Man of many roles

There’s a rising star to look out for and you’ve probably seen him perform with the Bengaluru Theatre Ensemble in the play ‘Navya Kanyeyaru’ or host the 10-day Dasara celebrations held at the Kempegowda International Airport.

Sourabh Kulkarni dons several roles — that of an actor, anchor and director. He speaks to Anjali Acharya about the many hats he wears.

You have a music video releasing soon...

Yes, it’s a music video I directed with the team that I founded with my friends, ‘Nammane Productions’. It’s about Bengaluru’s traffic, and I’ve written the rap performed in the video as well. Many Sandalwood celebrities make cameos in the video. I collaborated with Radio City for this project, and the song will be launched this week by the city’s traffic commissioner.

How did you enter the theatre and acting scene?

My dad Sanjeev Kulkarni is a theatre artiste and anchor, so maybe it’s in my blood or because I grew up seeing shoots happen, but he was the one who inspired me to act. Although I have been acting since I was in second standard, I became well-known through the serial ‘Guru Raghavendra Vaibhava’, in which I had played the role of Sri Raghavendra Swamy.

I was in 8th standard at the time and I was on screen for more than 60 episodes. People recognised me wherever I went and they approached me for photos and autographs! That was an amazing time for me.

Tell us something about anchoring.

I’ve been anchoring shows and events for almost 10 years. This was thanks to ‘Sambhrama Sourabha’, an organisation founded by my dad, which presented many of these opportunities to me. I’ve hosted many government-sponsored shows, like the 10-day Dasara festival held at the Kempegowda International Airport. I’ve anchored with Kannada celebrities like Shivarajkumar and Ramesh Aravind, which was amazing.

What has been your most memorable performance?

It’s definitely the experience I had with the reputed theatre group ‘Prabhat        Kalavidaru’. We went abroad last November and even performed the ballet ‘Dharmabhoomi’ at a SAARC meeting in Delhi. Before this, I had mostly played small supporting roles, but I was the lead in this play.

If you had to choose any other profession, what would it be?

I enjoy all 3 — acting, anchoring and directing — but my main focus is on acting.

As a student, how do you juggle college and your career?

This is actually the toughest part! It’s not easy to manage both. When I was in pre-university, I was an active organiser of events. Now, I don’t participate in many activities in college because my career lies outside of it.

What can we find you doing when you’re not acting?

I play the tabla, and I also really like watching movies! My favourite movie is ‘3 Idiots’, because it was an inspiring movie that gave out the message of following one’s passion and not just blindly running behind success.

Your future plans...

I want to make it big as an actor/director who is well-known for his work. There’s a current trend in the Sandalwood industry where a lot of stars are anchoring TV shows. While I’m an anchor also, I don’t want to be known as one. I’d rather be known as an actor.

What’s your dream role?

I'd love to be a hero in a movie or a serial!