Ashok Saraf He opened up about his illustrious career at Cannes 2026, reflecting on more than five decades of hard work and success in film. The veteran actor said that he has been active since 1971 and is still going strong in 2026, having completed almost 55 years in the industry. With around 300 films to his name, most of which were box office hits, Saraf feels deeply grateful for the strange and fulfilling journey he has had.
Ashok Saraf says that most of his films have been successful
In an interview with Brut, he said, “This journey of mine is still going on. I have been working continuously in the industry for the last 55 years. I started in 1971. Now, in 2026, I am working continuously. And so far I have acted in 300 films. Out of those 300 films, most of them have been blockbusters and they have been blockbusters. I have seen them many times. So I think it is a record in the industry.“
In Ashok SarafHum Paanch ‘, reacting was more fun than acting
He also took a trip down memory lane while talking about his beloved sitcom ‘Hum Paanch’. He described the show as a stand-up comedy about a father juggling the lives of five daughters while dealing with the emotional weight of losing his wife. Saraf said that what he liked most about the show was that it often required him to react to situations rather than act, and for him, that’s where the real magic of comedy lies.He said, “Hum Paanch ki toh baat hee alag hai, it’s such a comedy show where a father, a confused father and his five daughters who have different personalities and get into unnecessary arguments with them. There is a dead wife. There is a wife in the house. There were six women and only one man was fighting with them. So I enjoyed it more because I was reacting. Acting is more important than action. But when you react, the action is over. I liked doing that more.’
Ashok Saraf callsKaran Arjun ‘ the successful film of his life
Ashok talked about working in films like ‘Karan Arjun’ and said that the dialogues there were very different from what people talk in real life. Saying those lines in the right way while still connecting with the audience was a challenge. But that’s what made those films so special and memorable for him. He said, “Even in Karan Arjun, the language was different. Even if we never speak the language, we don’t know the language and constantly talking and what we are doing to make people like us. this is a big deal. So I consider it a successful film of my life”.He also spoke candidly about typography, saying that comedians suffer the most. He said: “It happened more with comedians. If people like someone in a certain type of role, they prefer to see him in the same role again. But people don’t like him in different roles. I’ve done many roles, I’ve done many roles, but people like him more in comedy. I had to accept being mechanized. What can I do?”
Ashok Saraf has walked the Cannes red carpet with the Marathi film industry
This year at Cannes, the Marathi industry showed up and showed up. Ashok Saraf, Nivedita Saraf, Prajakta MaliAnkita Prabhu-Walawalkar and Kedar Joshi walked the red carpet as a unit, attracting a lot of attention and appreciation.
