Posted:
Prime Actor
Namita Nivas
Posted online: Friday, April 07, 2006 at 0000 hours IST
Your character in Saat Phere has caught everyone's eye. Did you expect it to do so well?
Right from the start, the entire team of Saat Phere was very certain that the serial would do well. Like mine, each character has now become a household name. I play Nahar Singh, a young guy belonging to a royal family of Rajasthan. He moves in high society and is a thorough gentleman who believes in family values and ethics. A charmer, he is a sportsman as well. Being aristocratic, he is seen wearing earrings and a neck piece as well. It is love at first sight for him when he spots Saloni. Now that they are married, like a true beloved, he has promised to be with her in her moments of happiness as well as crisis. You seem to be a charmer in real life too.
That I am (laughs) Is that the reason why you were selected for the role of Nahar?
I was told that I fitted the bill of a tall and handsome guy from a royal family (winks). You are also doing pretty well in Sinndoor, another show on Zee. Tell us more about that character.
In Sinndoor - Tere Naam Ka, I play a negative character. An illegitimate son, Rudr wants to take revenge on his father. The role is similar to that of Amitabh Bachchan's character in Trishul. I am enjoying playing Rudr because I get to portray various shades at a time. Most importantly, I get the opportunity to be with my wife, Kirti, at work as well. She is playing Niharika in the serial. So you are the loving husband in real life too.
That's right. I love being with Kirti all the time. As for the serials, while I play a bad guy in Sinndoor - Tere Naam Ka, in Saat Phere, I am a caring husband, a loving brother and a doting brother-in-law. I took up this role because it's totally different from what I am doing in Sinndoor.
That means you identify with the role.
Very much so. It is very close to my true self. Like Nahar and Rudr, I am married and love my wife immensely. Which are the other serials you did before getting noticed in these two serials?
I first did Aakrosh for Nimbus. This one-hour programme was a weekly. Then came CID Special. I was also seen in 50 episodes of Bhabhi. Last year I played the younger Shivaji Satam in the popular Marathi film Uttarayan. Why did you accept this brief role?
I just had a 15-minute appearance in the film yet I took up the offer because, for any actor, the ultimate goal is films. And Uttarayan bagging the National Award was a bonus for the entire team. It was a good experience for me as well. I can wait for something good to come my way now. What is Sharad Kelkar apart from being an actor?
I am a Maharashtrian from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. After completing my graduation and then MBA, I began teaching physical education when I got a chance to come to Mumbai on a seven-day visit, for the first time. I had confirmed tickets for my return journey when I got to know of Grasim Mr India 2002 almost on the last day. On an impulse, I cancelled my tickets and participated in the ramp show. That was my first attempt at fame or whatever little I got of it then. I returned home. Though I always wanted to work in Mumbai, I could not leave my mother alone back home after the demise of my father. But after that one Mumbai visit, I soon began getting restless. Around that time I had a part-time job with Airtel, besides working as a gym instructor at Madhavrao Scindia's club in Gwalior. I felt something was beckoning me to Mumbai and after four months, I told my mother that I wanted to try my luck in the city of dreams. With her blessings, I landed here. Were you lucky in your endeavour?
Like any other newcomer, I too had to struggle a lot. I started with modelling and almost within one month, I had done about 25 ramp shows. I also did some ads with Prahlad Kakkar of which the prominent ones are Skoda, LG Refrigerator, Hero Honda, Bharat Petroleum, Maruti Esteem, Dabur Red Gel toothpaste. Recently there was a controversy that your producers are upset about you not giving them enough dates for their projects.
It was not a big issue. Both the producers, Kinnari Mehta of Sinndoor and Sunjoy Wadhwa of Saat Phere are very understanding and have sorted the problem amicably. Since mine is the prime character in both the serials, I am required on the sets almost all the time. Fortunately, there are times when both the serials are being shot on different floors of the same studio. Like today, the Sinndoor set is on the ground floor and Saat Phere is being canned on the second floor. So as and when I am required, I can manage both the serials. I put in almost 15 hours of work every day. Luckily, since both the producers are handling my dates themselves, I have no problems about co-ordination. I can confidently say that no actor has two lead roles in serials on Zee. Tell us about your wife. Was it love at first sight for the two of you?
No. It was not love at first sight for either of us. We had worked together for sometime before it occured to us that we were made for each other. We got married in June 2005. In June this year, I plan to buy a house after which my priority is to get my mother here with me. She still has six years of service left. I wish she opts for VRS from her government job back home where she lives alone. And what does a busy actor like you do in your spare time?
I am working really hard towards reaching my goal. You will never find me sitting idle as I enjoy my work thoroughly. Even on holidays, I keep myself busy doing household chores like paying the bills, buying groceries, so on and so forth. Since we hardly get time to spend with each other because of our work schedules, both Kirti and I, make the most of our limited time. We love to shop at big malls, watch films. You will never find us partying. I love to workout. I love to eat. If I am allowed to boast about myself, I can proudly say that I am a good cook. My fish fry and omelettes are to die for. Kirti is a very lucky wife. Tell us more about her.
Kirti Gaikwad gained fame with Balaji Telefilms' Kamal. But I have never seen a single episode. Since I was not an avid TV buff back in Gwalior, the channels that I watched were either sports, films or news. I was not aware of the people in the television industry until I became a part of it. I first met Kirti during Aakrosh and we were just colleagues for a long time. Even when we worked together, I was never interested in her earlier projects. Gradually, I came to know of her profile. She has also done Jai Santoshi Maa and Yatra and is presently seen in Kahiin To Hoga, India Calling and Sinndoor. An excellent actress, it was she who taught me the nuances of acting. I will let you into a secret. Initially, I accepted Sinndoor because I wanted to work with my wife and be with her all the time. Now I am happy with all that I have managed to gain from life so far.
Namita Nivas
Posted online: Friday, April 07, 2006 at 0000 hours IST
Right from the start, the entire team of Saat Phere was very certain that the serial would do well. Like mine, each character has now become a household name. I play Nahar Singh, a young guy belonging to a royal family of Rajasthan. He moves in high society and is a thorough gentleman who believes in family values and ethics. A charmer, he is a sportsman as well. Being aristocratic, he is seen wearing earrings and a neck piece as well. It is love at first sight for him when he spots Saloni. Now that they are married, like a true beloved, he has promised to be with her in her moments of happiness as well as crisis. You seem to be a charmer in real life too.
That I am (laughs) Is that the reason why you were selected for the role of Nahar?
I was told that I fitted the bill of a tall and handsome guy from a royal family (winks). You are also doing pretty well in Sinndoor, another show on Zee. Tell us more about that character.
In Sinndoor - Tere Naam Ka, I play a negative character. An illegitimate son, Rudr wants to take revenge on his father. The role is similar to that of Amitabh Bachchan's character in Trishul. I am enjoying playing Rudr because I get to portray various shades at a time. Most importantly, I get the opportunity to be with my wife, Kirti, at work as well. She is playing Niharika in the serial. So you are the loving husband in real life too.
That's right. I love being with Kirti all the time. As for the serials, while I play a bad guy in Sinndoor - Tere Naam Ka, in Saat Phere, I am a caring husband, a loving brother and a doting brother-in-law. I took up this role because it's totally different from what I am doing in Sinndoor.
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Very much so. It is very close to my true self. Like Nahar and Rudr, I am married and love my wife immensely. Which are the other serials you did before getting noticed in these two serials?
I first did Aakrosh for Nimbus. This one-hour programme was a weekly. Then came CID Special. I was also seen in 50 episodes of Bhabhi. Last year I played the younger Shivaji Satam in the popular Marathi film Uttarayan. Why did you accept this brief role?
I just had a 15-minute appearance in the film yet I took up the offer because, for any actor, the ultimate goal is films. And Uttarayan bagging the National Award was a bonus for the entire team. It was a good experience for me as well. I can wait for something good to come my way now. What is Sharad Kelkar apart from being an actor?
I am a Maharashtrian from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. After completing my graduation and then MBA, I began teaching physical education when I got a chance to come to Mumbai on a seven-day visit, for the first time. I had confirmed tickets for my return journey when I got to know of Grasim Mr India 2002 almost on the last day. On an impulse, I cancelled my tickets and participated in the ramp show. That was my first attempt at fame or whatever little I got of it then. I returned home. Though I always wanted to work in Mumbai, I could not leave my mother alone back home after the demise of my father. But after that one Mumbai visit, I soon began getting restless. Around that time I had a part-time job with Airtel, besides working as a gym instructor at Madhavrao Scindia's club in Gwalior. I felt something was beckoning me to Mumbai and after four months, I told my mother that I wanted to try my luck in the city of dreams. With her blessings, I landed here. Were you lucky in your endeavour?
Like any other newcomer, I too had to struggle a lot. I started with modelling and almost within one month, I had done about 25 ramp shows. I also did some ads with Prahlad Kakkar of which the prominent ones are Skoda, LG Refrigerator, Hero Honda, Bharat Petroleum, Maruti Esteem, Dabur Red Gel toothpaste. Recently there was a controversy that your producers are upset about you not giving them enough dates for their projects.
It was not a big issue. Both the producers, Kinnari Mehta of Sinndoor and Sunjoy Wadhwa of Saat Phere are very understanding and have sorted the problem amicably. Since mine is the prime character in both the serials, I am required on the sets almost all the time. Fortunately, there are times when both the serials are being shot on different floors of the same studio. Like today, the Sinndoor set is on the ground floor and Saat Phere is being canned on the second floor. So as and when I am required, I can manage both the serials. I put in almost 15 hours of work every day. Luckily, since both the producers are handling my dates themselves, I have no problems about co-ordination. I can confidently say that no actor has two lead roles in serials on Zee. Tell us about your wife. Was it love at first sight for the two of you?
No. It was not love at first sight for either of us. We had worked together for sometime before it occured to us that we were made for each other. We got married in June 2005. In June this year, I plan to buy a house after which my priority is to get my mother here with me. She still has six years of service left. I wish she opts for VRS from her government job back home where she lives alone. And what does a busy actor like you do in your spare time?
I am working really hard towards reaching my goal. You will never find me sitting idle as I enjoy my work thoroughly. Even on holidays, I keep myself busy doing household chores like paying the bills, buying groceries, so on and so forth. Since we hardly get time to spend with each other because of our work schedules, both Kirti and I, make the most of our limited time. We love to shop at big malls, watch films. You will never find us partying. I love to workout. I love to eat. If I am allowed to boast about myself, I can proudly say that I am a good cook. My fish fry and omelettes are to die for. Kirti is a very lucky wife. Tell us more about her.
Kirti Gaikwad gained fame with Balaji Telefilms' Kamal. But I have never seen a single episode. Since I was not an avid TV buff back in Gwalior, the channels that I watched were either sports, films or news. I was not aware of the people in the television industry until I became a part of it. I first met Kirti during Aakrosh and we were just colleagues for a long time. Even when we worked together, I was never interested in her earlier projects. Gradually, I came to know of her profile. She has also done Jai Santoshi Maa and Yatra and is presently seen in Kahiin To Hoga, India Calling and Sinndoor. An excellent actress, it was she who taught me the nuances of acting. I will let you into a secret. Initially, I accepted Sinndoor because I wanted to work with my wife and be with her all the time. Now I am happy with all that I have managed to gain from life so far.
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