus is coming up with another reality show called Idea Jodi Kamaal Ki - would you wish to be part of it?
I don't mind doing it.

The Family Man
When and how did you meet Supriya?
I met her in the Marathi movie Navri Mile Navryala, which means Dulhan mile dulha ko. That actually happened in real life too and after the movie, I proposed her.

How is it working with Supriya as an actor?
She is very flexible, very convinient and very good with her work.

What do you love the most about Supriya?
She is very innocent. She has a very bad temper. She is a Leo and I am a Leo too. So, we often have roaring conversations! She is also very stubborn.

What is it that you hate about Supriya?
She is very nagging, she knows I pamper her a lot and so she loves nagging me!

Do you wish your daughter to be an actor like you?
It is up to her. I will not stop her if she wishes to become an actor. But she is more of a writer.

Your favourite place to holiday and your favourite food?
There are so many places I love… I love Indonesia, the islands are very good and there is peace, I like Kerala and Goa too.

And my favourite food is Sea food which my mom prepares.

An exciting project

Why did you agree to direct a Kannada movie?
I always like to do something new in life. That's why I got married to Supriya! (laughs) And it's a God given opportunity that I can do different things and I have been very lucky.

How is it to work for a Kannada movie?
It is a very nice experience. We are all Indians. We are all part of the same family. It's like a big family over here.

The movie I am making in Kannada is a family entertainer. It is an absolute clean comedy and I am sure that the audience will laugh from their heart! I had written a short story in 1982, this movie called Ekadantha, is based on it.

Ekadantha has Kannada industry veterans like Vishuvardhan and Ramesh Arvind. The music is scored by Guru Kiran, we are working on the songs now. The shoot starts from February 15.

Sachin To You
How do you maintain yourself?
I smile a lot. A smile is a curved line that straightens everything! So keep smiling (smiles)

Your message to aspiring actors...
They should understand a big difference - it is between 'doing what you like' and 'liking what you do!'

What do you have to say to actors like Nafisa and Kuljeet, who end their lives?
I feel it is wrong. Career is nothing more than their life! But to commit suicide, one must have immense guts.

Your message to your fans? I thank my fans for their support. It is because of my fans that I am here. I will do my best in future too.