I don’t usually get acting offers: Nipun Dharmadhikari on web-series Once A Year

Nipun Dharmadhikari had a fine start to his filmmaking career with both Baapjanma (2017) and Dhappa (2018) getting appreciated. In between he did a cameo appearance in Akarsh Khurana's Hindi film Karwaan (2018). 

But now he has bagged the main protagonist's role in the Marathi web-series Once A Year. He is cast opposite Mrunmayee Godbole. The six-episode series has a creative concept of showing one day of a year of a couple’s story per episode.

He was approached by the director Mandar Kurundkar and writer Gaurav Patki once Godbole was already on board. They shot a pilot episode and a year later, began shooting the series. 

Once A Year trailer: A couple's journey is explored in novel fashion in this Marathi rom com

The format was one of the major reasons that Dharmadhikari was interested. “I have hardly seen such a format. Of course, we have seen a couple’s journey. But to see them [at] a different age in every episode is different. And it was a unique opportunity. I don’t usually get approached for acting. Plus, it was a quality product. It wasn’t made just for the heck of it. As Mrinmayee was also already on board, that added to the credibility,” he said during a chat with Cinestaan.com. 

Despite playing the male lead, Dharmadhikar doesn’t prefer being called the ‘hero’ of the series. “I call myself a protagonist instead of a hero because I don’t look like one from any angle,” he said. 

Once A Year is produced by Bharatiya Digital Party aka BhaDiPa, which is run by actor-director Sarang Sathaye, and Sixteen By Sixty Four Productions. Dharmadhikari has done a lot of stints for BhaDiPa where he plays himself. 

Dharmadhikari went through a bit of physical transformation to look much younger for the first episode. But to go through the emotional process was more challenging for him. “At the same time, the character Arihant is Marwadi. So, it was challenging to get some hang of that language. I also had to think about his relations with various people, including his sister, and go back 12 years and think from his point of view,” he said. 

When asked if now he would be more interested in acting, he said, “I always felt like doing something in it. But at the same time, I also know that I am not a face who can work regularly,” he added. “I just can’t be picked to play any character. There was to be something different in that character.” 

Dharmadhikari had a cameo in Karwaan as a co-worker of lead actor Dulquer Salmaan. Recalling that, he added, “Akarsh Khurana [the director] is such a good friend that he just asks me to join him for the shoot of some of his project for a day. I don’t say no to him. He has given me a chance to play the protagonist in his play, The Kite Runner. Even he did an appearance in my film Baapjanma.”