It’s much more difficult than I thought: Sagar Puranik on being an actor and director

Director Sagar Puranik has stepped into the role of the lead actor for his next film. Titled Venkya, the film is currently being shot and has gone beyond the expectations of Puranik. “The story has been in my mind for a few years now. I never imagined any other actor to play the lead role. We did audition a few others, but given the context of the film, I figured I’d fit the role well,” he tells us.

The National Film Award winner shares that his perspective of filling in for both the roles has changed now. “It’s turned out to be a lot more challenging than I thought. But I have a great team. As an actor and director, it gets physically challenging, too. For example, if there’s a long shot in the film, I have to do my bit then run back to the monitor to see if it’s good and then possibly run back to reshoot. My respect for actor-directors has gone up considerably,” he shares.

Ask the 31-year-old if he feels the pressure of carrying the film since he’s playing two important roles in it, and he says, “As an actor, my job is to make sure I look good on camera and present myself well. But as a director, my focus is narrating the story well.” The Dollu (2021) director adds, “I just need to find the right spot between these two responsibilities, because at the end of the day, the film will always be about the story and not about one particular character.”