Janmashtami special: Sumedh Mudgalkar says, ‘You can't pretend to be Krishna; you have to give your best’ | Exclusive

In Pic: Sumedh Mudgalkar

Sumedh Mudgalkar is widely known for playing Lord Krishna in the show 'RadhaKrishn'. The show gained much recognition, and the actor became a household name for acing the role with utmost sincerity. As Janmashtami 2024 approaches, Sumedh told mid-day.com about his experience of playing the deity and how it has changed him.

Impact of playing Krishna

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Sumedh started the conversation by sharing how playing Krishna made him much calmer and softer and stated, "I feel I have become much kinder now. I listen better nowadays, I understand better - whether it be thoughts, whether it be people or their pain. I think I've gotten better at understanding all these things. I have become much calmer, which has helped me face life for what it is and not get stressed over things. I do stress, I stress a lot, but somehow, the calmness still helps me gather the courage to face life for what it is, move forward, and do what is right for myself."

How Sumedh celebrates Janmashtami

When asked how he celebrates Janmashtami, Sumedh shared, "Every Janmashtami, I don't really have any specific plans on how I would celebrate it. Usually, we try to visit a Krishna temple to seek his blessings. And sometimes, if we can't go somewhere like that, I just pray to him and thank him for everything he has done for me and for all the opportunities he has given me.

"I try to go out and watch Dahi Handi as much as possible because it's a very beautiful festival. That's how I celebrate Janmashtami," he concluded.

How he used to prepare himself

Mudgalkar shared that it takes him about 30 minutes to get ready and recalled that he felt something different while playing Krishna - a feeling that he has never felt before or since. He stated, "Just a few minutes, a few moments before giving the shot as Krishna, I used to take deep breaths. I used to breathe out, I did it a couple of times, and I would tap into those emotions of Krishna - what he used to feel, the depth of his emotions, the depth of his calmness, the positivity, and love. Imagine feeling that you have positivity for each and every situation or problem in your life; you are looking at everything in a very positive aspect. You have love for each and every animal and human being around you. I used to tap into those emotions, I used to try, and if you do it correctly, then it is visible in your eyes. If you don't do it correctly, then people will catch you. You can't pretend to be Krishna; you have to give your best to play the character."

He further shared, on a parting note, that he has always believed in God, and he is glad about that. He feels having faith in God is the biggest luxury one can have. He shared that everything he has is given by God and belongs to God.