Director Sachin P. Ambre has emphatically led the team of Sony TV’s Mere Sai – Shraddha aur Saburi to the path of success for a year now!! He is thankful to each and everyone in Sony TV and Dashami Creations for giving him this life-changing opportunity.

Coming from a normal middle-class family, Sachin has worked his way to the top with utmost dedication. From being a guy dropping newspapers to households, to having an icecream stall and even taking care of the parking lots, Sachin has seen the worst before getting successful in his career.

Even his entry into the television industry happened in a very funny way wherein he went to the set of Des Main Nikla Hoga Chand (Aruna Irani show) along with his friend who worked there, in order to taste good food.

Says Sachin, “It is a real funny incident; when I went to the set, I saw a person giving orders, handling things the way he wanted and even scolding people around him. I told my friend that I wanted to be like him. My friend laughed at me and said he was the Director of the show who is supposed to be like a Captain of a ship. That was the day I decided to become a Director.”

Sachin soon joined Director Rakesh Sarang and started assisting him. “It was fun working with Rakeshji as I learnt a lot. When Rakeshji left his job and started his own production house to do Marathi shows, I joined him. I got my first opportunity to direct here and he liked my thoughts and ideas. This is how my journey started and I got my first independent show within one and half years of my start.”

Talking about the defining moment when he won the trust and faith of Director Rakesh Sarang, he recollects the incident saying, “I was the 3^rd or 4^th AD and we had to shoot non-stop for nearly 74 hours to complete a major sequence, that too to be shot at various locations. There was a deadline as the actors were going for an off. When my seniors took ill after 24 hours or so, I was given the responsbilitiy of completing the schedule. These were my defining hours in my career as I stood beside Rakeshji for the entire shoot and finished the schedule. He was really impressed with my confidence and patience. It looked as though I proved my worth to him in those few hours.”

Sachin has been Director for various production houses like Hats Off Productions (six years), Optimystix (six years), and also for Cinevistas, Balaji Telefilms, FilmFarm. His longest-running show as Director happens to be Baalveer on SAB TV, an Optimystix production.

The acclaimed Director has worked in almost all kinds of genres and it is the first time that he is part of a historical cum mythological show like Mere Sai.

On his journey of getting into Mere Sai and helming it as the Director, he states, “Actually, Ninad Vaidya (Producer of Mere Sai) and I know each other quite well. I can say that our journey as Producer and Director started at the same time. We were assisting Rakeshji together at the same time. His goal was to become a Producer. Later, we parted ways and I started my journey as Director. I later got to know of him producing Marathi shows. That was the time when we spoke again, and he wanted me to do his show. I told him that the day you start a Hindi TV show, I will get on board. When I wrapped up shoot for Yaaron Ka Tashan, I got a call from him for Mere Sai and I immediately lapped it up.”

Sachin is an ardent devotee of Sai, and walks up to Shirdi every year on the occasion of Ram Navami.

Sachin is emotionally attached to Sai and the show Mere Sai too. In fact, as he talked about the show, he was in tears and had to control his tears to talk further. “It is actually a miracle that we shoot so smoothly for the show amidst so many ordeals. Nearly 90percent of the sequences are shot in the open. So weather plays a huge role in us getting our scenes shot. We have shot amidst all the trying conditions – amidst rains, under the hot sun and also when it was cold too. This has been the biggest challenge for us, and we have shot all the 270 plus episodes till date, without any major tension or delivery issues. All our actors and crew people have been so co-operative and easy-going. We keep calling out for Sai (Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai) whenever we need to think of him and things go easy.”

Sachin also confides a personal secret with us. Sachin sports quite a long hair and there is a story related to it. “In fact, when the shoot for Mere Sai started, I got so busy that I did not get time for my haircut for the initial few months. One day, I told my unit members that I need to go for my haircut soon. That was when a unit member came up to me and told me not to cut my hair. He said that everything is going so smoothly for the show; let your hair be. Don’t cut it till we are on air. And from that day, I have not cut my hair and will not (smiles). This might sound superstitious for people, but for us, it is our belief. I tell people now that I have changed my look for this show (smiles).”

Talking about the ratings, he states, “We began from 0.5 and we are moving ahead now. We are around the 1.0 mark always and it has been a great journey with Mere Sai.”

Sachin is happy that he has got his due recognition as Director with this show. “People know me by my name and for the work I do. I have done shows like Crime Patrol and even on the horror genre. I feel lucky and blessed to be part of this real zone. There are no complaints at all with life.”

On his future plans, Sachin tells us that, “I will not think of anything other than Mere Sai now. I have been part of the show from day one, and will be part of it till it exists. In fact, I get afraid when I think of the fact that we will need to end the show one fine day, when the journey of Sai ends. I have got lot of good offers, and have been offered good money. But my soul gets refreshed with this show and I do not get tempted by money. I will think of life and my next project only after Mere Sai would end.”

Way to go, Director!!