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It is a beautiful yet challenging role: Sharad Ponkshe
Senior actor Sharad Ponkshe is making his comeback after fighting cancer for the past 10 months
Veteran actor Sharad Ponkshe is grateful and thankful that he has made a comeback into the world of theatre and continues doing what he enjoys the most. The Vrundavan (2016) actor recently fought his way out of cancer and will be making his acting comeback with Rajesh Deshpande’s Himalayachi Savali. The play was originally written by the late playwright Vasant Kanetkar. Presenters Govind Chavan and Prakash Desai are reviving the 40 year old gem and the inaugural show was performed in Nashik on September 29.
Talking about his role and the gist of his character, Sharad says, “It is a memorable story by Kanetkar. He was one of our few brilliant writers. All his stories are heart-warming and soulful. I have always liked his works and am glad to be a part of his story.”
This is also the first time Sharad will be seen playing a really old character. “I have never taken up a 70 plus character. It is a beautifully written role but extremely challenging. I had to understand the various layers of the character. He is an introvert as he can’t express much because of circumstances. He doesn’t try and explain much to everyone because he knows they won’t understand him. He keeps things to himself and he doesn’t expect people to relate to what he is doing,” he adds.
He says that the character tries to be silent and quiet because his family is constantly nagging him or questioning his works. “He has dedicated his life towards social issues and his family doesn’t seem to understand the idea. So, he doesn’t bother explaining things to them,” he says.
For the past 30 years, no matter how many films or shows he acted in, theatre was always a priority for Sharad.
“Stage is a space where I get to learn every day. It gives me the scope to explore and experiment with his show. There is immediate reaction, good or bad and that is wonderful for an actor. The live element and energy of stage cannot be compared,” he says.
On being back to work after 10 months, he shares that he is grateful to the play presenters and director for being patient with him. “They waited for four months for me to recover. I am grateful to them for this,” he adds.
The actor will now concentrate only on his play and focus on completing maximum shows. “I am in no hurry now. I want to be able to focus on my health and do quality work. Once this play completes at least 100 shows then I will see what next can be taken up,” concludes the actor.
