Atul Kulkarni reminisces

KOLLYWOOD IS MORE PASSIONATE: ATUL

He reminisces about how he landed his first film offer in the city

Srinivasa Ramanujam

He's known as a versatile character artist. After a serious role in Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram, he played a goonda in the commercial flick Run. For Atul Kulkarni, roles that offer variety are a must. Currently in the city to shoot for Vallinam, in which he plays a basketball coach, the actor says that it is Tamil cinema that actually kickstarted his tryst with the camera. "I was staging my play on Gandhi when I got a call from the unit of Hey Ram," he recalls, "I wasn't too keen as I thought they'd offer me the role of Gandhi in the film. I almost said no to the film." But one day, he received a call from the unit and he was put on wait. "After a few moments, I heard the single most important sentence of my life. The person said, 'Namaste. This is Kamal Haasan here.' We spoke for a while and then I came down to the city for a look test and read the script and well… I was in!" The actor gets nostalgic when you ask him about Chennai. "I share a great link with the city as I shot for a lot of films here," he adds, "This time, I feel it a lot more as it's been quite some time since I came here." Prod Atul about shooting for Arivazhagan's Vallinam that has Nakul in the lead and he says, "It's an interesting role and the film's a sports subject that explains the importance of discipline in sports."
So, what's the basis in which he selects any role? "Well, it's got to be the script; if the story excites me, it will excite audiences too for sure. And, I also see how different it is from what I'm doing then," he says.
He's fascinated by the work culture present in Kollywood and speaks highly of it. "The people working on a film — the assistant directors, everyone — are so passionate about it. It's almost like films are in their blood and they want to make a mark in it. This kind of passion isn't present in Hindi or Maharasthrian cinema," he feels.
Atul is now exploring the possibilities in cinema. "I wouldn't rule out the possibility of getting into direction someday," he ends.
INTERNATIONAL TOUCH TOO
Atul Kulkarni is looking forward to the release of Singularity, his first English flick that stars Josh Harnett in the lead. "I play a Maharaja called Raoji," he says, "Working on an international production was an enriching experience; I learnt a lot from their working methods."

Atul Kulkarni