Posted:
The title of my post is a tribute to a wonderful actor whose birthday it is today. Happy birthday Sharad Ashutosh Kelkar!
Yeah, seriously, I think he should take Ashutosh for his middle name. I don't know how many actors could have done it. To step into someone's shoes and then to walk in them with such majestic charm that even the shoes have forgotten their original owner and proudly adorn the man who now wears them with such grace!
Never seen Sharad before in a show. To be honest, I did not even know of his existence till news came out that he was to be the new Ashutosh. Since, i had no yardstick to measure him by, I was open to the idea. Really liked the look of Sharad and Krithika together and started having hopes for a kickstart to a more contemporary and realistic portrayal of modern romance!
Must say, the Kerala track was a masterstroke on the part of the CVs. They knew the audience would need time to come to terms with this new face of Ashu and so they brought in heartbreak. And Sharad's bearded look played a huge part in that track. It gave him a gravity and a melancholy so needed for the track. And when an actor looks the part, that is half the battle already won!
Sharad's deep voice added a whole new beauty to the dialogues so lovingly crafted by KPji. His voice possesses enough character to turn even mundane lines to poetry and when he actually speaks KPji's poetic lines, it is sheer bliss! The best part is he does not look like a sissy, which is what you would expect when a grown man spouts poetic lines. His macho appearance notwithstanding, he has been able to bring a certain sensitivity and vulnerability to the character that has changed the complete dynamics of the romance. No longer did you feel the romance condescending or patronising, for the playing field was suddenly leveled. This is what happens in real life age-gap romance too! Despite the age-gap difference being visible in appearance, you do not feel it in their attitude towards each other. The sense of awe and reverence that is there to start with has to give way to playful, sensual romance. Thanks to Sharad, we saw Ashutosh and Nidhi make that transition, and make it smoothly.
Be it the romance, the melancholy or the playfulness, Sharad has imbued the character with so many hues and each of them is a delight to watch. His performances in the last fifty or so of the hundred odd episodes that he has been a part of have been a pure delight to watch. Of course, there are favourite moments from the earlier episodes too but Sharad is like wine. He has gotten better and better with time as Ashutosh!
Today, it is physically impossible for me to watch any of the pre-Sharad episodes.There were moments in the past too that I enjoyed but am simply not able to push myself to seeing them now. Fair or not, Sharad is Ashutosh in my mind and that is that!
Thank you Sharad for being Ashutosh! Thank you for giving life to a character that will remain among my most favourite characters ever in TV soaps. God bless!
Caps courtesy - Shee
Arjun
Hindi TV Shows
Veer Hanuman
