JOIN USActor Shreyas Talpade is fulfilling his childhood dream of playing a superhero in his next Marathi venture Baji.
Shreyas, 38, who has also turned producer with his Marathi ventures, said as an artiste he always wanted to portray a character which is larger-than-life.
“I have grown up watching superhero films like Superman and Batman. And I always wanted to play such a powerful character on-screen. When Nikhil Mahajan (director) offered me the role I got excited to play it because as an actor I always wanted to portray a larger-than-life character,” Talpade told PTI.
Touted as the first superhero film in Marathi, Shreyas says his superhero character has no superpowers, just strength of will and a strong sense of justice.
“Baji is on the lines of American swashbuckler film The Mask of Zorro and Phantom. I feel there is a superhero in each of us. Baji is a legendary folklore character. He has no superpowers as such. He just appears and helps the needy people,” he said.
Baji, which will hit theatres next year, will be his first Marathi film after seven years and also stars actress Amruta Khanvilkar opposite him. The film is currently being shot in the Konkan region and other parts of Mumbai.
Talpade began his acting career with Marathi soap operas and doing stage shows across Maharashtra. But he tasted fame when he made his Bollywood debut in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal, where he played the role of a deaf and mute youngster aspiring to be a cricketer.
“I started off my career as a comic actor in Marathi films and theatre. I never believed that I can pull off an intense role till Iqbal happened. It made me popular as an actor. But after Iqbal, I was getting serious roles and I was missing my funny image and then Golmaal happened,” the actor, who took a break from Bollywood and is currently busy with Marathi ventures, said.
With the onset of young filmmakers and producers in the Marathi film industry, the market of their regional films have opened-up and ready to experiment with new
genres, he said.
“Earlier, Marathi films mostly explored the family dramas and love stories. But with films like Duniyadari and Lai Bhari we are exploring some untouched genres. The face of the industry is changing as the market has opened up for new kind of
cinema,” he said.
With his production banner, Affluence Movies, the Dor actor says he is enjoying his stint as a producer.
“I jumped into production because I wanted to get involved in various aspects of filmmaking which as an actor I would not have known. It’s a great feeling. As a producer, everyday on the set is a new day for me,” he said.