Mumbai, September 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Versatile actor Atul Kulkarni has revealed how he landed his National Award-winning role of Pottya Sawant in Madhur Bhandarkar’s acclaimed film ‘Chandni Bar’.
Speaking during a media interaction, Atul said Bhandarkar approached him after watching his performance in ‘Hey Ram’. According to the actor, the filmmaker was convinced he was the right person to play Pottya Sawant from the moment he saw him appear on screen.
Atul recalled, “Madhur saw ‘Hey Ram’ and then he approached me for ‘Chandni Bar’. Madhur told me that he and a friend of his had gone to watch the movie, and when they were watching ‘Hey Ram’ and my entry happened, and my getup is very different in ‘Hey Ram’ when my first entry happens, Madhur had told his friend, ‘That this is Pottya Sawant’.”
“I am still amazed how he saw Pottya Sawant in that getup. But that is why he is who he is,” he added.
Released on September 28, 2001, ‘Chandni Bar’ received critical acclaim and was also a box-office success. The film went on to win four honours at the 49th National Film Awards.
The film won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues, while Tabu was named Best Actress. Atul Kulkarni won Best Supporting Actor and Ananya Khare won Best Supporting Actress.
‘Chandni Bar’ follows Mumtaz, played by Tabu, a young woman whose family is killed in communal riots. Left alone, she moves to Mumbai with her maternal uncle and is eventually pushed into working as a dancer at a bar named Chandni Bar.
The film was backed by Lata Mohan under the banner of Shlok Films, with music composed by Raju Singh. Rajeev Ravi handled the cinematography, while Hemal Kothari was the editor.
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