Milind Gunaji: "My character is very emotional in the film 'Love Karun Ya Shaadi'..." By   - Shantiswarup Tripathi

Actor, model, television anchor, writer, photographer, and poet Milind Gunaji has his own identity. Milind Gunaji entered the acting world in 1993 with the film 'Drohkaal' under the direction of Govind Nihalani. Till now he has acted in 280 films in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and South. He has also been seen in an important role in the Hollywood film Singularity. So, he has also done the web series 'Rudra' with Ajay Devgan on OTT. Has hosted a hundred episodes of travel show 'Bhatkanti' on Zee's Marathi channel. Milind Gunaji has served as the brand ambassador of the Government of Maharashtra for forests and wildlife. 15 of his books have been published. An album of poems is also on the market. Milind Gunaji of a very humble nature is acting in eight films these days. Recently met him at the trailer launch of director Jaiprakash Shaw's film 'Love Karun Ya Shaadi'.

Excerpts from the conversation with him on that occasion...

 

You are a mechanical engineer. Then how did you turn to acting?

- I was a sportsman. I played cricket and badminton at a very high level. My sports career ended due to an accident. Had a good personality. Modeling started at the request of friends. Well, there was no conflict in this matter. I got my photos done by Gautam Rajadhyaksha and then after two days, I got a modeling offer from DGM Shooting. Till that time Shekhar Kapur was his model. I was their exclusive brand ambassador for five years. Govind Nihalani saw me in an advertisement and made me an actor in his film 'Drohkaal'. Till that time I had never acted. So Govind Nihalani sent me to Satyadev Dubey for training. Taught myself a lot on the set. After ‘Drohkaal’ did ‘Papiha’. After that I got the serial 'Kurukshetra' and then Vikram Bhatt's film 'Fareb'. So this trend has continued till now.

How do you look back at your 32 years of acting career today?

• In these 32 years, I have acted in 280 films including Hindi, Marathi, and South India. These days I am doing eight films. So films keep coming to me continuously. Here, when the filmmaker comes to know that a particular artist is proficient, then when they need a good artist for a role, they call them and keep giving them the work. Due to my experience, my performance power has also increased.

What kind of character is yours in the film 'Love Karun Ya Shaadi'?

- To be clear, I have a cameo in this film by director Jai Prakash Shaw. I have already done some films with Jai Prakash Shaw. He makes very good films. Jai Prakash Shaw told me that there is no big role in this film, but the heroine's father has a good and important role, so I did it. In this film, I am playing the role of a tough-natured, positive-thinking army officer. Who is attached to his daughter and is also very emotional. So in this, along with a strict father, his love for his daughter will also be seen. But I am playing a very important role in Jai Prakash Shaw's next film "Market 2". More than half of its shooting has also been completed. When we are associated with a director, sometimes I play a big and sometimes a small role.

You also worked on OTT. People consider OTT as a game-changer. How do you see it?

- This is a very good platform for new people who want to showcase their talent. I have been a part of this industry for a long time, and during our struggling times, we did not have such a platform. But there are also artists like me who are working after a big gap, so OTT is a very good platform to get into that limelight again.

Is there any film that is closest to your heart?

- My first commercial film 'Fareb' will always be close to my heart. But if I have to choose one, 'God Mother' is one of the best films. In 'God Mother' I played the role of Shabana Azmi, who is one of the best actresses in Hindi cinema. He won the National Award for his brilliant performance in the film. I still remember the day when I congratulated him and he replied to me, 'Milind, it was your intensity that helped me play my role perfectly.'

It's been 32 years of acting...you never thought of directing?

- Requires a lot of time for instruction. The entire film has to be handled. From shooting to dubbing, editing, mixing, and presence is required in every department. I know everything about directing. I am seeing my son Abhishek working as a director. Apart from acting, I am doing many things. That's why I don't think I will be able to leave everything and devote my entire time to directing. That's why I've stayed away from directing.

What new are you doing now?

- Currently, I am shooting eight films. Now my classical film ‘Main’ will be screened first. In this, Amit Sadh is the hero and I am the main villain. Seema Vishwas and Tigmanshu Dhulia are also there. Apart from this, I am playing an important role in the film “UP Files”. I am doing K Sera Sera's courtroom drama film "Objection My Lord". Then I played a central role in a big Marathi film 'Raavan Koli' under the direction of my son Abhishek Gunaji. He makes great films. Jayprakash Shaw's 'Love Karun Ya Shaadi' and 'Market 2'. I am playing a very big and powerful character in 'Market 2'. There are two or three other films also.

Your son Abhishek already wanted to make a career in film direction?

- No...He is an IIT engineer. The interesting thing is that he has also been signed by a big production house as a hero. He learned direction accidentally. His two to three short films were quite successful. He also makes ad films.