Sharad Ponkshe is a popular Marathi actor, who is famous with the name Girish Pandurang Kulkarni. He was born on 14th August, 1970.

• Sharad Pawar
• Sharad Game

Just after the completion of his higher secondary education, his passion towards acting pulled him join a drama school in Mumbai. He has appeared in TV serials and feature films.

He is well known for his performance in the serial called Damini. This serial has changed the career of Sharad into Marathi films. Sharad is also known for his performance in negative roles. In the movies like Mi Nathuraam Godse Boltoy and his role Devram Khadgale in the major Marathi serial, his acting skills were shown off. His recent performance in Tukaram won him many awards and fetched him critic acclaims. As of now, the actor is acting in the serial Unch Majah Zoka, for the character Govind Ranade.

The movie Mi Nathuraam Godse Boltoy played a major role in placing Sharad into the list of veteran actors of Marathi. There are many other serials and movies that fetched him fame. They include Agnihotra, Kunku, Vaaldalvaat etc.

Sharad always tried portraying roles from different genres. He covered humor, negative shaded roles, serious characters and many other variations in this film career. Coming to numbers, he acted in 12 Hindi films, 8 Hindi serials, 73 Marathi films, 54 Marathi serials and 25 Marathi Dramas. Sharad also appeared as a brand ambassador of eleven products, which included Lifeboy plus, Colgate tooth powder etc. In 2014, the actor appeared in three movies with the titles Ungli, Dekh tamasha Dekh and Gang of Ghosts. Presently, the movie Black home is under production.

The actor is now active on the social media and has also started a personal website www.sharadponkshe.com, to be in contact with his fans. With this website, Sharad updates all his recent schedules and news to his fans.

He is always in a Jovial mood and very supportive on the sets; whether he is shooting for a film or a serial. Sharad Ponkshe who began his acting career as a stage artiste with one act plays while he was studying in Abhinav Kala Mandir school in Bhayender off Mumbai, was very serious about this profession.

Sharad Pawar

But, those days acting was not seen as a well paying profession. One needed a job to support self and family. So, like many others, after finishing his 12th followed by a three year specialized Government diploma, he took up a job with BEST. As an employee of BEST, he participated in various competitions and did his first professional play ‘Varun Sagle Sarkhe’ in the year 1989.

Sharad Game

For a totally committed actor like Sharad, it was just not possible to stick on to only stage and hence in 1988 he made his debut in a Marathi film ‘De Taali’ while he was a little known actor. He got his first major break in a TV serial through Adhikari Brothers ‘Damini’ in 1997, where he played a Journalist- Uday Karkhanis. This serial was a super hit and went on for 8 years with a record run. It was during this period that Sharad Ponkshe received another big offer to play lead in a Marathi play ‘Mee Nahturam Godse Boltoy’.

The launching of this play turned out to be the most memorable moment in his life, as it literally changed his life. He still remembers the date of launch i.e 10th July 1998.

Sharad, who was then used to be on leave without pay in his office, finally decided to quit his job in the year 2000. The journey of a successful actor had begun with the popularity of ‘Nathuram Godse Boltoy’. Sharad was later signed to play the role of a Journalist again; this time a shrewd and cunning Mr. Khandagale in another popular serial ‘Vaadalwaat’. So effective was his performance as Devram Khandagle, that for three consecutive years he bagged the Zee Puraskar for the best villain, while playing the same role. Isn’t that a biggest hat-trick scored by an actor? It’s surprising that the same actor with another outstanding performance in ‘Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy’ is yet to receive an award.