Had assumed Sandeep Modi wanted to meet for Chumbak's music: Swanand Kirkire on bagging lead role

After impressing with his lyrics, Swanand Kirkire is proving his mettle as an actor as well. In his latest film Chumbak (2018), directed by Sandeep Modi, Kirkire plays the lead character.

However, Kirkire was shocked when he was first offered the role.

“I had assumed the team wanted to meet me for it's music. But I was taken aback once I realized they wanted me to act, that too in a leading part, that too in one of the toughest parts I have heard! But hearing the script and the faith the team had, we dived into it all together — me, Sandeep, Saurabh [Bhave, writer] and Naren [Kumar, producer],” the lyricist-actor recalled in an official statement.

The film has Kirkire play Prasanna, a mentally challenged man, who goes on a journey of self-discovery with the help of a teenager (Sahil Jadhav).

Speaking about why he chose Kirkire for the role, Modi said, “Swanand Kirkire was the top choice for the part because he has the innocence of a child which Prasanna's character needs.”
 
Kirkire has another challenging role up his sleeves. He will be essaying the role of Kumar Gandharva, the real-life classical legend, in Mahesh Manjrekar’s biopic on Pu La Deshpande, titled Bhai: Vyakti Ki Valli?

Chumbak, presented by actor-producer Akshay Kumar, will be released on 27 July.