If you have to identify few actors in Marathi film industry for their simplicity, modesty and commitment, Tushar Dalvi is certainly one of the few names. Having been brought up in a middle class Maharashtrian family in Mumbai and having done his post graduation in management, anybody would have expected him to take up an executive job and settle down in a typical Mumbai lifestyle. But, Tushar Dalvi opted for ‘acting’ as a full time career, taking the required risk with self confidence.

Having been in this field now for a little more than ten years, he seems to have established himself as an actor on stage, TV and films, doing variety of roles. Even as an anchor for TV programmes in Hindi and Marathi, he has managed his job very well. Today, Tushar is in demand as an actor, whether it is in television serials or films. There are tailor made roles suited to his personality. Take for example the role of eldest son with slight grey shade in ‘Anolkhe Hey Ghar Majhe’ who revolts against his father’ then playing the conservative husband of Saraswati (Renuka Shahane) in ‘Rita’ and now playing the caring husband of Bhargavi Chirmule, in popular TV serial ‘Anubandh'; Tushar is visibly in limelight. MMW caught up with Tushar on the sets of ‘Anubandh’ in Mumbai. Excerpts from an interview :

Q: How were you attracted to this field of acting ?
A: During my college days, I used to take part in Inter-collegiate drama competitions and also performed at the state level meets. Those days , I was more into experimental plays and performed on stage as a hobby, besides managing my studies. But, when I was about to finish my post graduation in Management and was doing my project work with a foreign bank, I made up my mind to take up acting as my profession.

Q: Was there any kind of opposition to your decision from family ?
A: Yes, like any other sensible parents, they too didn’t like my decision. But, they were not totally opposed to it. After marriage, my wife Malavika, who is a chartered accountant, also
Tushar Dalvi
offered her moral support to my decision and with the grace of God, I didn’t have to struggle much. I am thankful to my parents and wife for endorsing my decision. It was like getting a rubber stamp of approval.

Q: Haven’t you been typecast as a regular choice of husband, in all those women centric serial or films ?
A: No, I don’t think so. May be those serials and films you are referring to, were women centric, but they always provided me enough of scope to perform my best. Take for example Mrs. Madhuri Dixit serial. At a particular stage, the viewers started identifying the serial as Mr. Madhuri Dixit.

Q: How do you look at the change that is observed in Marathi films during the past few years ?
A: It is the change for good. The traditional comedy has been taken over by strong script oriented films. ‘Shwaas’ has shown the way and since then even the audience taste has changed. Even technically, the films are far superior now. You can now compare them with any good Hindi film. One more advantage is with the entry of bigwigs in distribution circle. People like Subhash Ghai, Zee Network and iDream productions have come forward to distribute marathi films and this has helped a lot. At a particular point, few years ago there was a bad patch with hardly 25 – 30 marathi films produced in a year, but now, you find at least one or two films released every week.

Q: Do you observe new audience for Marathi films ?
A: Yes, with the multiplexes releasing the Marathi films, surely you will have audience from different segment. With English sub-titles, even the non-maharashtrian people are becoming a part of the audience. The films like ‘Mi Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy’ and some of the latest films in 2009 have proved it.

Q: Being a management graduate, are there any future plans to launch your own production ?
A: Every person in this field has that dream; but I don’t want to say anything at present. I did have some experience of managing production in the recent past; but to own my production, I think only time will decide. There are certain things in life, which are acquired at appropriate time and you have to wait for it.

Q: How much are you influenced by people around you in this profession ?
A: There are all sorts of people with whom I have interacted so far. Some of them are very good human beings and not so good actors. At the same time, there are very good actors who are not so good in real life. But, I always believed in learning good things from them, be it their acting skills while performing or their nice behaviour in real life.