Actor Atul Kulkarni’s last release A Thursday co-starring Yami Gautam Dhar and Neha Dhupia won him critical acclaim for his sensitive portrayal of a police officer. As he gears up for the world television premiere of the thriller directed by Behzad Khambata on July 24 on Star Gold, he hopes it will reach out to a larger audience.
While streaming platforms have taken over, Kulkarni feels that TV continues to enjoy a massive viewership. He elaborates, “I believe that when your work comes on TV, we can penetrate into middle-class households. I am really excited as the viewers who aren’t on OTT platforms but have a TV set will now have a chance to watch A Thursday at their homes.”
According to Kulkarni, it’s imperative that “an important film like A Thursday” reaches people across all strata of the society. “It’s a very well made film and even after six months since its release, I get messages from people on social media that they’ve rewatched it and have recommended it to others. It has managed to touch the hearts of so many people,” he adds.
The reviews on social media has been particularly great, reveals the 56-year-old. He shares, “People on social media put up video reviews today unlike the old times when the common man didn’t have the scope of writing their own feedback and sharing them with the world. There’s always a possibility of learning something from them. Their opinions truly matter to me.”
His next release is the Aamir Khan starrer Laal Singh Chaddha, an official remake of Forrest Gump (1994). Kulkarni has donned the hat of a writer as he has adapted the Hindi film from the original screenplay. Ask him about it and he succinctly says, “It was a great experience to adapt it from a classic.”
So, does he plan on turning a professional script writer in the near future? “Laal Singh Chaddha is the first film that I have written but I keep writing across platforms, be it social media or newspapers. I don’t call myself a writer but an expresser. Whenever I feel like expressing myself, I write. That’s what I’ve been doing and I’ll keep on doing that. I’m not a professional writer and don’t write on demand or out of compulsion. I don’t know when I’ll write my next film,” Kulkarni signs off.
