Ashok Saraf is Truly a Superstar in Everyone’s Heart: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Mantralaya Times Nagpur / Mumbai:                                               A civic felicitation ceremony was held in Nagpur to honor veteran actor Ashok Saraf, recipient of the Maharashtra Bhushan and Padma Shri awards, on the occasion of him entering his 80th year. The felicitation was performed at the hands of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Chief Minister Fadnavis remarked that Ashok Saraf, through his unique acting talent, made the entire Maharashtra fall in love with Marathi cinema and brought a new height and popular appeal to the Marathi film industry.Continuing his speech, Devendra Fadnavis said that there is incredible ease in his acting with no sign of artificiality. He portrayed every role with utmost dedication. The common Marathi individual always lives in reality; therefore, in the heroes portrayed by Ashok Saraf on screen, the Marathi viewer saw their own reflection, making him truly the “Superstar” in everyone’s heart.

Devendra Fadnavis added that over time, the nature of comedy and its style evolved, but Saraf played a significant role in giving a new direction to this changing trend. The entire country witnessed his ability to effortlessly generate humor through popular Doordarshan shows like Hum Paanch. He left a distinct mark with his performances not just in Marathi, but also in the Hindi film industry. Through theatre, he served the stage continuously for a prolonged period. He is not only a great artist, but also a deeply talented and sensitive human being.

Knowing Where to Stop is Essential: Ashok Saraf.        Veteran actor Ashok Saraf stated, “I did not have to face much struggle in my life. I kept working honestly, and the appreciative audience kept loving it. In acting—especially in comedy—one must be aware of what to do and where to stop. Humor should not be exaggerated. Bringing every character to life on screen or stage is very difficult, but once you master it, it starts feeling easy. Even though I have performed in hundreds of plays and shows to date, I still feel a slight anxiety and excitement in my heart every time I enter the stage.”.

The ceremony was attended by a large number of dignitaries from various political, social, and cultural fields, including Nagpur Mayor Neeta Thackeray, Deputy Mayor Leela Hathibed, Standing Committee Chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakhre, Group Leader Narendra Borkar, and former MLA Sandeep Joshi.