Sanjay Narvekar

Sanjay Narvekar is someone who is quite a prominent and well-known face in the Marathi film and theatre fraternity. He probably doesn’t need an introduction for those who watched his critically acclaimed performance in the highly successful cult classic, Vaastav, in which he played the role of Sanjay Dutt’s sidekick, Dedh Phutia. The movie above isn’t the only jewel in the much-seasoned actor’s crown, though, as you would find him delivering exemplary performances even in movies like Fiza (2000), Hungama (2003), Aga Bai Arecha (2004), Jodi No.1 (2001) and many more. His body of work isn’t limited to just movies; he  is a celebrated personality in the spectrum of Marathi theatre too, as his stoic acting ability has allowed him to build a great body of work and earn his name with plays like ‘All the best’, ‘Aadhanta’, ‘Aashi Pakhare Yeti ’ and ‘Locha Zale Re’. 

It would surprise a few that for someone who has been able to deliver solid performances in movies on a consistent basis since the beginning of his acting career; acting happened by mere chance and was not something he planned out as a career. A student at Mumbai’s Ruia College back then and known to be a keen cricket and football enthusiast, it was just by mere chance that he was asked by his close friend, who was involved in dramatics, to substitute for an actor who had dropped out. Sanjay readily agreed and his confidence in himself to perform without any prior practice impressed and rejuvenated everyone involved in the play. The play, ‘Koliya Raja’, went on to be awarded ‘Best Play’. He didn’t win an award for his performance, but it set the groundwork for his illustrious acting career. Since those days, Sanjay’s work has been recognized by various institutions and the Maharashtra Government, who have given him awards acknowledging his accomplishments over the years.