Actor Jitu Shivhare is receiving rave reviews for his latest film ‘Urf Ghanta’ which was released on Shemaroo Me App earlier this month. Jitu is best known for his character of Gadha Prasad in the Indian sitcom ‘Chidiya Ghar’.
Here’s an excerpt from an interview with Jitu Shivhare:
Tell us about the film ‘Urf Ghanta’.
It is a fun, drama film. It showcases the journey of a common man named Ghanta. His actual name is Ghanteshwar Prasad, but people lovingly call him ‘Ghanta’. He is a very spiritual and cultured man.
You have written the film and acted in it as well. Which process do you enjoy the most- writing or acting?
I enjoy acting, a lot. But the characters I write can be found easily around us in real lives. So, I enjoy that too!
Did you take real-life incidents from your life and showcased them in the film ‘Urf Ghanta’ in a twisted manner?
Yes, that’s how I work. I pick incidents and characters from real life and portray them on screen. The audience can thus relate to the film in a better way!
How was your experience working with Ravi Kishan in the film?
He is a brilliant actor. He has a genre of his own. He is already the king of Bhojpuri industry. When I got a chance to work with him, I learned a lot. He is a big star and has his own aura. The interesting part is that he has played the role of God in the film.
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You have also worked in Television and films. Do you find any difference working on both platforms?
Yes, there’s a lot of difference. I am a television lover because I achieved everything in life due to TV. The thing is that Television reaches inside the houses of the audience. While cinema brings people out of their homes.
People involved in Television don’t have time because they have to entertain the audience on a daily basis. But in films, people have time to create good content. I am not saying that the content on TV is not good. But the daily task of writing, shooting, editing, telecasting requires a lot of patience and courage.
Which platform do you find most entertaining?
I find both platforms entertaining.
Do you agree that OTT has been a boon to the artists?
Yes. When I meet some senior actors, they say that they are many options nowadays, but, back in time, there was only one option, and it was cinema. And at that time, only a handful number of films were made every year. So, there was a lot of struggle and competition. Now we have a lot of options (Television, Cinema, OTT).
OTT has turned out to be a great platform for talented artists.
Whom do you follow in the industry?
I just know that a film might be good or bad, but a person makes it with a lot of hard work. So, I salute that hard work for each one of the artists and filmmakers.
I am blessed to have mentors like Pankaj Kapoor and Sanjay Mishra. I was a big fan of Kader Khan Saab, Mehmood Saab, Johnny Walker and Kishor Kumar.
You generally play the roles of a middle-class man. Do you find them easy or challenging to play?
It is interesting to play the issues faced by middle-class people on a daily basis. They are thrown most challenges in life. They do most drama. But they enjoy life the most.
It is easy to find stories from the middle-class lot. Even I am from a middle-class background, so I know that we find happiness in the smallest of things.
How did you begin your acting journey?
I hail from Agra, Uttar Pradesh. There’s not much scope of acting in Agra and I wanted to do it. So, I came to Mumbai and did theatre and a job. Slowly and gradually, I started getting work. The best thing is that I kept meeting good people at every step of my life.
My first project was with Balaji films. I am still connected to them. ‘Chidiya Ghar’ was also a part of that team.
Do you think that you were stereotyped with the role of ‘Gadha Prasad’?
Yes, it was a challenge for me. When the show came to an end, it was a big task for me to figure out what to do next! I got myself off the grid for a few days. I started taking workshops and worked on myself. After playing that character for a long time, I felt like ‘Gadha’ in real life too.
Why are you not active on social media?
I don’t like to show-off. I focus on working and finishing my work. Also, I don’t get enough time. But when my film came out, people suggested that I should be a bit active. So, I am doing that.
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