Amazon Mini TV Series Slum Golf: Sharad Kelkar will be seen in the role of golf trainer Gautam Rane

‘Slum Golf’ is the story of a slum boy becoming a pro golfer. This series based on golf has been written by Sharad Kelkar and Pratyusha, who are playing the role of golf trainers in the film. The film has been directed by two-time National Award winner Suzanne. Apart from Sharad Kelkar, the film also stars Mayur More and Arjan Aujla. This series has been released on Amazon Mini TV on 22 November. Let us know about this series from its writer and actor Sharad Kelkar...

If you want to share some memories of Mayapuri Magazine?

There are many memories associated with this magazine. At that time this was the only magazine we could afford. The best thing was that it came in Hindi, the other magazines came in English and we did not know how to read English. There were pictures of all the big actors in it, so we used to cut those pictures and put them on the walls. This was the only magazine that reached every door. I am fortunate that today I am giving an interview to Mayapuri.

In this series, you are playing the role of a golf trainer who helps Mayur's character progress in the field of golf, tell us something about it.

A slum boy is a caddy who wants to become a pro golf player. It is very difficult to become a pro golfer but that boy dreams of it. The name of my character in this series is Gautam Rane who has many problems in his personal life due to which he is struggling. He has now returned to teach in a club. There he meets a boy named Pawan Nagre, who is a boy from a slum. Gautam Rane has to prepare Pawan Nagre to play and at the same time, he also has to handle his emotional baggage so that Pawan Nagre can become a pro golfer. This is a complicated story. Every character has his own story and his own problems. Every character has its own layers. This character was very interesting for me and I enjoyed doing it a lot.

You have played different characters on television, you have also worked in films and now you are doing this show on the OTT platform. What did you find special about this series that made you do this?

Golf is just a medium, this is the story of all of us. We are all small towns, we all come with a dream. There are many problems in the journey to fulfill that dream, sometimes it happens that you lose but you get up again and move forward, and fight, this is the story of all of us. There is a Pawan Nagre inside all of us who want to achieve something big in life. We all can connect with what happens in the life of Pawan Nagre's character. I can connect with him as Sharad Kelkar and I can connect with him as the character of Gautam Rane. Many people come in front of me who want to achieve something and ask for my advice, and when this happens, I can see myself in them I too was once like that. We achieve our goals and also help the people around us to make their dreams come true. This story is about the same journey that problems are coming in everyone's life and everyone is searching for solutions to their problems.

 Maybe that's why you said in an interview that this character is very close to your heart.

Yes, because we all need a Pawan Nagre and Gautam Rane in our lives. This is very important to learn something and to teach something.

This story is inspired by a real story, tell us something about it.

Mr. Mane who is a golfer today. He used to work as a caddy. A caddy is someone who carries the golfer's bag, helps the golfer, and sometimes even gives suggestions. This is a job that the children of the slum around Chembur Club used to do, so Mr. Mane also did the same, he dreamed of becoming a pro golfer and later he became a pro golfer. His story has been shown in this series. If any person has a desire to become something then he will definitely watch this show.

As you are talking about challenges in your journey, your journey has also been from TV to films and then to OTT, so you too must have faced many difficulties, you would like to tell something about it?

There are many difficulties. People think that the other person's life is going very well, he does great work and travels around in a big car, but no one knows what he did during the intervening 15-18 years. How much he struggled, how many problems he faced. This happens in everyone's life. When I switched from TV to films, I was living only on credit cards for a few months because there was no money, I have also seen such a phase. Even professionally, you get rejections in many places, I have also seen that, even today I face rejections, it is not that rejections do not happen today. This is a process, enjoy this process, and life will become easier. Many people call it a struggle, but it is not a struggle at all, it is a process. I think everyone should enjoy this process because it teaches you about your future.

Do you have any dream role that you still want to do?

If I don't like a role, I don't do it 95% of the time. That's why every role that I do is a dream role for me. I do every role as per my choice and if I don't like it then I don't do it.

According to you, what is the special thing about this project?

The most special thing is its story which Pratyusha and I have written. It is a very inspirational story. The story has been shown in a very straightforward manner so that people can understand it. For the first time, golf is being shown to people on television, so people will also know about it. Our director Suzanne is a National Award winner, her other film ‘Sham chi’ has just come out. Our DOP Vijay Mishra has shot the series very beautifully. When you watch, every frame will seem magical. Its entire star cast is very talented, everyone has done a very good job. Normally there are no songs in the series but this one has songs, and they are also very good. You will also get to hear rap in this. The best thing is that it is free, you can watch it on Amazon Mini TV which is on the Amazon Shopping app, and it is also on Amazon Prime Video. This series ‘Slum Golf’ is being launched on Amazon Mini TV on 22nd November.

Would you like to tell us something about your upcoming projects?

Have done a lot of work. Worked in a Tamil film 'Elaan' which will be released on 12th January. This is a big project and my Tamil debut. The film stars Sivakarthikeyan and Rakul Preet Singh. After that ‘Indian Police Force’ will be released again on Amazon Prime Video.