Child actors from city rule big,small screens,and how!

Be it films,commercials or reality shows on television,child actors from Pune are thriving on the big and small screens,managing their time between studies,play and “careers”. But how do they actually manage? Shreyas Paranjpe,14,says he has been managing his time efficiently since he was in kindergarten. “My first movie was Gandhi,My Father in 2007. My parents […]

3 min readPuneNov 14, 2013 02:37 AM IST First published on: Nov 14, 2013 at 02:37 AM IST

Be it films,commercials or reality shows on television,child actors from Pune are thriving on the big and small screens,managing their time between studies,play and “careers”.

But how do they actually manage?

Shreyas Paranjpe,14,says he has been managing his time efficiently since he was in kindergarten. “My first movie was Gandhi,My Father in 2007. My parents heard about an audition and I just went there and said the dialogues. I never thought I would make a career out of it,” says Paranjpe,an aspiring cinematographer. He lists a few dos and don’ts that he has learnt to adapt in his choice of career. “I always make sure that I don’t have to work during holidays or before important exams. I like to spend time with friends during holidays and study before exams,” he says in a matter-of-fact manner.

Chinmay Sant,16,who was recently seen in the award-winning film,72 Miles Ek Pravaas,talks about the importance of a strong educational background to succeed in an industry driven by contacts and networking. A Class XI Arts student at Wadia College,Sant is taking lessons in photography,along with acting in films and plays. “I want to make sure that I have a back-up plan,” he says in his teenage raspy voice. “I’m still contemplating between acting and the visual medium. I’m also interested in cinematography,” says Sant.

Then there is Digvijay Deshmukh,a hard-core cricketer who also acted in the critically-acclaimed Hindi film,Kai Po Che. Studying in Class VIII,the boy from Baramati has been living in Pune for the last few years because it offers better opportunities for his sporting activities. “I enjoy playing cricket most. Acting is fine as a one-off thing,but I want to be a cricketer when I grow up,” says Sant,adding that he practises for over eight hours every day.

Physical strain,stardom or finances are issues that seldom touch normal children,but most of the child actors have learnt to take it in their stride. Sant,for example,maintains a silence when asked about his latest projects. “We are not yet ready to divulge the details,” he says primly.

Paranjpe,on the other hand,has an up-to-date website,consisting of all his details. But he does not handle his own finances. “I don’t even know how much I earn,” he says. “What ever money I get,my parents are putting it together so that I can have good higher education,” says Paranjpe.