Makarand Deshpande reveals he shot a rape scene in the 90s and people asked him if he ‘enjoyed it’

Actor Makarand Deshpande has opened up on playing the role of a rapist in films, and shared that some people would ask him if he enjoyed doing a rape scene. Makarand Deshpande is currently working on his new play Balatkar Please Stop. (Also read: Kubbra Sait reveals why she publicly apologised to Makarand Deshpande)

Makarand has written as well as directed the play that exposes atrocities on women with liberal use of dark humour. It premiered earlier this month, on May 14, at Mumbai’s Prithvi theatre.

Speaking with Navbharat Times, Makarand said, “I remember I was shooting for a film titled Ant and I played a rapist in the film. So, some people came there to see the shooting and they asked me, ‘so how is it going? Are you enjoying?’ I found that filthy. Can you not feel anything for the heroine? How must she be feeling?’ I think these are the people who enjoy such gruesomeness.”

Anth was a 1994 film directed by Sanjay Khanna. It featured Makarand as the main villain who rapes the daughter of a college principal and manages to put the blame on her fiance, with the help of a cop. The film starred Suniel Shetty, Somy Ali, Alok Nath and Paresh Rawal in important roles. Anth bagged the Filmfare Best Action Award that year.

Makarand has been sharing pictures from the rehearsals for his new play, Balatkar Please Stop. Talking about the inspiration behind the play, he recently told Firstpost in an interview, “For me, my mother is ‘the woman’. My sisters are also a very important part of my life. I feel that the adage ‘behind every successful man, there is a woman’ holds very true. But the kind of abuse that women experience is in contradiction to everything we say about women empowerment. This male-dominated society is so difficult to navigate through.”

Makarand was recently seen in popular films such as SS Rajamouli’s RRR. He also played an important part in Madhuri Dixit’s digital debut The Fame Game. He will soon be seen in the Marathi film, Athva Rang Premacha that also features Rinku Rajguru and will hit theatres on June 17.