Swwapnil Joshi is one of the few actors in the industry, who has no regrets in his career so far. Instead, he belongs to that group of artistes, who are keen on experimenting, exploring and are constantly looking out for new avenues. In an exclusive chat, Swwapnil talks about his newborn child, supportive wife and films.
Pune, a second home
Swwapnil is in love with the city and admits that on screen, most of his loved characters have been either Puneites or come to the city in the film. “For example, in the Mumbai Pune Mumbai series, my character Gautam is a Puneite, in Duniyadari (2013) and Bhikari the story begins in Pune. In fact, I am exactly like Gautam off screen. The characteristics are similar — I love to eat, the way I laugh, the paunch and of course, my witty humour and sarcasm. Till today, people genuinely believe that I belong to Pune. Technically, it is second home as it is the longest where I have stayed after Mumbai, not cumulatively,” says Swwapnil, who associates his memories to the food of restaurants such as Kalyan Bhel, Sujata Mastani, Santosh Bakery, Shreyas Thali and Appachi Khichadi.
Second innings at fatherhood
Swwapnil and his wife Leena welcomed their second child, Raghav in December. Their firstborn Maayra is two and has already taken on the responsibility to protect and adore her little brother. “Maayra is in love with Raghav, she eats only after checking if her ‘bhau’ has eaten. She already has this caring and protective gear on, and it is a beautiful feeling to see them bond.” The actor adds that they had decided on two names before the birth of their second child, Maisha and Raghav, and chose the latter as they were blessed with a boy. “Leena and I wanted names that would be relevant even 25 years from now. Also, when we saw the baby, he is tall and athletic, so the name suits him too. It is a known name, yet has an intrigue value to it.” Swwapnil makes it a point to spend quality time with his kids and believes it is only fair that he does as much and more of what his father did for him. “At the cost of sounding immodest, I’ll say I am going to be a good father. I believe it is the values from my father that have trickled down to me,” he says adding, “Leena has been the bigger person in our relationship. And, I am thankful that she been so supportive and sacrificial throughout.”
Second innings at fatherhood
Swwapnil and his wife Leena welcomed their second child, Raghav in December. Their firstborn Maayra is two and has already taken on the responsibility to protect and adore her little brother. “Maayra is in love with Raghav, she eats only after checking if her ‘bhau’ has eaten. She already has this caring and protective gear on, and it is a beautiful feeling to see them bond.” The actor adds that they had decided on two names before the birth of their second child, Maisha and Raghav, and chose the latter as they were blessed with a boy. “Leena and I wanted names that would be relevant even 25 years from now. Also, when we saw the baby, he is tall and athletic, so the name suits him too. It is a known name, yet has an intrigue value to it.” Swwapnil makes it a point to spend quality time with his kids and believes it is only fair that he does as much and more of what his father did for him. “At the cost of sounding immodest, I’ll say I am going to be a good father. I believe it is the values from my father that have trickled down to me,” he says adding, “Leena has been the bigger person in our relationship. And, I am thankful that she been so supportive and sacrificial throughout.”
Creativity is priority
The Fugay (2016) actor has been producing films, television and other ventures along with partners Kartik Nishandar and Arjun Singh Baran. “Honestly, I am not involved in the production details or commercials. I only look into the creative aspects and process. I believe, the moment an actor gets into the money part, it starts to get itchy. As an actor, the more relaxed I am mentally the more fun I can have. So, despite getting into ‘production’ nothing has changed for me. Also, I have always been a producer’s actor. I know for a fact that if a producer lives, everyone will live.”