Marathi actors go bald for their roles

We have seen many Bollywood and Hollywood actors getting their heads tonsured to get into the skin of their onscreen characters. The trend seems to be catching up in the Marathi industry as well. Although there are only a handful of such examples at the moment, Marathi actors too are seen pushing themselves to get as close as possible to their onscreen roles by going bald. We bring you some of the actors who have dared to go bald for their roles.

Jitendra JoshiJitendra will be seen in a negative role in Shreyas Talpade’s superhero film 'Baji'. To fit his cringeworthy and menacing appearance in the film, Jitendra had to get his head tonsured. The actor said, “After discussing about how to make my character look different in the first and second half (as required by the script) we came up with this idea. Apart from being bald, I am shown to have a thick moustache and robust body.” Jitendra, who also went bald for his 2012 film on Sant Tukaram, added, “I have no qualms about shaving my head for a role if it is worth it.” Director Nikhil Mahajan said, “We received a very good response after we revealed Jitendra’s look online. People have also been trying to ape his look.”

Subodh Bhave
Subodh Bhave recently went bald to portray Bal Gangadhar Tilak in the movie 'Lokmanya — Ek Yugpurush'. Subodh, who was seen flaunting his tonsured look even during the promotions, said, “The script required me to shave my head and I did not want to compromise when it came to emulating Tilak as I wanted to look as authentic as possible.” Subodh used a wig to shoot his other two films 'A Rainy Day' and 'Malak', alongside Lokmanya. Talking about how Marathi actors don’t mind putting that extra effort, he added, “The variety in the roles being offered today is motivating actors to take up such challenges. The onscreen character of an actor always governs his look in real life.”

Chinmay Mandlekar
Actor Chinmay Mandlekar, who essays Sant Tukaram in the TV serial 'Tu Mazha Sangati', got his head shaved a month back for an episode. Chinmay said, “I am shown to shave my head after my father passes away in the serial. Right at the beginning, the makers intimated me that the script required me to go bald at a specific point, so I was ready for it. Directors today insist on being realistic, which is a good thing as it adds authenticity.” For the ongoing shows of his play Mr & Mrs, where the actor sports a thick crop, Chinmay uses a wig. He added, “I got a wig made which I am currently using for my other assignments.”

Sachin Khedekar
Mahesh Manjrekar’s superhit period film 'Kaksparsh', based on a Chitpavan Brahmin family, saw multiple actors go bald as the script dealt with the portrayal of rigid customs followed. “I insisted that the cast should shave their heads and avoid wearing prosthetic bald patches to ensure a natural look,” Manjrekar said.

Tanuja
It’s not only the men who are daring enough to shave their heads for a character; women in the industry too have taken this bold step. In the past, we saw Bollywood actress Tanuja tonsure her head to play a widow in actor-turned-director Nitish Bharadwaj’s directorial venture 'Pitruroon' (2013). Tanuja said, “I told Nitish that my character would look very convincing and authentic if I shaved my head and it would add a new dimension to my role.”

Savita Malpekar
Even actor Savita Malpekar went bald to essay a widow in 'Kaksparsh' (2012).