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Abhinay Berde admires but won’t ‘imitate’ father’s work
Actor Abhinay Berde recalls memories of his father Laxmikant Berde, a day before the superstar’s birth anniversary
Actor Abhinay Berde has fond memories of his father, the superstar of Marathi cinema, Laxmikant Berde, who passed away on December 16, 2004, following a brief illness. The veteran actor was known for his comedy, family dramas and entertaining films. His birthday falls on October 26 and a film festival has been organised to showcase his popular movies including Eka Peksha Ek (1990), Chikat Navra (1994) and Bajrangachi Kamaal (1994).
On this occasion, his son recalls some precious moments spent with his father. Abhinay says, “I have vivid memories of great parties, where he would celebrate our birthdays in style. He would throw a big party on November 3 for my birthday. He would celebrate his on that day too. I remember, all his industry friends would come down, all our relatives would be there. It would be a grand affair.” He adds that there would be many gifts.
From his dad’s repertoire, Abhinay chooses Ek Hota Vidhushak (1992) as his favourite, and says, “As an actor, I loved all his films. I really admire his hard work and the way he achieved all that he had. He came from nowhere and learnt the ropes of the business. He understood the film business well and made it his own.”
Abhinay further adds, “I remember him telling mum, ‘If you want to be a superstar, you should make films that a family can watch together’. When it comes to work, I never imitate him. I want to do different films and experiment with genres,” he says.
Is this why, he is being selective about his projects? “Well, yes, I want to challenge myself as an actor. This is the only time I can be selective. In Marathi films, content is king. I will not get an audience if my storyline is not up to the mark. I am particular about the project, script and director. See, the career graph of actors such as Ranbir Kapoor and Dulquer Salmaan. They took risks in their initial phase and that is why their careers shaped well,” says the Ti Saddhya Kay Karte (2017) actor.
