Film & Television  Star-Actor Sharad Kelkar On  Life In Lockdown

Sharad  Kelkar, the actor with the  golden baritone voice and the towering personality seen  most recently as Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Tanhaji, is  confined  to his home with his  wife television  actress Keerti  Kaekwad  and their young daughter.

  Now  restraining  his  restlessness  after   month in  lockdown, Sharad says, “It’s been  quite  a while now ,  so we are getting used to it, spending time with the famil. I am working-out at home, watching a  lot of  digital content. So till date the lockdown has not affected  me psychologically. But   yes, it’s  a tough  time for all of us.”

 Recalling  the  announcement  of  the lockout Sharad says, “ When  it all started   it was a shocker for a workaholic like me. It took 2-3 days for the  lockdown to sink in. But now  we are together, the family, trying  to  make the  best  of our time together. The Government  has  allowed us to grocery  and everything at home.So  we are  not short of  supplies.”

The lockdown has given Sharad  a chance to mull over his  career and life. “Yes ,  I am doing a lot of introspection.  Whatever I’ve done  in  my life  and  career . I’m getting an unexpected chance to think  over. All  of that I’m doing. But my biggest  timepass  in  the lockdown is  movies. I’m catching up on all the movies  I missed  out on in recent times as I was shooting non-stop.”

 Being  a  physical  trainer  –I was a gym instructor  when I started out 20 years back—I know   how to train  at  home.I’ve some make-shift equipment at home, so I am working out at  home, though  not vigorously because I’ve to maintain the body-time I have  right now  for  the  sake of  the continuity  in the  films that  I’m doing .”

  Initially Sharad enjoyed  the opportunity to  get more sleep.  “I enjoyed catching  up on my lost sleep for the  first ten  days  of lockout. But now  it’s getting too much,  so I am hating it. I am a workaholic. I  love to be out working  all the time . I am missing my script narrations, my shootings. But sleeping is there. That , and watching films has increased. And  that’s good   for my mental state.But not eating.  No no,  I  don’t eat much anyway, so I am not doing  too much of that  now.I’d rather sleep  or watch  a film than eat.”

 Sharad’s advice to his fans?  “This is a critical  situation and we have to  bear with it.We have to fight it together.We  will beat it together.My advice is  to stay at home .Don’t go out unless urgent but  wear  a mask  if you have to go out.And don’t touch anything except what you  are buying when  you go out. Watch  a lot of  digital  content, on  paid and free OTT platforms.Spend time with family and your children. You may  not get such an opportunity to be  with the. Talk to your friends whom you haven’t  been in touch with.Re-connect with people you have lost touch with,  including yourself.”