Sachin Khedekar is a veteran actor on Marathi screen for more than 25 years and has many acclaimed films to his credit like ‘Mee Shivajiraje Bhosle Boltoy’, ‘Kaaksparsh’, ‘Aajcha Mazha Divaas’, etc and now his most eagerly awaited film ‘Baapjanm’ is about to release and we caught up with him at the trailer launch of the film .Here is what he has to say.

‘Baapjanm’ sounds like a very strange title?

Yes. But it is relevant to the story of the film. We have often seen films on relationships between a motherand her son, but this film will focus on the relationship between a father and a son and I play the father in the film. He is not an emotional father but a strict disciplinary one.  It focuses on the generation gap that exists between the present generation and the older one. Director Nipun Dharmadhikari who makes his debut with this film has presented the film in a different and effective way.

What is your opinion about the debutant director Nipun Dharmadhikari?

He is young and talented and I have seen him perform and direct in plays staged in Pune and the Purushottam Karandak and he has also acted in a very nice way in the film ‘Highway’. He has a very bright future ahead of him. He shot the film in just 35 days in and around Pune. It was a pleasure working with him.

What is the other cast of the film?

The film also stars Pushkrakj Chirputkar, Sharvari Lohkare, Satyajeet Patwardhan and Akarsh Khurana.

You are gradually moving towards character roles.

Yes. At my age one can’t expect more and there is a lot of depth in the characters I play and its also an always pivotal role in the film. Marathi films are generally character driven and not hero or heroine oriented. The graph of the actor and the role is very important like my roles in the recently released Kaccha Limboo, etc.

Whats next on the anvil?

I am waiting for a good book adaptation for a film in Marathi as the Marathi culture is full of great authors and I am waiting for some director to approach me with such a role. Also I am acting in Hindi films like Judwaa 2 and Golmaal-4.

Do you find any difference in Marathi and Hindi film industry ?

Basically it’s the same but the atmosphre on a Marathi film set is very friendly and less stressed out and whereas on a Hindi film set, its all chaos and there is a lot of stress and a lot of a noisy atmosphere on the sets.

Please name any five films in Marathi that you are really proud of.

Astitva, Mee Shivaji Raje Bhosle Boltoy, Aajcha Divas Majha , Kaaksparsh and Shikshanachya Aicha Gho.

Any plans of turning director?

No. I  am not temperementally fit to be a director. I am happy being an actor.      

The post Interview : Sachin Khedekar Waxes Eloquent about Baapjanma appeared first on MarathiStars.

Lalit Prabhakar was shot to fame with Zee Marathi’s ‘Julun Yeti Reshimgathi’ serial & now his silver screen debut too is happening with Zee Studios’ ‘Chi Va Chi Sau Ka’. Here’s a little chat with Lalit about his debut release.

Tell us about Chi Va Chi Sau Ka! What is the story about?

The story of this film revolves around a young couple Satyaprakash and Savitri played by me and Mrinmayee Godbole respectively. Satyaprakash is an electrical engineer, Savitri is a Veterinary doctor. Both are busy with their professions and firm on their decisions. An arranged marriage is fixed for them but they want to try out their compatibility with each other and their in laws and their relatives and other friends before marriage and only then they would like to go ahead with the marriage.The post marriage happenings in their life have been presented in humorous way in this film.

Tell us about your character ‘Solar Putra – Satyaprakash’?

Satyaprakash is a die-hard environmentalist and is always thinking about how to conserve energy, and electricity and uses solar power and is known as Solar in the film. He goes to any extent for the environmental issues he believes in and is an interesting character.

How was it like to work with Mrinmayee Godbole?

We both have a theatre background and we gelled with each other and we understood each other very well and it was great fun to work with her as her character too is interesting and she knows martial arts and her character will certainly be loved by the audiences.

Tell us about your director,Paresh Mokashi?

He is a very good and sorted director having made acclaimed films like ‘Harishchandrachi Factory’ and ‘Elizabeth Ekadashi’ and it was a great learning experience to work with him and his wife and writer Madhugandha Kulkarni.

Your debut film is produced by Zee Studios! How does it feel?

Yes. Their films are different and have very good content and they are marketed and distributed well and their chief Nikhil Sane has all the knowledge of making good films and marketing and distributing them in such a way that most of the audiences are drawn in the first week.

So after ‘Chi Va Chi SauKa’ what’s next?

I have an interesting film called ‘TTMM – Tujha Tu Majha Mi’ coming up very soon.

The post Lalit Prabhakar says Zee Studios Market & Distribute Their Film Well! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Satish Rajwade is one of the new breed of Marathi directors who is known for his hit films like ‘Mumbai Pune Mumbai-1 and 2’, etc and now his most eagerly awaited film ‘Ti Sadhya Kaay Karte’ is up for release and we spoke to him about this film and this is what he has to tell us.

How did you get the subject of ‘Ti Sadhya Kaay Karte’?
Some of it is based on my own experiences and some what I have observed from other people like my friends and other sources and this is how I wrote the story of the film and it is very real and without anything filmy.

What is the film all about?
It is about love that happens to us in all stages of life, be it in childhood or adolescence or adulthood but the fact is that we can’t leave our childhood love behind and we always remember it or cherish it and there is always a curiosity factor about our childhood love which always lingers on. . The film also depicts what really goes out at the end when the two lead actors separate the two and the way events transpires between the two.

You are introducing Laxmikant Berde’s son Akshay in the film?
Yes. But I have not cast him for he being just Laxmikant Berde’s son but also because after he gave an audition , I thought he fitted the bill for the role and he agreed to do my film and he has suited the role like a glove. Also Ankush Chodhari has been just right for the character in the film and also singing star Aarya Ambekar is also perfect for her character in the film. Tejashri Pradhan also plays an important role in the film.

Where have you shot the film?
The film has been shot entirely in Mumbai and Pune locales.

What about the promotions of the film?
Zee Talkies and Nikhil Sane and producer Arvind Jog are looking about the promotions of the film.

And the music?
It has a wonderful score by Nilesh Mohrir and Vishwajeet Joshi.

The post Interview : Satish Rajwade speaks about his film ‘Ti Saddhya Kay Karte’ appeared first on MarathiStars.

Abhijeet Khandkekar is a popular name in Marathi films and television and he also has acquired a reputation as a host of award shows and other events. Now his new film ‘Bhay’ is about to release and we got talking to him about his new outing. Here is what he said.

What is your character in Bhay like?

 I play a schizophrenic patient called Gokul Joshi. He has a paranoidal condition and he sees things which are not there and hears voices which are not there. Gokul Joshi migrates from a small and peaceful town of Pune to the bustling metropolis of Mumbai with a hope for a better life. But that is not to be. Fast paced life of Mumbai, its sea of people, the vastness of its space – everything about the city begins to overwhelm Gokul. He is weak, vulnerable and susceptible to the smallest of things. The only thing he believes to be safe is the security chain of his tiny home and lives locked in the house for most time of the day. Until one day, when life decides to shake things up a little bit.

Did you do research to portray your role?

Yes. I studied a few patients and consulted a few doctors. In fact I had played such a patient in an one act play while in college which helped me to portray this role. I also acted on director Rahul Bhatankar’s instructions to give a different nuance to this role.

How was it like working with the rest of the cast and the director?

I was working with Smita Gondkar for the first time and it was a good experience. Also veteran actors like Uday Tikekar and Satish Rajwade were also a part of the cast and I got to learn a great deal from them. There was also Sanskruti Balgude who I had the pleasure of working. The director Rahul Bhatankar is an excellent editor also. This is his second film and he has done a fabulous job. He knows his craft very well, he knew about the shot takings and the shot divisions so well that the shots used to be taken very fast.

What about the songs?

There are three songs in the film and two have been picturized on me in the rich locales of Dubai. Such a location has been seen very less in Marathi films. There is also a montage sad song running in the background.

You are also doing a TV show on ZEE MARATHI . How do yo find time to do films?

Actually I had completed the shoot of Bhay , before  started work on the TV show ‘Mazya Navryachi Bayko‘ and so I am shooting 22 days a month for the TV show.

Do you find any differences between films and television as a medium?

Television is very strenuous and we have to complete many episodes in a day or two. Also, we have to remember what we have shot in the past and retain the graph of the character. In films, the canvas is wide and once it is printed it is there forever but television also gives you a lot of fame and money.

Who are the directors you would like to work with?

Satish Rajwade, Sachin Kundalkar, Ravi Jadhav, etc and there are so many.

What next?

I have a film called Priy coming up and also a film with Mahesh Manjrekar and Chandrakant Kulkarni called Dhyani Mani.

The post Interview : Abhijeet Khandekar Plays a schizophrenic in ‘Bhay’ appeared first on MarathiStars.

Tell us something about your background.

I am a gynecologist by profession and have produced a few plays and ‘A Dot Com Mom’ is my first film production and directorial venture. I have even choreographed for the film.

What is the film all about?

It’s about a mother played by me who has to shift to US and how she finds life there . This mother goes to the foreign country because of her son’s constant insistence and what happens when the mother moves to America and has a difficult time is shown in a humorous way in this movie. We can see how this mother tries to tackle situation wherein on one side her modern daughter in law and on another side the burden of her son’s expectations. The film shows how the mother scurries between her son and daughter in law.

What is the USP of the film?

The USP of the film is that it is the first film to be shot entirely in the US.

What are the other credits of the film?

Along with the Production of the movie, I have also undertaken Dialogue writing, Lyrics, Choreography and Direction of the film. Sunil Jadhav is the editor of the movie and the Cinematography is handled by Vinayak Radhakrishna and Haider Bilgrami. Along with music legends like Sudhir Phadke, Ashok Patki and N. Datta, Neel Nadkarni and Prateek Shah have given their contribution in the music direction for the movie. The lyrics penned by Jagdish Khebudkar, Dr. Mina Nerurkar and Neel Nadkarni are sung by Devaki Pandit, Neel Nadkarni, Nida, Neelaja Ankrom. The movie is produced under the Kayan Productions banner and the presenters are Arjun Singh Baran and Kartik Nishandar of GSEASM. Sai Gundewar plays my son in the film.

What is your marketing strategy for the film?

I have made this film keeping in mind the US audiences which I feel is the core audience of the film and Sameer Wankhede is releasing and Marketing this film in Indian centers.

What is the approximate budget of the film?

The film has cost me almost two crores.

The post Dr.Meena Nerurkar turns producer and director with ‘A Dot Com Mom’ appeared first on MarathiStars.

Manasi Naik is one of the new breed of actresses who have taken Marathi entertainment industry by storm. Known for her superb dancing talent and acting ability, Manasi has decided to charter another territory. Now she debuts in singing with a peppy jazzy number called ‘Baby Doll’ which is taking up the music channels and social network in a tizzy. We spoke to the petite brown eyed beauty about her new singing debut. Here is what she has to tell us.

Your Baby Doll song is getting very popular. How does it feel?

I am feeling on top of the world because I didn’t expect my singing debut song to be such a hit with the listeners. I was always considered a good dancer and an actor but now I have proved myself to be a good singer also. I am indebted to the music composer Swaroop Bhalwankar for giving me this song.

Have you learnt music professionally?

You might be shocked to know that I have not learnt dancing, acting, or singing professionally but I have learnt everything on the job and so far it has worked out well and I am progressing in all three.

Who have been major influences on you as a singer?

I have always listened more to western songs with singers like Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, etc and very soon I will be singing and performing on an international single music video.

Does this mean acting and dancing will take a backseat?

No, Not at all. Today so many actors have taken up singing like Shraddha Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Aalia Bhatt and Salman Khan, etc and even during the 40’s and earlier decades it were the actors who used to sing songs and there is nothing wrong in that.

You must be receiving many offers for lead roles or item numbers, especially because you have just won a major award for your film ‘Carry On Deshpande’?

Yes. I have but I wouldn’t like to disclose them at this moment.

When is your Hindi debut expected?

I am getting a few offers and am considering them but it is too early to announce about it now.

Between dancing, acting and singing what do you enjoy more?

I am in love with all the three mediums and I can’t differentiate between them.

What do you think of fast paced item numbers that you perform?

I enjoy performing to such dances and even the audiences love me in such dances which are the crowd pullers.

The post Interview : Manasi Naik strikes the right notes & moves with ‘Baby Doll’! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Ketaki Mategaonkar became a sensation in Marathi cinema with her cute girl looks in Timepass and Kaksparsh. However, the teen star has decided to change her image of a girl next door with Phuntroo. This is a Sci-fi film directed by Sujay Dahake and Ketaki plays double role of a college student and a robot.

We caught up with Ketaki at the press meet of the film and asked about this film.

The title ‘Phuntroo’ sounds very strange.

Yes. The film is in the science fiction genre, the first of its kind in Marathi cinema.  I am playing the lead role of a robot girl called ‘Phuntroo’ created by a failed engineer played by Madan Deodhar as well as his love interest co-student. The film has spectacular visual effects and brilliant cinematography. The film has done remarkable job in all the technical departments.

So, role of a robot girl, that sounds exciting. How did you research for this role?

I did many workshops with Sujay Sir. These workshops helped me tremendously but major research was done by watching lot of Hollywood films and TV shows in the similar genre to get an idea about what the character is all about and how I can portray this difficult role more convincingly.

How was the experience of working in the film?

It was an amazing experience. Sujay sir is always ready to push the envelope a little further and hopefully I have achieved what he had envisaged for my character. The actual shoot was a bit difficult and different for me, because of the special effects, we had to shoot and reshoot again and again with different angles and though it was hard work, the grand look of the film is a great boost for me.

How was it working with Madan?

Mandar is an old friend and we get along really well and it was fun to work with him. The rest o the cast was fairly new but we had a nice time on the sets.

Have you sung for the film?

Yes. I am always happy to sing because that is my real passion.  I am a trained singer and to get songs composed by Hrishikesh Datar,Jasraj Joshi, and Saurav Bhalerao was really a good experience for me.

What are your expectations from the film?

That the film is produced by a big banner like Eros International and producer Krishka Lulla has put in a lot of efforts to make this as a grand visual spectacle. I am hoping audience gives us a positive feedback, because though Sci-fi has always been very successful genre, we have not many Marathi films in this genre.

Thanks Ketaki, for speaking with Marathistars.com. We wish you and Phuntroo team all the best for your release.

The post Phuntroo is an amazing experience : Ketaki Mategaonkar appeared first on MarathiStars.

Prarthana Behere has been on the rise after the success of COFFEE ANI BARACH KAHI. Her most ambitious film ‘MR AND MRS SADACHARI’ is about to release and we got talking to Prarthana about her new film:

Prarthana, tell us more about this film.

It is an official remake of Kannada film Mr and Mrs. Ramachari.  The film is a love story between the characters played by me and Vaibhav Tatwavadi. The film is not only a love story but also a story about the relationship between a father and son played by Vaibhav and Mohan Joshi. Uma Sardeshmukh has played Vaibha’s mother in this film.

How was it like shooting for the film?

It was great and I had the opportunity to work with Vaibhav again after we had done a romantic film like COFFEE ANI BARACH KAHI. He is a dear friend and we have a great chemistry on and off the screen.

What is your character like in this film?

I am a very strong headed girl who shares a different relationship with her family and that is the exciting part of the film.

How was the experience of working with debutant director Ashish Wagh?

Ashish sir has many years of experience with marketing and distribution. Though he had no prior experience of direction, Ashish was very well versed with the craft of direction and he has made a wonderful film.

Where was the film shot?

The film was extensively shot in Kolhapur and Mauritius.

You started as a journalist and now you are a film star? How was the journey like?

Yes. I remember asking questions like you are doing now and I am very nostalgic about my past and now that I am an actress, I am very happy with my profession.

What next?

I have two films coming up which are untitled right now and so I can’t disclose the details yet.

The post Prarthana talks about being MRS SADACHARI! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Sonalee  Kulkarni who has been noticed in films like ‘Natarang’ ‘Bakula Namdev Ghotale’, ‘Classmates’, ‘Ajintha’, etc. is now all set to wow the audiences in her forthcoming much buzzed film ‘Poshter Girl’. We spoke to the fair and green eyed beauty at a press meet of the film. Here are some excerpts.

There are a lot of expectations from ‘Poshter Girl’. What are your views?

Yes. It’s the second film directed by Sameer Patil after his successful debut in ‘Poshter Boyz’ and it’s backed by a leading studio like Viacom 18 and has a medley of a leading cast like Hrishikesh Joshi, Aniket Vishwasrao, Hemant Dhome who has also written the story of the film, Jitendra Joshi, etc.

What is your character in the film like?

I play an ambitious village girl who is studying in Pune and wants to be an agricultural officer but when she comes to her native village, her life changes when she finds that the village has a paucity of marriageable girls for boys and how she is wooed by all the boys of the village and how she finds that  each boy is different in their behavior and manner like she finds Aniket as a very boyish innocent boy, Jitendra Joshi, a very powerful boy of a leading powerful family of the village, Hemant Dhome as a very funny  and completely rural boy and her uncle played by Hrishikesh Joshi wants her to get married to one of these boys and this is the gist of the film.

How close is the character in the film to your real self?

I am also a reasonably ambitious girl also hailing from Pune and I am also a simple girl with simple wants in life and acting is my only passion. I am happy that I have got a female centric role in the film which is always satisfying as an actor.

How was it like working with Sameer Patil as a director?

Unfortunately I hadn’t seen Poshter Boyz before the shooting of the film but I made it a point to see the film after I signed ‘Poshter Girl’ and I found that he is a director who likes the satirical black comedy genre but albeit with a good message and when we shot on the locations in Wai, I found he was a really nice and a complete gentleman who knows his craft and always trying to excel himself. I am very happy that I have acted in this film as I got an opportunity to grow as an actress and also our entire team was like one big happy family.

Isn’t it a great thing that a big studio like VIACOM 18 is producing this film?

Yes. Marathi cinema has grown over the years and they have made Marathi films in past, some successful like ‘Zapatlela-2, and this is a sign of Marathi cinema coming of age.

Do you have any song and dance sequences for which you are famous for after Natarang’?

Yes, Natarang was a landmark film for me but I have done films in which didn’t have any dance sequences and ‘Poshter Girl’ is one such film. It is a completely performance driven film.

What’s next?

I like to do one film at a time and after the release of ‘Poshter Girl’ I will take a much needed break for a while and then I will start reading scripts and then sign a very good film.

Are you open to television offers?

Television is not my cup of tea. I like to do things in a very easy paced and a no stress manner and television is too hectic for me and so I want to keep away from television.

The post Interview : Sonalee Kulkarni sizzles in ‘POSHTER GIRL’! appeared first on MarathiStars.

Resham Prashant the new face of Zee Marathi channel.  She is in lead role of her new serial ‘Pasant Aahe Mulgi’.  Before this serial she has worked in ‘Dil Dosti Duniyadari’ serial as ‘Sunidhi’ the new character of Majhghar. That was her small role but she did her role very well and the cuteness of her is in main role of ‘Pasant Aahe Mulgi’.  Here we had conversation with her.

Tell us something about your background.

I hail from Kalyan and have done a lot of theater and during Inter collegiate competition, I was spotted by ZEE TV and I gave an audition which made it to the final rounds and I was selected for the show.

Tell us more about the show.

The show is about a collegian girl Urmi (played by me) who hails from a progressive modern thoughts family and I am quite a frank speaking girl , clear in her thoughts who falls in love with her collegian mate Vasu, played by Abhishek Deshmukh and they think of getting married but Vasu’s parents are orthodox and very much into stars reading and getting a good time to fix the time of the marriage and match with a suitable horoscope and seeing that the planetary positions are all favorable to the match. But Urmi’s parents don’t even have her horoscope and how they will get hitched is the tele-play of the show.

Did you have to work on the character of Urmi?

Urmi is very close to my own self in that I too am a forward and frank speaking college girl and have my own set of friends with whom I hang out and I took inputs from my director, and veterans in the cast like Dr. Girish Oak, Meghana Vaidya, who makes me feel comfortable on the sets and even my co-star Abhishek Deshmukh gives me all the right cues and helps me out with my scenes and I am having the time of my life shooting for the show.

Any role models or inspirations you look up to?

I am a huge fan of Shahrukh Khan and would love to work with him someday.

What kind of television shows do you like to watch in your mean time?

I am a great television buff and always watching television when I am not working. I watch everything from cartoon shows to movies to daily soaps or reality shows like comedy shows or song and dance based reality shows.

The post Interview : Resham Prashant – Pasant Aahe Mulgi appeared first on MarathiStars.