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Film and theatre actor Makarand Deshpande, who will soon be in films such as “Sadak 2” and “Chicken Curry Law“, says he feels alive on stage, and never intended to become a filmstar.
Despite having shared screen space with superstars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar among others, Makarand never extensively pursued a Bollywood career.
” I never wanted to become a star, and always focused on acting. Yes, when an actor becomes a star, he does get more money and popularity, but, trust me, money was never my drive. Performance was. Stardom comes with the box-office result of a film. Technically that is not in the hand of an actor,” Makarand told IANS.
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While he acknowledges the distinction of being a star and an actor, he hates the discrimination that often comes with it.
“No actor can say he is here for stardom. There is a distinction between (being a) ‘star’ and (an) actor, and I have no problem with it. What I do not like is the discrimination. An actor is a talented individual who may not be a ‘star’ but he or she deserves equal respect, because each character builds a story. All actors contribute to making a film,” said the actor who will soon start shooting for Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Sadak 2‘.
“I think when I perform on stage, the audience is also performing with me, at some level. They react, at times loudly and at times in silence, as I deliver a dialogue, I pause between my lines, as I stand still, move, or let the light fall on me to create magic in my performance. The audience engages with me as I engage with the character. Theatre is where I live,” he said.
For this reason, the stage will always be Makarand’s first love.
“I keep doing films and television (shows) now and then. (I have) Nothing against those media, but the performer in me comes alive only when I am on stage,” added the 53-year-old actor.
In the film “Chicken Curry Law”, he plays a lawyer. The story revolves around a belly dancer who works at a bar and gets sexually harassed by an influential man. However, no police station is ready to register a complaint. Rather everyone from the police to lawyers question the girl’s character and motives.