My passion is to do meaningful cinema, says Tanesh Somvansh..

Cinema as a medium has always fascinated Tanesh Somvansh as this finest medium provides a link to his passion for acting. With an aim to be like a painters muse, he wants portray the vision of his director with complete honesty and dedication. Tanesh whose role model is Naseeruddin Shah, feels that his ability to understand the script, the director and his needs will help him reach where his role mentor is known for - methodical acting. With Khunnas all set to release soon, he tells Soham, Editor - Films & TV World that his passion is to do meaningful cinema.

Films & TV World: Please tell us something about yourself?

Tanesh Somvansh: Cinema as a medium always fascinated me right since from my childhood and I was keen to adapt the day to day life and its happenings through acts. I feel, cinema provides a link to my passion for acting. I relish the challenge of starting with a blank canvas and creating a scene and atmosphere through my performances. My sole aim is to be like a painter muse who is able to portray the vision of the director in a realistic way on the canvas of film. My ability to understand the script, the director and his needs helps me to perform with complete honesty and dedication. In addition, my strong theater background makes me a very resourceful and disciplined actor.

F&TV World: When did you decide that you wanna make a career out of it? Were your parents supportive of your decision or was it an uphill task?

Tanesh: During my school days, I used to participate in all sorts of extra curricular activities and I used to top them. It was during that time I was put on stage for my school plays. The characters that I portrayed stood out and everyone kept applauding me. It was during this sojourn that I understood where my future lay and what I wanted to become or wanted to carve a career in. I was lucky enough to have parents and brothers who understood my passion and helped me nurturing it. But my dad like any other father concerned for his kid’s life and career wanted me to put my education first in place before I embarked on a passionate journey in the field of acting. He was keen that I complete atleast my Graduation, which I did in the Science stream before enrolling for a professional acting course from Whistling Woods and donning the hat of an actor and getting into the shoes of my fellow actors.

F&TV World: How has your journey been so far?

Tanesh: The journey so far has been good. I have debuted as a Lead Actor in a Marathi film “Khunnas” which is awaiting release. Directed by Rohan Shiwalkar, it is sure to give my career a dimension. Meanwhile I have also assisted as an AD to Jeevak Muntode on a corporate video as well acted in it. Apart from this have done a short film ‘Antardwand’ made for the Astitva Foundation and another unnamed project based on the real life story of a mentally challenged persons.

On the theatre front, I have performed as the lead actor in “Toba Tek Singh” in a semester-long theater project based on a story by Saadat Hasan Manto giving performances on campus and for theater festivals. Have performed in several Marathi plays like “Varhad Aalay London Hun”, “Pratiksha”, “Katha Dinuchya Mrutyupatrachi”, “Flying Lovers”, “Pyada”, “Indrakallol” as well done Hindi Theater with plays like “Ghasiram Kotwal”, “Ekshaf”, “Tughlaq”, “Toba Tek Singh” during my stint with Whistling Woods.

F&TV World: Since you are debuting just now on screen, do you feel you deserve an award?

Tanesh: Well, this is a commercial film. Its not new wave or the kinda art cinema that goes in for an award - saying this I don’t mean that commercial films don’t deserve awards. Like Dabanngg for instance. Who knew it would win National Awards. As for me, awards are just recognition and motivation to perform better, if not the best. Yeah, im just starting off but that doesn’t mean that one cannot win an award earlier. I have won the Best Actor award in Jallosh competition for the play ‘Indrakallol’ (2004-05), the Best Director award for a play “Katha Dinuchya Mrityupatrachi” again in Jallosh Competition (2005-06). One of my Patha Natak (Street Play) received an award at the Maharashtra State Level Competition held in Nasik (2004-05). The script was written by me. I also received the Star Student Award for the Horse Riding Camp at Japalouppe Academy in Talegaon (2008). But none of these have gone to my head. I believe in having my foot firmly entrenched to the ground so that when the time comes, I should be able to shoot off like a rocket for the world to see.

F&TV World: What do you think of today’s' trends in an “Actor's area of work”

Tanesh: This area has vastly grown nowadays. Actors can now experiment a lot. The parallel cinema and commercial cinema is blending together.

F&TV World: Who are your inspiration / role models?

Tanesh: From Art house cinema, its my Guru Mr. Naseeruddin shah, followed by Daniel day Lewis, Dustin Hoffman, Marlin Brando, Mohanlal, Mamooty, Prakash Raj, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ashok Saraf and the legendary Uttam Kumar. From Commercial cinema, it has to be Brad Pitt, Akshay kumar, Amitabh bachchan, John Abraham, all the Khans, Siddharth and Rajanikant sir.

F&TV World: What are your best skills? What is your major weakness?

Tanesh: My strengths are varied. I am skilled in Acting, Dance, Horse riding, Mallakhamb, Painting and Writing, but I am yet to give it my best shot and I am swiftly moving towards it. I wana be like a sponge to absorb all these skills to go towards becoming or being near to the best, but yet I am not. My biggest weakness is I am always in a hurry. 

F&TV World: Do you feel being an actor is a highly competitive field?

Tanesh: Sort of yes. The competition is with yourself because when you portray different characters you have to become one. There lies the competition of becoming the character.

F&TV World: Tell us more about your typical day when you are not shooting / or not auditioning?

Tanesh: Activities include Gymming, Yoga, Mallakhamb, Dance and reading novels or plays.

F&TV World: What's been your most memorable moment, as an actor, so far?

Tanesh: My first meeting with my guru Naseeruddin Shah is firmly etched in my memory. Nothing can erase it nor can outlive the joy of meeting my mentor. Apart from this, my very first day of shoot for a commercial film in Marathi titled “Khunnass” has been a memorable journey till now.

F&TV World: What's harder - pretending to be normal or pretending to be an actor?

Tanesh: I don’t pretend. Acting for me is not “Acting” but reacting and I think reacting is a very normal thing for a living being.

F&TV World: If you didn't become an actor, what everyday occupation would you have liked?

Tanesh: I am born to be an Actor and nothing else.        

F&TV World: One thing that you would like to change from your past

Tanesh: Frankly speaking - Nothing - because whatever or however I am today I am because of my past.

F&TV World: What vehicle would you like to buy after you hit it big or got that first big ‘paycheck’?

Tanesh: Rolls Royce and Enfield Bullet and a Horse as well… hahaha

F&TV World: What’s in your personal DVD collection? What is your favourite movie?

Tanesh: I have big collection of Hindi, English, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali films.

F&TV World: If you could be any video game character, who would you be and why?

Tanesh: Actually any coz everyone loves to play video game. But on a personal front I would like to be like “Kratos” - The gaming hero to live in a world influenced by Greek mythology. Kratos is the typical testosterone-fueled He-Man that modern entertainment has too much of. He has that tragic aura of mystery about him, but most of the time he's too busy tearing the wings off harpies and eviscerating minotaurs for any of that to matter.

F&TV World: What’s harder: College/ High school dating or dating now as a celeb?

Tanesh: Actually you should give me tips on this coz I am single and was single back then during my college and high school days. 

F&TV World: What are your favorite holiday spot / food / gadget?

Tanesh: My Favourite Holiday spot is actually my moms lap whenever I go home to Nasik. Whenever I am feeling lonely or feeling down the hill, that’s the best place that comforts me when I go and just rest my head in her lap - that feeling is different and I feel top of the world then, with all my worries thrown off to the wind.

Favourite Food: Indian vegetarian food, especially puranpoli and modaks are my most favourites.

Favourite Gadget: Mobile and Lappy.

F&TV World: Last book you read? Last movie you have seen?

Tanesh: Last book that I read was “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand. The Last movie I saw was “Annamalai” on my laptop.

F&TV World: Tell us one thing about yourself that no one knows?

Tanesh: There is as such nothing that no one knows coz everyone knows something or the other about me. So in a way, when u pool in all my friends and my close ones, you will find that there is nothing that no one knows about me.