Exclusive Interview with Salil Ankola

SPECIAL INTERVIEW

“I PLAY A CHARACTER IN NAAGMATI WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CHARACTER OF KATTAPPA IN BAAHUBALI”

SALIL ANKOLA tells JYOTHI VENKATESH

I go all the way to meet the immensely handsome and tall ex cricketer Salil Ankola after a very long time at Karjat on the sets of his latest fantasy film called Naagmati in which Mallika Sherawat is playing not just the leading lady but also a dual role as the princess. Sipping a cup of tea in the afternoon after the mahurat of the film was held in the presence of the owner of N.D Studios as well as the renowned art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai, Salil Ankola who was last seen sharing the screen with Vidyuit Jamwal in the film The Power, says that he is thankful to God because it is after a period of almost a year and a half that he is all set to face the camera as an actor for the film.

Salil is still in touch with Cricket since he says he is still wedded to the game. “I have always tried to strike the right balance between the game of cricket as well as acting in films and TV. I am also the selector of players for the Bombay Ranjeet Trophy right now, as the Chairman of the Senior Selection Committee of Mumbai Cricket Association. I just cannot forget the fact that it was cricket which fetched me roles in films as well as TV serials as an actor and I could start my second innings in right earnestness”

Talking about his role in Naagmati, Salil states that he plays a character called Somu who us very loyal to the queen like Kattappa was to the queen in Baahubali.’I have luckily watched both the sequels of Baahubali not just one or twice but several times because I liked the film and was quite fascinated by the takings of S.S.Rajamouli who had directed the film. I am glad that though I am just 53, I am able to play a 60 year old character in Naagmati. Frankly I was very apprehensive of taking up the role when the producer offered me the role but it was my wife who had studied in Pondicherry and hails from Allahabad who suggested that I should give the role a try. I am confident that I will be able to pull of my character in the film by injecting it with the right nuances required for the character.”

The last serial in which Salil says that he had acted in a character which was complex was in the serial Karmaphal Daata Shani in which he had essayed the character of Suryadev, which also was equally challenging for him as an actor. “In Shanidev, I had to wear costumes which weighed almost 35 kgs. Imagine that my mukut itself weighed around 6 kilos. My role as Somu is a very demanding role and I will do proper justice to the role. I have already pumped up my body by going to the gym in my own house during the pandemic at my house and working out strenuously every day.”

SALIL ANKOLA

Salil Ankola who had made his debut with Mahesh Manjrekar’s Hindi film Kurukshetra way back in 1999, confesses that he has been part of nearly 7000 episodes on TV and has in comparison very few films as an actor till date. Asked whether he feels that his right potential has not been tapped by film makers and whether his due not been given to him by the industry folks, Salil is very frank.”The reason I feel I have been sidetracked and not given my due is that I may have refused the right guys because I was far too preoccupied with my TV serials.”

I ask Salil to evaluate his growth as an actor over the last 22 years and he is quick to shoot back, “I feel that after 22 years of being in the industry, I have not really had a stupendous growth as an actor. In fact I feel that I am still very raw as an actor. I have still several more miles to tread as an actor, whether on TV or for that matter in films. What you really want to achieve in your life, does not necessarily always happen in one’s life always. Most pundits felt that I had the capability to do a lot for India, but unfortunately I had to call it a day at the age of 28, due to a sudden development of bone tumor in my left shin bone, owing to which I just could not run for two years”.

Talking about TV, Salil continues. “TV is quite different today from what it used to be not so long ago at one point of time. Today, I feel that it is the era of the web series. Since as far as TV is concerned, most of the actors are only working in terms of being a daily worker. It is a herd mentality which is prevalent as far as TV is concerned since we have become very regressive as far as making TV serials are concerned.

Not many are aware of the fact that Salil Ankola’s daughter has married cricketer Sandeep Patil’s son Chirag Patil. Chirag who had earlier acted in a Marathi film in the lead is now all set to be seen in the film 83 the release of which has been delayed due to pandemic for the last two years. The film 83 has been produced by Deepika Padukone and directed by Kabir Khan and scheduled for release next month in theatres all over the world. Salil is quite excited by the fact that the film 83 starring his son in law Chirag Patil is slated for release next month. “I have known Chirag right from the time he was as tall as my knee and I am proud that he is also a part of the amazing film on the winning of the World Cup by Kapil Dev”, signs off Salil Ankola.  

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