"In reel life, he was the menacing villain, whereas in reality he was the most lovable, humble man," filmmaker Chandrakant Kulkarni said.
The Marathi film industry today mourned the demise of renowned film and stage actor Nilu Phule, remembering him as a good human being who was socially committed towards his craft.
Veteran actor Ashok Saraf told the Press Trust of India that Nilubhau, as he was fondly called, was a dear friend.
"He was my favourite actor and I was his," Saraf said. "Even though he was my senior, he never showed off. He encouraged me to improve my performances and was always appreciative of new actors."
Filmmaker Chandrakant Kulkarni, who directed Phule for an important cameo in Ashwini Bhave's 2007 film Kadachit, said Phule lived a "double life" throughout.
"In reel life, he was the menacing villain, whereas in reality he was the most lovable, humble man," he said.
"The loss of Vijay Tendulkar and Damu Kenkre... and now the death of Phule has created a void in Marathi stage and cinema, putting an end to the era of socially committed artistes," he said.
Kulkarni recalled that after the controversial play Sakharam Binder, in which Phule played the protagonist, the actor stood by playwright Vijay Tendulkar and director Kamlakar Sarang and took a public stand justifying the contents of the play.
"Any other actor would have washed his hands of the controversy saying he was just essaying a role," Kulkarni said. "He was a far cry from those actors who are in the profession for just economic reasons and personal growth."
Another highlight of Phule's chequered career was that he was an intellectual and had clarity in his thoughts, views, and opinion, Kulkarni said.
Actor-filmmaker Sachin Pilgaonkar said he worked with Nilubhau as a child actor in 1971 in a film called Ajab Tuzhe Sarkar produced by his father and directed by Raja Thakur.
"Also, I had the privilege of directing him in my film Maza Pati Karodpati. It was a pleasure to direct an artiste whose tremendous contribution to stage and cinema is unparalleled," Pilgaonkar recalled.
He said Phule was a great actor and remained so till his death. "We were always in touch and it was only due to my persuasion that he agreed to make a special appearance in my television serial Tu Tu Main Main," Pilgaonkar said.
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