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| Girish Kulkarni |
The multifacted actor cum writer who is best known for his powerhouse performances and ability of telling a story in an engaging manner is now making his debut in direction through Marathi film "Jau Dya Na Balasaheb".
Girish has written the story of the film and also plays the main protagonist in the film.
Jau Dya Na Balasaheb is produced by Ajay-Atul, Prashant Pethe, Poonam Shende, Vinay Ganu and Umesh Kulkarni.
When asked about his decision of venturing into direction,Girish says“ Before entering into films,I used
to write, direct and act in plays,so direction was not new to me. But Cinema is a different medium and since my friend Umesh Kulkarni has been formally trained in filmmaking and I am an untrained filmaker, so it was natural that Umesh had directed most of the movies that we have directed in the past .But when I wrote the story of Jau dya na Balasaheb,Umesh encouraged me into directing this film single handedly".
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| Girish's look in the film Jau Dya Balasaheb |
Girish also added ,in order to direct a film it is very necessary that one should like the story and the urge to direct the film should come from within. “I always wanted to know the problems and pains the director goes through during making of a film. Plus when you take the whole responsibility of a film, you get to learn so much from the entire process of filmmaking. I got to
learn in detail about all the technical aspect of filmmaking such as production, editing, mixing, and post-production, sound et al. I had great fun learning these technicalities. “He reminisces.
Girish confesses that acting and directing at the same time was a bit difficult. However he also says“since I had already written
screenplay it didn’t clash with direction and acting.But giving equal attention to both acting and direction was tad challenging. Fortunately I had a great team of artists and technicians working along with me. At times,I used to feel that I am unable to give enough attention to acting due to my responsibilties as a director. Although, it was a bit hectic at times,but it gave me total satisfaction and joy.” Says Girish with a smile.
Talking about the challenges he faced during making of the film, Girish says, “Understanding the grammar of the film and searching for aesthetics while handling camera was definitely challenging. I also had to develop my own language of narrating a story. As a journey it was very exciting,offcourse the results are not in my hands. Only the audience will decide the fate of the film.”
According to Girish,Jau Dya Na Balasaheb is a comedy which is completely different from the films he has done earlier. “The film takes off in the rural area. It’s a story of a political leader's son. Although the father is a leader and the son an addict,he can’t seem to find his own path in life. Meanwhile certain incidences take place which changes his life. It’s a story about his journey, to search and find his inner self.I have tried to attempt a new experiment in the film and also to tell the story in a very simple manner, so that it reaches to more people."
While Girish plays the main protagonist in the film ,the rest of the star cast of the film includes prominent actors such as Mohan Joshi,Sai Tamankar,Reema Lagoo,Nandakishore Chogule,Shrikant Yadav,Manava Naik and Bhau Kadam.
Although Girish’s films generally are sans songs, but Jau Dya Na Balasaheb is an exception. “There are five songs in the film and the music plays a vital role in the film."he informs.
Most of the films Girish has done in the past except Masala were directed by Umesh Kulkarni. Umesh is also one of the producers of the film.
When asked, did he take any tips from Umesh while directing his debut film.He said “Definitely,at times I used to consult Umesh. However it being my type of cinema, the style of Jau Dya Na Balasaheb was altogether different” informs Girish.
The Maverick actor, writer turned director had acted earlier in a Hindi film "Ugly" is now working in a another Hindi film Dangal with Aamir Khan. When asked "Was there any pressure of working with Aamir Khan who is known as Mr.Perfectionist"? He replied “He didn’t give me any such feeling or pressure. He is a very disciplined actor and I got to learn a lot while working in the film. It was a learning experience.”
When asked, if he plans to direct any other film in future,Girish says, “I never plan anything, I always act spontaneously. I just want to live in the moment but if there is any story that will touch my heart, then I might consider directing the film “he concludes.
Jau dya Na Balasaheb is slated for a release on October 7th.
