“Writing gives me a sense of liberation and keeps me connected to people”, says Writer, Designer, Aditi Moghe

• Kindly tell us something about yourself ?

I completed my graduation in Arts (Majoring in English) from Ruia College, Mumbai. During that time I always had an inclination towards the media industry. Post my graduation I interned at Zee Marathi, mainly my job profile was co-ordination of nonfiction shows at Zee. After getting that amazing experience from Zee, I deviated towards research and that is when Harishchandrachi Factory happened and that is when I met Prakash Kunte (Director – Coffee Ani Barach kahi) and that is how Coffee ani Barach Kahi happened I am thankful to my audience that the film was received well. Currently I am working on 3-4 films.

I like developing new ideas, designing saree’s, under my brand name “Raavi”, name plates , men apparels . I love travelling. I travel a lot and because of my passion for travelling I did a travel show “Amhi Travelkar”

When it comes to my likes and dislikes, I refrain from working with people who lack clarity and have an unprofessional approach. I love doing things that I can trust myself on.

• What are you currently doing professionally?

Currently I am working on couple of Hindi and Marathi projects.  Majorly focus on my venture “Raavi”

• What made you choose this career?

It was not a conscious decision. It is a journey. If I have to be honest, I was always good at writing and ideations and as I have mentioned I always believe in doing what I am proficient at, maybe that made me get into writing. I eventually want to get into production.

• What genre of writing do you enjoy?

I am mostly good at developing concepts and ideas. I like to beautiful ideas through my creative writing. There is no exact genre of preference when it comes to work. I enjoy writing travel shows, non -fiction. I have always worked my way, do what I like and with God’s grace I have always excelled in what I did. My upcoming project ‘Cycle’ is one of the best scripts I am working on with an amazing team. Writing gives me a sense of liberation and keeps me connected to the people

• In one word describe Writing for you ?

Expression of ideas

• Apart from being a writer, what do you do in your past time?

Apart from writing , I travel , I love travelling , exploring new places , meeting new people, Designing is  my passion.

• Perks of choosing your career?

If you talk about perks. There are plenty. If had to list a few ,then it would definitely be

·         Appreciation from peers and friends

·         Boost

·         Motivation

·         You tend to get more noticed

·         It helps in getting recognition from the people who matter

• Challenges that you faced during your journey ? 

If you talk about challenges, every person has to face them, in some or the other way , it may include

·         No money

·         Pressure

• Any upcoming projects that you would want to share?

I have couple of projects lined up, which include Cycle and some Hindi projects as well

• How many years does it take for one to be a professional in this field?

Writing is not something that you need to be trained. It has to be within you. I do not believe in stereotype while I write. The only way you can be a master at writing is by experience and the kind of movies you watch

• What was your 'Nothing is Impossible moment'?

I was always a positive person. When you know nothing about the field, I feel it is the best , you get a chance to explore it even more without having any preconceived notions regarding the same. With respect to my “Nothing is Impossible” moment, it was when I gained the confidence that I could design and my saree’s were accepted and applauded by people. I believe work has to be a pleasurable experience

• Lastly what advice would you give to the  aspiring writers who want to make their mark in the field?

To all the aspiring writers I just want to say that watch as many films you can, study them .Go with your instinct and never compromise on your ideas

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“Dance is like an ocean, you just have to flow with it, understand it, know it’s depth and not think of the end, it is an ongoing process, and you are constantly learning”, says Classical Dancer Uma Tilak.

There is no age limit to do what you love, all barriers seem unrealistic when you are focused towards your passion. This lovely women is an epitome of loving her passion and converting her passion into profession. With managing her family and dance academy she does her bit for the society by teaching classical dance to physically challenged students. She is busy all 7 days a week either teaching or doing shows.Let’s Talk Life with classical dancer Uma Tilak, where she talks about her journey as a  classical dancer , her dance academy Kalaniketan , her family and her immense love for dance.

• Kindly tell us something about yourself ?

 I started learning Bharatanatyam at the age of 3 as my mothers aspired one of her daughter’s to learn dance it was not possible for her to send my elder sister so she took me to Guru Saudamini Rao . As a kid I was very small and thin and so my teacher refused to teach me, but my mother was very strong and insisted her to teach and I started learning under her guidance. I performed first time on the stage at the age of 9 it was my First performance ie. ‘Arangetram’  I performed 3 hours solo (Bharatanataym) on the stage. My parents worked very hard along with me for the success of the show there used to be very few people who used to achieve something in this field. At that show time Guru Sucheta Joshi witnessed  my Arangetram and she told my mother that Uma will be a Golden feather in my cap so send her to me and I will give her further lessons in  dance. I joined her for four more years and simultaneously  was giving performances for different organisations. I performed for  ‘Doordarshan’ television in Mumbai Chennai and Hyderabad.

Then I started learning with Guru Shri Mani from Kalasadan in Mumbai I was with Kalasadan for nearly 12 to 13 years and then  started my classes in 1984 in Poona. I am science graduate, dance graduate and also a Examiner of Akhil bharatiya gandharva Mahavidyalaya and Tilak Maharashtra vidyapeeth.

 My daughter is also Visharad in dance, she is MTech in biotechnology and now in Germany for her Masters in plant sciences course , she performed for Marathi Katta, organization in Frankfurt.  My son Suyash is doing very well in his career. I am a proud mother of my children whenever they are here they  help me in my work , they work back stage and also on stage as a member of my institution.

I always pray God to give me strength till the end of my life to dance.I fall on the feet of lord Nataraja and my gurus everyday to bless me.

• What made you choose this career?

 It was a difficult task for me  to continue dance me after marriage , hats off to my husband  a civil engineer by profession who supported me consistently. My children are also very supportive. My immense love for dance and support from family made me choose dance as a career.

• Tell us about your  journey as a classical dancer till now?

After I started classes it was very much difficult to get students for classical dance, I started teaching in one school only for INR10 on a monthly basis to make people understand what Bharatanatyam is.I didn't take any break in my career even after my marriage.  It is very much difficult to achieve something in classical field, each and every day we face some or the other problems but I always believe in God and hard work. I strongly believe we can come  out of any problems only because of this belief and do or die approach

• Talk about your dance school, Kalaniketan?

 I am running my institute named Kalaniketan in Aundh, Pune with the grace of God’s and blessing of my gurus. We have an examination centre of Abgmv and Tmv . About 50 and above students completed their Visharad in dance and 300 students have done their Arangetram under my guidance Two of my students completed MA and  some are in Kalakshetra for their master diploma.We at Kalaniketan teach physically challenged students. It gives me immense satisfaction.We teach all Natyashastra Shlokas demonstration. My students after completing  their Visharad come to me to learn how to teach the dance. Two of my students have started their own dance classes.

• Your take on the present generation's inclination towards classical dance? 

 Now days students want fast food, they want immediate results which is not possible in classical dance. Classical dance is devotion ,dedication and regularity. Classical dance teaches all these qualities which helps you in your life in any field.

•  In one word describe Dance for you?

Dance is my breath.

• Perks of choosing your career?

It is the happiness and satisfaction that we get from dance

• Challenges that you faced in your career?

 My child was only 10 days old and no one was there to replace me to teach in the class and there was a show lined up as well, I told  my husband that I will  teach and perform and till date I have not taken a gap.

• What was your 'Nothing is Impossible moment'?

 My daughter, me and two of my students had a performance in Chidambaram temple. At that time I was suffering from a very bad leg injury and my daughter was down with measles,it was impossible to perform but we decided to give our best as we knew that our God is there behind us, we performed and got all the applause.

• How many years does it take for one to be a professional in this field?

 It takes nearly 12 years to be a  classical dancer, dance is like an ocean, you just have to flow with it, understand it, know it’s depth and not think of the end. Dance is an ongoing process.

• Lastly what advice would you give to the aspiring classical dancers who want to make their mark in the field?

I will only say that keep practicing, believe in your hard work and regularity.You never know when things might just click,  don't wait for the opportunity to come, if you have faith in your hard work and devotion you will get a good opportunity. Keep on working with honesty.

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"Every other morning when I wake up to run after returning from work really late, getting out of that blanket is my 'Nothing is Impossible moment'. ", says Journalist and Athlete , Shibani Gharat

Ever since I had spoken to her for doing a story for my client 2 years ago,(To cover a sports related story) she sounded very passionate towards her work and that time I realized her love for sports is immense. After having connected on social networking sites I mostly everyday saw different pictures and posts in which she was tagged, not for being a journalist but for being an athlete. If she is in Mumbai you will definitely  spot her at Shivaji Park jogging. Every morning on my wall I still see pictures of her running, swimming and winning recognition for sports across the globe. Let’s Talk Life with Journalist and Athlete Shibani Gharat, where she talks about her job of being a journalist at CNBC AWAZ, her love and passion for sports and how she balances her love for sports and her job as a journalist.

• Kindly tell us something about yourself ?

I am a journalist-anchor with the business channel CNBC Awaaz. I have studied journalism too. I am through and through a curious person since childhood. And I attribute my experiences over the life to my curiosity. I am always willing to explore something new all the time and that is how I have been. Any form of monotony is something I detest. I like rhythm to things but breaking that rhythm is also equally necessary.

• How did Sports interest you? 

I have been a taekwondo player in college but suddenly when I started working, I had to give up the sport. Any form of sport requires certain amount of discipline in terms of training and I with the kind of work life that I lead couldn’t fit in the classes for my taekwondo in my schedule. After I gave up on the sport I was living a sedentary lifestyle. A very deskbound job had its implications on my back. I was bedridden for a month. That was a wake up call. As the back injury started healing even with limited effort I got back into some sport. Running was the easiest. But, swimming still makes me go weak in my limbs. As a child I would cut out pictures of swimming pools from magazines and make a collage of them in a notebook. Blue water weather it is the sea or the pool still continues to fascinate me.

• What motivated you to become an athlete?

Positivity of it. Any physical activity makes me feel awesome. Alive-is the word. I like the sleep that I get post a really tough, difficult training session. It makes you feel you deserve that long nap and you deserve the food that you eat. It gives me happiness and has also given me so many friends.

• Talk about your journey as an athlete?

I think it is a journey without a destination.

• What are the requirements to become a good athlete?

1. Attitude. and a positive one. Every match/event/game whether your performance is good or bad is an experience. It helps you learn and improve. Nobody is your competition or enemy-you are your own enemy.

2. Ability to ‘not hold on’

The more you let go the better you are

• Share with us about your achievements as an athlete?

Currently only running as I get only as much time-so I do ultramarathons at places that I like and find interesting. I have done two 100 km races and a 72 km run over the highest motorable pass in the world.

• Apart from your job and sports what do you do in your past time?

Hahahah..there is no time to pursue anything else beyond running.

• How do you manage your work ( as a journalist) and passion ( of being an athlete)?

It is easy. Running for me is like brushing teeth or eating food. It has become a habit.

• How beneficial is sports as a career for women?

A lot needs to be done. First the mindset of the people in our country needs to be changed in terms of letting women alone to make their own choice on what they want to pursue. This will only come with enough facilities provided to women, the right kind of infrastructure and an assurance that they will be safe and secure.

• Advantages of choosing your career? 

It feeds my daily need of learning something new.

• Challenges that you faced during your journey? How did you overcome them?

There were many but I take them as they come

• What was your 'Nothing is Impossible moment'?

Every other morning when I wake up to run after returning from work really late, getting out of that blanket is my 'Nothing is Impossible moment'. 

• Lastly what advice would you give to the aspiring athlete's who want to make their mark in the field?

Follow your heart and listen to your body.

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“Conventionally you either have to belong to a family with a musical legacy or have a Godfather backing you, I didn’t have both. My talent was my only Godfather”, says Music Director Nilesh Moharir

He is spontaneous.. He is supremely talented.. He Loves his work.. He Lives his work... An amazing composer who knows the vibes of his audience and his music is adored by all. A current sensation of the Marathi music industry. Let's Talk Life with Music Director, Nilesh Moharir, where he talks about his life, his love for tennis, how he decided to be what he is today, his passion and immense love for Music, his upcoming projects and how he wish to conquer the world with his Music

• Kindly tell us something about yourself ?

Born in a conventional Maharashtrian family in Mumbai, my childhood was a perfect blend of the Brahmin community culture & a liberal lifestyle. Yet, I had my fair share of complexes & inhibitions that made me a bit introvert. And maybe that led to my fixation of the aesthetic. I was fascinated by arts, especially that involved colours & musical notes. I began painting and singing on a facile level. Playing the harmonium came naturally to me, without any pro tutoring. Recognizing my talents, my parents provided for my abilities to foster by enrolling me in various art classes. My mother encouraged me to participate in every other extracurricular activity during my early schooling. I was fairly good at studies as well, enjoying my languages more than my Math & Science! Yet, (I don’t know why) I chose the commerce faculty to complete my graduation & secured my Masters degree, from the Mumbai University. While completing the academic courses, my passion for music kept me restless, resulting in me earning diplomas in Music Composing and Sound Recording -Reproduction from the Mumbai University’s Music Department. As an individual & a budding artist I had developed my own set of likes & dislikes! Anything that was meaningfully aesthetic, touched me; & anything that was mediocre or gross, I hated it!

• What are you currently doing professionally?

I am composing music majorly for Marathi films along with television & non-film albums. Also, recently I have collaborated with Universal Music and produced my first international single “Lounge Ganesha”, which has been released online on various music engines. With this spiritual spa series of various singles we intend to blend the Eastern subtlety with the Western sound design & create a unique audio experience for the listeners.

• What made you choose this career ?

All through my college life I pursued this dream of becoming a Composer; in fact I had a strong intuition that I would become one with a certain degree of pre-eminence. It felt like I had already made my choice the day I was born. And here I am, composing my way through life & it’s various dispositions!

• What kind of Music do you enjoy?

Anything that truly communicates! It can be a film song, a raga rendition, a Ghazal, an instrumental theme, a hip-hop dance number, a folk hymn, anything…! It just has to have that spiritual quality to it combined with an exotic appearance!

• Tell us about your musical journey as a music director till now?

My debut film “Yand Kartavya Ahe” released in 2006, gave me my first musical hit “Aabhas Ha”, followed by another hit title track “Kalat Nakalat” in 2007. The success of these 2 songs opened the doors for various new opportunities & since then I have composed for more than 15 films, 50 television projects and various non-film ventures! By the blessings of my Guru, the support of my parents & the love of my audience, my journey till date has been a ride of success, awards & accolades & is getting more musical with every passing day! 

• What is Music for you ?

Fundamentally, music is a “Language” and it needs to be spoken like one with the syntax & semantics intact! Only then, it stands a chance to become universal. Musical elements used, just to create some good sound or an adrenaline rush, will not appeal to you if you truly understand this phenomenon. For me, Music is a natural way of self-expression. I may not be able to verbally explain certain intricate emotions but they come out in the form of natural musical phrases. For me, my phrase has to convey what’s between the lines and not just provide for the phonetics of the alphabets!

• You are considered as the most romantic composer by the youth ? What do you have to say on that?

What can I say, I think it’s the best compliment an artist can get. I feel honored & grateful. Love is the core of every emotion, and you receive love only when you give it! Today’s youth is highly perspicacious & they speak their mind without any inhibitions. So if they feel I am the most romantic composer, then I probably am. And again, I believe that your Music is like the way you are! (wink wink…)

• You have beautifully carved a mark in the Marathi movie industry, any plans to enter Bollywood?

I intend to do world cinema and Bollywood happens to be a BIG part of it! But I have never planned any career moves till date! Regarding getting easy opportunities, I believe, you either have to belong to a family with a musical legacy or have a Godfather backing you; and I didin’t have both. My talent was my only Godfather & whatever next opportunity I got was because of the success of my previous work! Hence I decided to go with the flow; and here I am! Also, musically it’s an SOS situation for Bollywood so they better find me fast ; I fully intend to play the knight in shining armour (wink wink…)!!!

• Apart from Music , what do you do in your past time?

I love watching & playing tennis! I also love to travel, watch english films, read, hear classical music, watch lifestyle channels, shop and click pictures of anything that takes my fancy! I also love writing & have written a weekly column for almost a year for a leading marathi daily.

• Perks of choosing your career?

I get to do what I enjoy the most! My work never bores me; My passion is now my profession and that’s a sheer blessing! And then, the recognition, respect and love you get is something else altogether!

• Challenges that you faced during your journey ? How did you overcome them?

I didn’t face the routine industry challenges that we have read so much about. In fact, by God’s grace, opportunities came knocking at my door one after the other and I was able to explore them fully with awards & accolades flowing my way. But your early success might intimidate a few in the industry & the media, especially if you are of strong character and don’t indulge in puffery & cater to hierarchy. Such hostility, in spite of your caliber, can be a bit annoying initially, but then gradually you get to know how to deal with it. Once you understand that you had nothing to gain from a so called lost opportunity, you are fine.

• Any upcoming projects that you would want to share?

I have a lot of releases this year. After the successful Mitwaa my next movie release will be Online Binline (3^rd July), Dhol Taashe (3^rd July), Shortcut (10^th July), Aaji, Radio Nights, GR, Vijay Maurya’s directorial debut produced by Neha Rajpal & 2 more untitled ventures!

• How many years does it take for one to be a professional in this field?

It Depends. Many factors combine & contribute in making an artist out of an individual. The kind of upbringing & grooming one gets plays a significant role in the development of one’s musical sensibilities. Again, your musicality depends upon how sensitive you are as a person. And you need to be tech savvy as well. Gone are the days when composers used to compose a tune on a harmonium & give the tune to arrangers and singers to work upon. Today a composer should be able to compose, arrange, programme, sing, record and mix his track if the need arises and then should also know how to promote his work! There’s a lot of homework to do to be able to do all this!

• What was your 'Nothing is Impossible moment'?

Every composition is a tour de force, a feat that seems impossible to achieve but gradually it attains the form of a creation and then you are on your way. So, in a way, every song is like a “nothing is impossible” moment. But personally, my nothing is impossible moment was when I completed my masters with flying colours. During my final year of graduation I had lost my interest in studies and was completely hooked to music! I thought it was futile for me to get a degree since I was destined to be a pro musician. As a result I performed poorly at the board exams which caused a lot of distress to my parents. It made me unhappy to see them upset. I realised what I had done, and decided to study further and complete my masters along with getting degrees in music composing & studio technology. Initially it seemed very difficult to bring back the lost interest in studies, especially after I started getting lucrative music assignments. It seemed “impossible”. But as they say “God helps those who help themselves & with good intentions you achieve what you desire”. Handling my music assignments on one hand, I studied all by myself without any classes or tuition and passed with good marks. It gave me a sense of liberation & I felt deserving enough to choose music as my career. When you “earn” your right to choose, your success is predetermined.

• Lastly what advice would you give to the aspiring music directors who want to make their mark in the field?

I won’t advise, but I guess I can suggest. Choose to be a music composer if you feel it’s your path of self expression & you are passionate enough to walk it and sustain in spite of it’s tricky challenges. Try to judge your own work before you judge others; you will find a lot of flaws with yourself. Improve those with integrity and move on. Don’t indulge in puffery. It will get you somewhere but definitely not where you wish to be. Rather, see to it that you are working to the fullest satisfaction of your producers & directors. Be active on the social networks, more with your work and less with your personal life. And last but not the least, BE ORIGINAL. Don’t copy ideas or phrases knowingly. It ceases to be your creation if you steal or even borrow. Be yourself & the rewards will be yours! Always have an efficacious belief that “Everything Is Possible”!!!

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“No experience goes waste. I did a salesman’s job in my initial days, which required door-door selling and this experience taught me marketing myself which is the most important aspect to sustain in this industry obviously after hardwork”, says Dancer and Actor Mayuresh Wadkar

He is handsome; he is a super talented dancer and an actor. He was called to judge a dance event at KC College 5 years back and he readily agreed to do so, and that time he was gaining a lot of popularity with Dance India Dance season 1. I have known him since then. In these years he has grown in all aspects and now is at the peak of his career. He is a dancer, actor, producer and above all an amazing human being. Let’s Talk Life with dancer and actor Mayuresh Wadkar, where he talks about his journey of life, his job as a salesman in his initial days, his struggle, reality shows , acting, love for his family and most importantly his immense love and passion for DANCE.

• Kindly tell us something about yourself ?

I did my schooling from Thakur Vidya Mandir – Kandivali and have been dancing since my school days. I was the only boy in the school who danced and rest all were girls. Started performing and winning all the interschool dance competitions. I started earning since class five to support my family and got a hack of working hard since then. I unexpectedly failed in 2 subjects which I thought I would clear (English and Georgraphy). I somehow managed to clear my 10^th and later pursued Correspondence in BA from Pune University.

At that time, dancing was not that famous, so I started my career as a editor(trainee) for Balaji Telefilms for daily soaps like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi , Kayamat, Kahi To Hoga , but my colleagues there motivated me to become an actor At that time the only one thing I knew was Hardwork. My dream was to be become either a Dancer or an Actor and since childhood I had the vision. There is a very strange story behind this, what my mother told me. She told me that I use to wake up hearing songs on the radio, and when I grew up I imagined myself dancing around the tress with actresses: P.

During my editing days, a casting director and now a household name Imam Siddique, applauded my dance and promised me that he would take me to meet Terence Lewis. That time I was unaware of Terence Lewis,but when he told me that he was the choreographer of the movie Naach ( Antara Mali), I was like wow.. I really loved the moves in the movie and was looking forward for that meeting. Imam Sir showed me the path, I met Terence sir and he really loved my dancing . I graduated from Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company and started giving auditions. I got selected for Jhalak Dikhlaja and Dance India Dance, but I choose the latter over the former as DID gives an artiste an individual recognition. I was amongst the top 5 contestants for DID 1, after that I did couple of TV shows an d then did ABCD movie with Remo D’souza, that was an amazing experience that I will cherish all through my life.

I blindly kept working hard, God gave me a path way, I was straight and did not take a wrong path to achieve my goal. Al through my journey my family and my friend Raju were my mental and emotional anchors. My friend Raju was working then, and gave me Rs100 everyday when I did not have money.

My likes and dislikes depend on my mood. I honestly dislike people who are judgemental about others as I strongly believe that all 5 fingers are different and God has made all of us keeping something in mind, so respect it.

• What are you doing currently professionally?

Currently I am chilling, socializing with friends, giving my parents happiness by spending time with them. If you ask me work wise, we recently had ‘Mayuresh Night’ in Surat, where I performed 5 dance sequences with dancers. I have opened a dance academy in Mumbai and Patna. I am continuously travelling for live performances, shows, workshops judging across India  I have recently produced a Marathi film, for which I have choreographed as well. I did Dare to Dance on Life ok. I will be choreographing Bangladesh – Lux Fashion Show pageant it is in its 8^th year currently and I am planning a musical very soon.

• What made you choose this career?

I am happy and satisfied with what I am doing. I enjoy every bit of what I do. Whatever job I did or rather I am doing it becomes a part of my life and I think from my heart. My happiness and smile that I was getting out of dance and performing made me choose this as my career.

• You have been a part of couple of reality shows as a performer and then as a master, talk about your journey then and how is it different now?

Initially I was a normal dancer, DID (Dance India Dance) made me famous and a household name. The Aerial act that I did in DID gave me recognition and till now no one has broken my record. Before DID my life was tension free and cool, as the person who I had to face if I made a blunder or a mistake was myself  but now the struggle and expectations from people is 5 times more than it was before. I have my own company Versatility in Music, Acrobat and Dance (VMAD), I have personally trained all my assistants and with God’s grace the company is doing well. The response we get is overwhelming. We have workshops all over India.

• How did you venture into acting?

I did a small role in serial ‘Maayka’ on Zee Tv after DID. Later I did ‘Adalat’ on Sony and suddenly ABCD happened, from which I learned a lot. I am planning a musical soon for which I will be acting and choreographing .I am learning acting from an eminent guru.

• Apart from Dance, what do you do in your pastime?

I party, chill and socialize with friends, spend time with family. I love playing poker, travelling and love helping and counselling people.

• What is your take on dance reality shows?

Dance reality shows came up for people to show their passion for dance. Nowadays there are too many of these dance reality shows and I strongly feel that competition has killed the passion for dance. People end up participating just to get famous and not showing off their talent. When I was a part of DID, my funda was to perform and respect my stage, guru.

• Perks of choosing your career?

Dance has always clicked for me. I am happy in my space today because I am doing what I love. The recognition, respect you get is overwhelming, but at the same time it gives a feeling of responsibility to excel in life. It made me confident in life and my struggle helped to face all kinds of challenges in life.

• Challenges that you came across? How did you overcome them?

I had learned Contemporary and Jazz from Terence Sir. During DID auditions I saw people performing Hip-Hop, learning hip –hop was a challenge but I overcame that. Positive thinking helps me overcome all the challenges that come my way.

• What is your Nothing is Impossible moment?

I was always sheltered, I was always under people and had a notion that I will succeed only when I have a leader or people above me to tell what i have to do. I use to demotivate myself, but when I started sharing my ideas openly, things changed a lot. I opened my own Dance company and did couple of reality shows and that time I realized that I can grow on my own and did not require anyone’s support.

My acting coach wanted me to choreograph for a Punjabi movie, stage choreography is different but for films camera angles and handling is also a part of it. I was initially very nervous as I would be doing it for the first time and there was a lot of finance involved in it and there no chance for a goof up. My sir had faith in me and my previous experience of editing and camera helped me to choreograph it beautifully.

I always believe no experience goes waste. I did a salesman’s job in my initial days, which required door-door selling and this experience taught me marketing myself which is the most important aspect to sustain in this industry obviously after hardwork. I learned to respect people.

• Lastly what advice would you give to the aspiring dancers/actors who want to make their mark in the field?

My advice to everyone is believe in yourself and always do your homework properly. Do not ever lose hope and keep practicing. Understand that 5 fingers are different so treat everybody equally and with respect. Love, help and pray for everybody. Appreciate everybody’s work. If you have it in you (passion to be someone), nobody can take it away from you.

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“I believe in one thing, it is not your city or town that matters, if you have the right talent in you then nobody can stop you from being successful”, says actor Abhijeet Khandkekar.

He is handsome, he is witty, he is a wonderful orator and knows how to attract his audience be it my his charm , acting or hosting.He is an extremely grounded human being. 4 years ago I had invited him to judge a personality contest in my college and he readily agreed. At that time his first daily soap was soaring the heights of success. One fine day I just messaged him on Facebook asking him to give his interview for my blog, initially I was skeptical whether he would recognize me as last we spoke was 4 years back, but he very sweetly agreed to give his interview without any formalities.The best thing about this man is that he does not forget people in his life. Let's Talk life with actor Abhijeet Khandkekar, where he talks about how he had no confidence in himself and how he overcame that, his experience in being an RJ, his first daily soap, love for his family and "Varan Bhaat", his hatred for liars and people who break traffic rules and his immense love and respect for acting. 

• Kindly tell us something about yourself?

I come from a typical middle class Maharashtrain family born in Ahmednagar. My father is a banker and had to move to  different parts of Maharashtra (Transfer on the job). We finally settled down at Nashik where I completed my graduation.

Due to my father’s frequent transfers, making friends for me during school days was always difficult; hence I do not have any school friends. I completed my schooling in a Marathi medium school; hence because of my accent and my dressing it was initially very difficult to adjust in a city like Nashik.  During those days I had lost all my confidence due to inferiority complex. In Nashik I worked for a local news channel and gave voice overs for documentaries and local ads.

After my graduation I shifted to Pune for further education and did Masters in communications, a 2 years specialization degree in Video production. I was pretty comfortable in Pune even though I had to stay alone. I got good exposure in Pune. While my masters were on, I learnt that Radio Mirchi was doing a RJ Hunt and wanted RJ’s in Marathi. I participated and got selected among 1500 participants that gave me a boost. I joined as a trainee at ‘Radio Mirchi’ (Pune), the team was so impressed by me  that within few months of my training period they offered me a permanent job, but I did not take it up due to my PG. After my Post graduation I joined Radio City as a RJ for 3 years

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At 23, I was bored with my job and Red Fm offered me a job of a Programming head, I refused the offer as I was inclined to be a performer. My father was the biggest and the strongest motivator who motivated me to pursue a career in Acting

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I participated for Zee Marathi’s acting reality show “Maharshtracha Superstar” and was amongst the top 4, and learnt a lot during that. I am fortunate that my struggle period was not too long; I gave audition and got a lead role in Zee Marathi’s “Mazhiya Priyala Preet Kalena”. When I started with the serial, I was very sceptical as to how the serial would work, but with God’s grace the serial broke all the records. I got a lot of recognition from that serial.

Music director, singer and director Avadhoot Gupte was looking for a fresh face for his new film, I auditioned for it and got the role. The movie was “Jai Maharashta Dhaba Bhatinda”

After that I hosted Zee Marathi’s famous singing reality show “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa”. I always dreamt of hosting that show as I have always been a big fan of Pallavi Joshi who has been hosting many seasons of the show. After my first season of hosting the show I got applauded by Pallavi Joshi and I was on cloud 9

With my experience of being an RJ and an actor, I host events and shows nationally and internationally. I have compeered  all the shows of Avadhoot Gupte, Ajay Atul,  Bela shende, Swapnil Bandodkar, Zee gaurav, Mata Sanman , Zee Marathi Awards, Music awards, Shravan Queen and many more. I am hosting various shows currently in Abroad like the BMM convention in the U.S

Hosting is a parallel track; I am an actor first and want to be known as an actor and not a Celebrity. Celebrity craves for fame but an actor experiments with characters.

Coming to my likes and dislikes. I love watering my plants; I am a complete movie buff, I enjoying roaming in malls and love complementing people. I hate people who disobey traffic rules. At professional terms and other way I hate liars. I can be pleased very easily.

• You started as an RJ , tell us something about it?

 From a self conscious boy to becoming an RJ in a Marathi centric city like Pune. I have worked hard at all the stages of my life. The thing (My accent, voice) that people laughed at before now applauded me for the same. I believe your city does not matter only real talent does.

• What motivated you to be an Actor?

In Jr. K.G my report card said that I was an active student that was one kind of a motivating factor. Firstly I want to thank my dad as I mentioned earlier he had immense faith in my abilities. Secondly when I perform in front of a full packed auditorium and get applauds motivated me that people are liking my work and I can have a connect with people. Also according to me an actor can Live Thousand Life’s in that one life, that gave me a kick to be an actor.

• Tell us about your experience in playing a lead for a Marathi daily soap?

 Honestly it took me time to find myself while I was doing that daily soap. The serial was amazingly crafted and so was my character. I feel it is the writer and the director’s victory. When I saw my first article in the newspaper I was pretty normal with me. Nothing changed that much. My parents felt happy for me and showed their happiness in a very sweet way. My parents are very low profile. I got a lot of applauds from my audience and everyone likes it when their work is appreciated. The serial did very well and all of us got our due of recognition and love from our audience.

• Apart from Acting and compering what do you do in your pastime?

Apart from acting and compering I do a lot of things that make me happy like

1. Watching films of all genres
2. Attend film festivals
3. I read a lot. Have to read a newspaper everyday
4. I am foodie and love exploring places
5. Love home cooked food especially “Varan Bhaat” prepared by my wife
6. Love travelling

• Perks of choosing your career?

1. There are obviously a lot of advantages of being an actor like:-
2. Love from audience
3. Respect we and our family gets
4. A different kind of social acceptance
5. We get a lot to experiment with ourselves
6. Travel the world
7. Live 1000 lives in 1 life
8. Happiness and Satisfaction

• Challenges that you faced during your journey? How did you overcome them?

 The challenges and actor or a performer faces during his acting career is

1. Acting and the industry is an unstable field
2. No fixed working hours
3. It is not that glamorous as we all see it to be
4. A lot of fake people and fake promises are done
5. There are challenges at every step, it is up to you how you face it
6. Like for me my biggest challenge has been, when I was in my 8^th grade, I had a very typical accent due to which I was always low on confidence and over conscious all the time. I overcame that today. I observed people, read a lot and today people appreciate me for my work and know me for my acting and oratory skills.

• Tell us about your upcoming projects? Any plans to enter Bollywood?

Currently everything is at a planning stage. I obviously want to see myself someday in Bollywood and I know I will make it there someday. I have many shows lined up this year. I have recently taken my film “Mamachya Gavala Jauya” to Germany .I have 2 films to release this year in Marathi – Dhol Tashe with Me, Hrishita Bhatt and Jitendra Joshi. I am also working with Mahesh Manjrekar and Chandrkant Kulkarni for an untitled project.

• What was your 'Nothing is Impossible moment'?

My Nothing is Impossible moment was when I won the RJ hunt in Pune out of 1500 participants. That was the time I felt I had overcome my challenge of the accent. As winning and presenting in a Marathi centric like Pune, where everybody is so particular about the tonality and language was a great deal for me. Initially on what I was laughed at now I was applauded and appreciated for that. I believe in one thing it is not your city or town that matters, if you have the right talent in you then nobody can stop you from being successful.

• Lastly what advice would you give to the aspiring actors who want to make their mark in the field?

 To all the aspiring actors, I would only like to say that always be practical, have a back- up plan, complete your education, take proper training, be grounded and have faith and confidence in yourself.

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