Young boy Venkatesh Pande, who was previously part of DID Li’l Masters, made his debut as a protagonist in Zee TV’s latest offering Kashibai Bajirao Ballal. The actor is essaying the role of Bajirao Ballal. In conversation with IWMBuzz.com, he spoke about his character, preparations and more.
Talking about your character and show, he said, “I play the role of Bajirao Ballal, who was a child prodigy and one of the greatest Maratha warriors to have led the powerful empire. Apart from enthralling everyone with stories of his impressive warcraft, the show brings alive Bajirao’s personality with all its valor, maturity and patriotism. While I have heard and read a lot about Kashibai and Bajirao, there is so much more that I get to learn everyday through the show and my character.”
When asked about his preparation for the role, he added, “Before we started shooting, I had been training for this show. I had to gain weight for my part and hence, I started working out. I even learnt a few skills which are important for Bajirao’s character like Talwar-Bazi, Lathi-kathi. I also had to learn how to use different kinds of weapons as I had to perform action sequences in the show. I even learned horse-riding, which has been the most memorable experience for me till now. I loved the movie – Bajirao Mastani, so I watched it again and observed how Ranveer Singh presented himself as Bajirao, I learned a lot by just watching him.”
So how has your journey been from being a contestant in DID L’il Masters to playing Bajirao? Venkatesh shared, “Dancing and acting are my passions and when I was younger, I was a part of DID L’il Masters and I am grateful to Zee TV for giving me that opportunity. It really changed my life, and I got several opportunities after that. While I continued to dance on stage, I was also interested in acting and started giving auditions. I gave a few look tests for Bajirao’s character and was so happy when I got to know that I will be playing the lead role.”
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