Who does not remember Imperial Blue’s men will be men advertisement or the affable Dr. Sahil from the legendary series Sarabhai vs Sarabhai? The actor who became a household name, owing to his role in the television series is all set to star opposite Dhak Dhak girl of Bollywood (Madhuri Dixit Nene) in her upcoming Marathi Debut Film Bucket List. Sumeet, in his conversation with Cafemutual, says, “It was a delight working with Madhuri. I had heard that she was a diva but I came across a very simple human being and a brilliant actor”.
Let us have a glimpse of Sumeet Raghavan’s life through his own lens…
Can you tell us about your role in your upcoming film ‘Bucket List’?
The story revolves around a Maharashtrian family. I portray the character of a guy whose life revolves around taking care of the needs of his family. However, somewhere along the line, he starts taking relationships for granted and eventually something happens that changes his entire outlook.
You have portrayed a wide variety of characters on silver screen, which is your favourite role and which character do you relate with the most?
I have essayed many roles both in films and on silver screen but I would not like to associate myself with any of them. I am an actor and that is just part of my work. And of course, I work for money (Sumeet says with a mischievous smile).
Apart from acting, we hear you are a good singer as well. Are we going to see you singing soon?
I think no, I will restrict my singing to my house (laughs Sumeet).
Talking about finance, can you share with us what you did from your first pay cheque?
Probably it went in paying advance tax.
Since an acting career does not guarantee regular flow of income, what is your advice to acting professionals on how they can efficiently manage their money and investment in such a scenario?
In my view, it is important to have a financial advisor who invests your earnings sensibly. For instance, when I consciously decided to take a break from acting for a couple of years those sabbaticals were not spur of moment decisions but a well thought plan. I ensure that before taking such sabbaticals, I have enough corpus to maintain the kind of lifestyle that I am used to.
Who advices you on finance? Do you take help of financial advisor?
Yes, I do. Everything I do or intend to do in terms of finances, I run past my advisor first.
What do you expect from your financial advisor?
He should be truthful and focussed on your needs and interests. His role should go beyond suggesting investments. In my view, you should empower him to decide on money and investments for you. He should know what is not appropriate for you. He should be direct and frank.
What do you think about mutual funds?
I have no clue about mutual funds. My advisor recommended me to invest in them, so I have invested some money in mutual funds. I do not know anything else about it.
What is the best investment you made that you are proud of and why?
My two lovely kids are my best investment. I am extremely proud of them especially when I see them growing.
