Atul Kulkarni isn't a star in the conventional sense of the term. But being an actor of substance has its own advantages in this era.

"These are exciting times for actors like us," says the National School of Drama(NSD) trained stage and screen performer. "We are stars in our own right. The very nature of stardom has undergone a complete transformation."

Kulkarni is at the 37th International Film Festival of India as the lead actor of Chitra Palekar's directorial debut "Maati Maay", a Marathi adaptation of Mahasweta Devi's "Bayen". "Maati Maay" is in the Indian Panorama this year.

Hindi cinema is changing rapidly and so is the audience, Kulkarni says, but film critics seem to be stuck in the past. "The critics," he says, "are still playing around with old terms and labels. It smacks of laziness."

With films like "Chandni Bar", "Page 3", "Khakee" and "Rang De Basanti" behind him, Kulkarni has every reason to be satisfied with the way his career has progressed. "I have always played roles that have been crucial to the films I have done."

"I always receive a bound script before I begin work in a film," he says. "I have never faced a situation where my role on screen hasn't turned out the way it was envisaged in the screenplay. The kind of people I work with will never short-change an actor."

Kulkarni, however, does admit that his Marathi assignments may have been meatier - "Vastupurush", "Dahavi F" and "Devrai". But he is quick to add that the length of a role has nothing to do with its eventual impact on the audience.

"The response I got for 'Page 3', where my role is limited in terms of footage, was absolutely amazing. To this day, people tell me that they liked me the most in that film, and not 'Chandni Bar' or 'Rang De Basanti'."

"Even in 'Khakee', which had big-time stars in the cast, my character, despite its limited footage, certainly did not get overshadowed," Kulkarni points out.

What next? "I am about to begin work on 'Breaking News', a film by N. Chandra. It's a fantastic script and I am sure the film will mark Chandra's return to his 'Ankush'-'Pratighaat'-'Tezaab' form. The tiger is ready to roar again."

Also in his kitty is "Delhi 6", Rakeysh Mehra's next film.