Shekhar Suman says his debut film Utsav was ahead of its time, wants re-release

Shekhar Suman revisited the films that shaped his career and said Utsav was ahead of its time. He also explained why he has now launched a film academy with a modern, experience-led approach to acting.

In Short

• Shekhar Suman said his first film Utsav was ahead of its time
• He recalled pressure on Utsav's first day as Shashi Kapoor backed him
• Suman said that praise from Rekha strengthened his confidence on set

Shekhar Suman revisited the films that shaped his career and explained why his debut film Utsav remains ahead of its time. In an exclusive conversation, the actor also shared why he has decided to start a film academy.

Speaking to India Today about roles that changed his life, Suman said, "My first film, Utsav, was so different from the way I am, and that character was very different. Anubhav was another film that I did with Padmini (Kolhapure). That was also vastly different from the way I am. Then I have a film called Chor Machaaye Shor that I did — I had nine roles in that."

"I’ve just done Prakash Raj’s film Janadesh, which is very nice. I’ve also done a film called Reporting Life, which is based on the sand mafia. Extremely good roles. So yeah, it’s changed me completely. And when I was on the sets, I could feel the vibe that this is going to turn out to be something memorable," he added.

Calling the Shashi Kapoor-produced 1984 release Utsav a film ahead of its time, Suman believes it would resonate strongly with today’s audience.

He said, "Aaj hi release hone chahiye (It should re-release today). It was way ahead of its time. And today, I think people would have really appreciated that—the kind of music, costumes, cinematography, and jo mahal banaya tha (the palace that was built), which was so beautiful. So, so beautiful. Rekha looked like a billion bucks."

The actor also recalled his early days on set and the pressure of working with stalwarts: "I have very fond memories. I remember the first shot, the first day of the shooting, and I was like, there’s so much on my head, and so much Shashi Kapoor ji had betted on me."

"I hoped I wouldn’t let him down; that was driving me nuts at that time. But thanks to my theatre background, I could hold on. I did not let my confidence wither away. And then I remember Rekha ji praising me a lot, and Girish Karnad, Shashi Kapoor — 'it’s extremely well done, and you’re a fantastic actor' — and all of that just stayed with me," Suman added.

Sharing a personal memory of seeing Rekha before working with her, Suman said the moment stayed with him. He said, "She was so nice, and I never felt like I was working with someone I had admired over the years as a kid."

"I remember once I had come to Bombay, and I was taken to a shooting. She was shooting with Mr. Shatrughan Sinha, and I was standing in the crowd, just looking at her like that. I was like, 'Oh my God, that’s Rekha, that’s fantastic'. Little did I know that, three-four years later, I would be working with her," the actor added.

"I was enamoured by her, absolutely. Not intimidated, but yes, definitely in awe of her. She’s extremely dedicated and a powerful performer. When she’s in a scene, you feel that the character has come alive," the actor added.

With re-releases becoming a trend, Suman feels Utsav deserves another chance with audiences. He said, "Yes, they should re-release that film. And I wonder—because it was shot in two versions, in English and Hindi—where’s the English version gone? No one knows. It was not released in English. But you know, those films are very rare."

"And it was thanks to people like Shashi Kapoor, who’s a great producer, who believed in a newcomer like me. They talk about nepotism—imagine, he just picked me up from nowhere." the actor went on.

"Within about two weeks, I had just come to Bombay, and after two months, I was shooting with (him). It’s unimaginable for a newcomer to come and land such a role. But such is destiny," Suman added.

Opening up about his film academy, Suman revealed why he decided to start it now. "Time for everything. And the time decides— we don’t decide the time. So, it’s destiny. Whenever it is supposed to happen, it will only happen at a given period of time," he went on.

"I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but things fell into place now. And though I am busier than ever, this is the time I thought, if I don’t do it now, I won’t be able to do it. And I had to do it." the actor said.

"I mean, this has actually been weighing upon my conscience. Why have I not done it for so long? So now, it’s just the right time. Anytime that you begin, it’s the right time," Suman added.

The actor emphasised that the academy would focus on a modern, experience-driven approach to acting.

He said, "Well, it’s something that probably cannot be put into words till you come here and experience it. But yes, definitely a very new sort of holistic approach, but a very modern approach towards acting, of course, keeping in view some elements of the traditional way things were taught."

"But I want to teach them, if it can be called teaching acting, which I don’t adhere to, I can awaken that latent talent. I think if you have the potential, I can make it better," Suman added.

"You can hone your skills. But if you’re a non-actor, you can never become an actor. And I won’t promise you that. And I will only take actors who have the potential in them, where I can see that this actor can be groomed. Only those would be admitted. So yeah, there are a lot of things—I’m completely moving away from theoretical things," the actor said.

Suman had earlier revealed to India Today about turning down the role of Chunni Babu in Devdas. He said working with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Heeramandi later made up for the regret and introduced him to younger viewers.

Heeramandi is a Netflix series set in the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore during the Indian independence movement. The 2024 show features Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh and others in key roles.

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