Sharad Kelkar recalls giving 30 retakes for a show as he 'used to stammer a lot': 'I was replaced'

Sharad Kelkar has recalled when he used to stammer, nearly two decades ago, and had asked the director of a show to replace him. He said initially the director was patient with him but after 30 retakes, asked Sharad if he was facing any problems.

Sharad Kelkar spoke about his first day on a film set in Mumbai when he waited almost an entire day for his shot. While the actor used to struggle with his stammer, he is now among the most sought after voice actors in the country, known for his impressive baritone.

In an interview with Indian Express, he said, "I used to stammer a lot, so modelling is fine, saying one line is fine because you do that after a lot of practice. But when it is about acting in a TV show or a film, it’s a different ballgame all together. I remember in 2003, I was signed for a Zee TV show. I wasn’t the lead but I was playing a very important character. One or two days passed by easily but on the fifth day, I got a huge one-and-a-half-page dialogue. Either I was speaking very fast, or there wasn’t clarity or I was stammering. My director was patient enough to give me 30 retakes. Ultimately, he called me and asked what’s the issue. I said I won’t be able to do it and he should take someone else. He also understood that I was being honest. Finally, I was replaced on this show."

On his first day on set, Sharad said, "Its location was at a studio in Mumbai. My character’s name was Arjun Kulkarni. He was a cop. I went on the set and fought for the clothes on the first day because they weren’t fitting me. I said this isn’t cop uniform. It should look sleek. I went on set at 9 am, and my first shot came next morning at 4 am. I was sitting whole day and whole of night with four other actors. It was a great learning experience that to achieve something, you have to be patient."

Sharad recently played the role of a military officer in Bhuj: The Pride of India. He also featured in Housefull 4, Tanhaji, Laxmii among other films. He marked his digital debut with the Amazon Prime web series The Family Man.