Acting is his forte, regardless of the character he plays. Sharad Kelkar, who returns to television after eight years, is excited to explore his romantic side — one he rarely gets to showcase onscreen. In Tumm Se Tumm Tak, the actor plays a 46-year-old business magnate who falls for a spirited 19-year-old. Ask him why, and Kelkar says it was the perfect choice for his comeback to TV. While many are surprised by the age gap between the lead characters, he maintains, “It proves that when two hearts truly connect, age is just a number.” In conversation with mid-day, he discusses his evolution as an actor, why television should be viewed purely as a source of entertainment, and why no amount of money is worth losing his peace of mind.

Excerpts from the interview.

Do you ever have self-doubts about a character you are playing?
I have always strived to do things I have never done before. Of course, there are times when you end up doing similar things because the scale of the project is huge, especially in films. Sometimes, it is the story that intrigues you — even if you are repeating a character — but I try to do it as differently as possible. I’m ideally a director’s actor; I never go to the monitor to watch my shots. The director knows what he is shooting and what I’ve done, and he will tell me if it needs to be reshot. Who am I to judge? In fact, I welcome such criticism because it’s good for the project and for me.