Interview: Marathi actress Sanskruti Balgude wanted to become a choreographer

Sanskruti Balgude entered the acting arena through the television serial Pinjara at the tender age of 18. She hadn’t planned on becoming an actor, though. In fact, she was into dancing and was looking forward to becoming a choreographer. But, as they say, fate had something else in store for her. 

Balgude's pairing with actor Bhushan Pradhan was appreciated in the hit television serial Pinjara. Now, they will be seen together once again in Sakar Raut’s upcoming Marathi movie Shivya (which translates to abuses or cuss words). According to the title, it tells the story of a person who just can’t stop abusing. In an exclusive chat with Cinestaan.com, Balgude talks about Shivya, her character and how she landed into the acting world without a plan. 

What is Shivya about? Why such a title?

The film is about this guy Raghav (Bhushan Pradhan) who has a habit of constantly abusing. We are not preaching that it is wrong to use cuss words. Everybody does that. It is an expression of your anger. But his habit is beyond control, which gets him into trouble. It’s an out and out entertainer. It has romance, action and drama. It is not preachy. Nowhere in the film have we asked people not to abuse and emphasised that it is a bad habit. The film just shows that any habit in excess is bad. 

What character are you playing in the film?

The name of my character is Sharvari. She is Raghav’s girlfriend. Half of her time is spent handling Raghav as he is continuously showering abuses. Due to this, problems arise in their relationship. 

Do you or other characters abuse in the film?

We have used cuss words, but not as much as Bhushan’s character. My character mostly uses cuss words for Piyush dada (actor Piyush Ranade). I desired to give a lot more because it’s something interesting (laughs). Plus, people don’t expect girls to use cuss words. I don’t know why. 

Can you recall any memorable moment from the shoot?

There were some really funny moments. We shot the film in parts. Each schedule was enjoyable. We had invented a dictionary of special abuses that would be used in the film. But on one occasion, Bhushan gave an actual abuse and he was embarrassed. He apologised for it. 

You are trained in Bharatanatyam. How did you enter the field of acting?

I had never thought of going into acting. It was all luck by chance. I have learnt Bharatanatyam and I was also a part of a group of dancers. A lot of celebrities used to dance with us. I used to dance behind them as a supporting dancer. I was an assistant of the group who would teach the celebrities because I was a better dancer. One day I came to know of an opportunity for a 17-18 year old girl for lavani (traditional dance of Maharashtra). I knew lavani and I had just turned 18 then. I was that young. Plus, due to my skin tone I looked like a village girl. It worked wonders and I got my first break in the serial Pinjara. 

I never wanted to become an actor. I wanted to become a choreographer. I was more interested in dance. When I gave my first audition I felt I won’t be able to do it (acting). There is a lot of crying in serials. But now I know that I seriously want to pursue acting. 

Will you work in television serials even after achieving success in films?

I have no grudge against television. But you need to sacrifice a few things for television. I am not too interested in that medium right now. Touchwood, I have quite a few films lined up. So, I seriously have no time for television right now. However, if a very good project comes my way and I find it really interesting, I would really like to do it. This is more so if there are only 100-200 episodes. 

You will also be starring in Mahesh Manjrekar’s FU – Friendship Unlimited. What is the status of the film?

We finished shooting the film earlier this month. We had started shooting last May. The film is now releasing on 2 June. I have been really fortunate to have worked with such good directors. Mahesh Manjrekar is surely one of them. Actors are always eager to work with him. 

How much do awards matter to you?

I don’t think awards matter to me. My followers and the compliments I get matter a lot more. I don’t even know what goes behind these awards. But someone coming up to me every other day and telling me how good I am is much more than an award. This is what I feel an I speak only for myself; not anyone else. There are people to whom awards matter.