Subodh Bhave made me feel secure: Abhijeet Deshpande

For debutant director Abhijeet Deshpande, making Ani…Dr Kashinath Ghanekar has been a dream that he has been nurturing for five years. The writer is anxious and nervous before the film’s release, but believes he has done his best. He is now awaiting the audiences’ reaction to the biopic and hopes people enjoy the film. In Pune to promote the film, he spoke to us about his love for the city, working with Subodh Bhave and more.

Excerpts:

How was the experience of working with Subodh?

His work ethic is just out of this world. Just before the first shot, he came up to me and touched my feet. He said, ‘My director is the most important to me’. It goes on to show his genuineness and willingness to surrender to the director. He was willing to yield to a debutant. Before the start of the shoot, I was a little sceptical that he may want to direct the film through me. However, he made me feel very secure and nothing of that sort happened.

Was Subodh Bhave your original choice to play Dr Kashinath Ghanekar?

I remember when I met him for the first time and narrated the script to him. He took a bathroom break only to return and refuse. He told me, ‘Abhijeet, this character is everything I am not’. But I was convinced that he would fit this part perfectly because, like a sculptor carves a stone to create a masterpiece, I knew that I had to bring out the hidden Ghanekar from Subodh Bhave.

Subodh Bhave (L) and Abhijeet Deshpande share a light moment while in Pune to promote their film (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Subodh has directed a film before, did he share any interesting tips with you?

Yes, so to start with, in certain scenes, I was a little keen on getting the mannerisms of the character right. To which, Subodh said, ‘If we get stuck in the mannerisms, we won’t be able to get into the soul of the character’. And, it did make sense. The other two really important things he shared was, ‘To be a director you need to be a good person’, and, ‘Whenever you have to give instructions to your actor on set, never do it through the mic. Go to your actor and whisper it in his ear’. It made so much of a difference. And, these tips are going to stay with me when I direct my next.

What about Pune do you like the most?

I completed my one-year writing course from Film and Television Institute of India. I love the city. I particularly enjoy the coffee and food at a small South Indian joint on Karve Road. To be honest, sometimes I come down to the city only to relish its food. The creative energy is great here and I would like to do some of my writing here.

First Published: Oct 27, 2018 18:18 IST