A bar girl thanked me for marrying one in the film: Atul Kulkarni reminisces about Chandni Bar

The actor talks about collaborating with Tabu in the film; adds that it was ‘an important experience’ in his career

Atul Kulkarni won the National Award for best supporting actor for Chandni Bar (2001), his second Hindi film. Talking about how he owes his popularity to the film, he says, “It is an important experience in my career. Hey Ram (2000) also gave me a National Award but this film gave me a different footing and a different kind of recognition.”

Atul Kulkarni believes that Chandni Bar gave him a different kind of recognition (Yogen Shah)

Sharing screen space with Tabu in the film was a memorable experience for him as he shares, “It was a very different film, both for me and Tabu. We were required to be extremely comfortable with each other as people. When a star is working with a newcomer, it’s the star’s responsibility to bring a sense of comfort and friendship to the table. Tabu ji did so really well.”

As the film completes 20 years of its release, Kulkarni believes that Chandni Bar set a precedent and brought about a change in the way Hindi cinema was perceived. “It is one of those films that started a new era not only because of the way it was made but also the way it was accepted. It was a tragedy in the classical sense. It didn’t have any original song. It was a film that would have been considered ‘non-commercial’ in those days. But it went to become a super hit film,” he elaborates, adding that it is a rather “special” film for him.

Atul Kulkarni in a still from Chandni Bar