How Jayshree Gadkar helped Vijay Chavan to weep without glycerine

Well-known Marathi film and theatre actor Vijay Chavan, 63, passed away on 24 August. The comedian managed to tickle audiences throughout his career with films like Zapatlela (1993), Pachhadlela (2004), Jatra (2006), Zapatlela 2 (2013) and Shreemant Damodar Pant (2013).

However, Chavan also played important roles in films such as Ashee Asavee Sasoo (1996), performing intense, emotional scenes. These, too, he mastered in his own unique way. 

Vijay Chavan (1955-2018) was much more than just a comedian

In an exclusive interview with Cinestaan.com, Bal Dhuri, veteran stage and film actor and husband of the late actress Jayshree Gadkar, recounted how she had helped Chavan for his role in Ashee Asavee Sasoo. Gadkar had directed the film and played the lead as well.

Throughout her career, Gadkar never needed glycerine to shoot emotional scenes. “Her speciality was that she never used glycerine in her 50-year career in scenes where she had to cry," Dhuri said. "She could cry any moment you asked her. If asked, she could even bring tears from her left or right eye only!” 

Chavan turned to Gadkar, whom he addressed as Vahini (sister-in-law), for help with the emotional scenes and the director-cum-actress readily agreed. “We used to stay in the same building," Dhuri said. "He used to ask her to recite his [emotional] dialogues and he would repeat them the same way. He said if she gets tears, he will too. He did all the emotional scenes this way.” 

The idea proved to be quite fruitful for Chavan. “He was honoured with the Zee Gaurav Award in 1997 for his performance,” added Dhuri.