Sharad Kelkar is more than happy that the audience has accepted him as an actor and calls it the biggest compliment.
Sharad, who is an accomplished dubbing artist, has in the past lent his deep voice to Prabhas' starring role in the dubbed version of the "Baahubali" series, after ventured into acting in 2004 with the Doordarshan show, "Aakrosh".
He was later seen in shows like "Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar", "Bairi Piya" and "Kuch Toh Log Kahenge".
Sharad ventured into Bollywood in 2012 with the film "1920: Evil Returns", where he was seen playing the evil spirit. He then worked in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela".
He was then seen in films like "Mohenjo Daro", "Bhoomi", "Housefull 4" and "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior".
Talking about being loved for portraying character with shades, Sharad told : "It feels nice. I played a negative guy. I was the blue-eyed boy for every household for around four years. To change that image and become a grey-shade guy in films the acceptance was a question mark. Would people accept me as a negative guy? But they accepted me. I played some positive roles also, and there too was a fear and question marks arose. But people accepted me and praised me."
Sharad says the audience's love keeps him motivated: "I don't think as a grey shade guy or a positive guy. The most important thing which I am happy about is people accepting me as an actor. That is the biggest compliment for me. That is one hing that keeps me going."
On the acting front, Sharad will next be seen in the Akshay Kumar-starrer "Laxmmi Bomb" and the Ajay Devgn-starrer "Bhuj: The Pride Of India".
"Laxmmi Bomb" is a remake of the superhit Tamil horror comedy "Muni 2: Kanchana". It revolves around Raghava, a cowardly man who gets possessed by the ghost of a transgender woman, who takes revenge on the ones who destroyed her life.
"Bhuj: The Pride Of India" tells the tale of Indian Air Force pilot Vijay Karnik. The period drama looks back into the journey of 300 women of Madhapar village in Gujarat's Kutch district, who played a pivotal role in helping India win the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The women came together to rebuild and repair the only runway in Bhuj, which was crucial for the war.
( With inputs from IANS )