Bhuj The Pride of India: Sharad Kelkar says Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt treated him ‘like a younger brother’

Actor Sharad Kelkar, who plays an army officer in Bhuj: The Pride of India, said that he always wanted to be a part of the armed forces. He even cleared the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination but could not get past the last interview round.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Sharad said that this made it easier for him to get into his character of officer RK Nair. “I was preparing for the Army and I gave my CDS exam. I reached the final interview and then I got out, so I couldn’t get through defence services, which was my dream, but I followed that discipline for a long time in my life - the fitness and attitude of defence personnel,” he said, adding that he also did a lot of research.

Sharad has worked with his Bhuj: The Pride of India co-stars Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Dutt in the past. “I had a great experience in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and Baadshaho before this. They treat me like a younger brother and always take care of me,” he said, adding that he was ‘pampered a lot’ on the sets and fed the tastiest food.

Originally, Rana Daggubati was cast in Bhuj: The Pride of India but after he opted out due to medical reasons, Sharad was roped in. “Rana was not keeping well at the time and needed treatment. I have known Abhishek (Dudhaiya, director) sir for a long time and I worked with Ajay sir in Tanhaji. They both decided to approach me. It’s a huge film, a huge responsibility, the first time someone is offering me a lead. I was the third lead in the film so it was a great opportunity for me,” he said.

Before becoming an actor, Sharad was a ‘normal guy from Gwalior’ with no background in acting, who worked as a fitness trainer. “The passion for acting came quite late and it’s still alive. I want to learn more and more. The best part is that people are showing faith and they are accepting me in the industry. They have seen that I can do different kinds of roles, that is the most satisfying thing for me -- the trust of directors and producers in me. That gives me a lot of motivation.”

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When Sharad came to Mumbai to pursue modelling, his backup plan was to either put his fitness or MBA degree to use and get a job in the city. Recalling his journey as an actor, he said that he learnt ‘how to survive’ from his struggling phase. “When you struggle, when you go from door to door, when you walk for miles, you don’t have money to eat and you just fill your stomach with a vada pav… That gave me a lot of stability in my life.”

Sharad was replaced from his very first television show but while it was ‘disheartening’ for him, he did not let that bring him down. “I cleared CDS but got disqualified in the last interview. That was the biggest setback for me. After that, nothing was as big. Yes, it was disheartening, but I felt that I can overcome this if I can overcome that - not getting into the Army. It gave me the courage to keep moving whatever happens,” he said. He also worked on identifying his issues and rectifying them, he said, adding that he took inspiration from Amitabh Bachchan.