Features

PRIYA & LAXMIKANT BERDE

Switching roles
For on-Spotlight funny man Laxmikant Berde and his actress-wife Priya, turning producers with Lakshatlya Goshthi was a drastic change from their jobs as actors until then. Although Priya plays the official producer, her responsibilities as a housewife do not allow her enough time to take on any active responsibilities, thus leaving her better-half Laxmikant with this additional duty. Nursing her two-month-baby Swanandi in her arms, and pointing in the direction of her husband, Priya says “I’m only his student, right now. I have yet to learn the ropes of the trade, and shall involve myself actively once my kids are a little older.”

Laxmikant, therefore, without much complain, takes charge of Abhinay Arts, their production house which has been named after the couple’s three-year-old son. Best identified as one-man comic strength in so many serials and films, both Hindi and Marathi, Laxmikant is eager to talk about his show, Lakshatilya Goshthi. 20 episodes of the show have already been aired on the Tara Channel every Thursday at 8.30 pm. Based on short stories by some of eminent Marathi writers (including Jaywant Dalvi, SN Navre and Bappu Kale, to name a few), the serial has Berde himself enacting different roles each time.

Positive reactions from the audience have urged the producer couple into requesting for an extension for their show, which initially was allotted only 28 episodes. Berde, who plans to shoot in Kohlapur next, explains that “Until now, I shot all over Mumbai, but since old stories have a different flavour, I want to present them authentically.”

For an actor who realised his passion for acting by participating in the Konkanast Samaj Ganesh festival in Girgaum during his early days, and after winning prizes in school and at inter-collegiate plays, Berde gradually became the pet artiste of the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh. “Stage was a learning process for me. When I travelled all over, I had the opportunity to read the pulse of the audience,” he says. What he learned during these jaunts, he says, is that “laughter was different everywhere.” For a single situation, people from different places react differently, he adds, revealing that on this very basis he has worked on his roles. His struggle, incidentally, materialised only in 1983, when he found success and acclaim with his brother Purshottam Berde’s play Turtur, and subsequently with Prakash Budhisagar’s Shantecha Kaartha Chaalu Aahe.

Luckily for him, there was no looking back since. Offers to act in Marathi films came pouring in, and Berde only strengthened his popularity with parts in such movies as Dhumdhadaka, Lekh Chaalali Sasarla, Dedhanadan, Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi, Hamal De Dhamal, Chalre Lakshya Mumbaila and Thartharat amongst others. A chance meeting with Sooraj Barjatya helped him land his first Hindi film role in Maine Pyar Kiya, and he followed that up with interesting parts in Beta, Saajan, 100 Days and Hum Aapke Hain Koun among others. In the mega-hit Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Barjatya also cast Priya, interestingly.
For the moment, however, Priya says her career as an actress has taken a back seat even as she spends most of her time with her children.

Nevertheless, it is difficult to ignore her body of work, which started way back when she first appeared on Spotlight as a child artiste. Daughter of director Arun Karnataki, her other illustrious relatives include film-maker V Shantaram, and aunts Nanda, Maya Jadhav and Jayshree T. Although essentially a dancer, Priya says it was almost natural for her to become an actress courtesy her roots in this industry. As a heroine, she made her bow in the Marathi film, Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi, and then went on to feature in almost 45 films including such Hindi potboilers as Beta, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Anadi and Deedar. She was also seen on the small Spotlight in Marathi serials like Ek Shunya Shumya, Gavakadhchi Goshth, Awaaz, Mala Kahi Sagayacha Ahe and the Hindi serial Padosan. Cast together, the couple have acted in about 40 films.

Berde, for his part, has his hands full. He recently completed 75 shows of his Marathi play, Lavangi Mirchi Kolhapurchi and finished work on his forthcoming Hindi films, Hum Aapke Hain Sanam, Beti No 1 and Kirti Kumar’s untitled venture. Meanwhile, Baiko Chukli Standwar and Dekhni Baiko... are his two Marathi films awaiting release.

For this comedian, venturing into production was a major decision and now that he has his fingers in the pie, he claims he’s thoroughly enjoying it. There are plans for a telefilm too. Direction, however, “is a far away dream,” he concludes.

Namita Nivas

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