Although Raj Arjun has been an active part of the industry for many years now, it was not until the Aamir Khan production, ‘Secret superstar’ came his way, that he truly came to be recognised for his work. In an exclusive interview with ETimes, the actor spilled the beans on how he dealt with failures, the growing emergence of OTT, his journey in the industry so far, and more. Excerpts…
You have been a part of the film industry for a long time now and you have explored a myriad of characters in your films. Is there any one film or character that changed your career for good?
I think it was ‘Secret Superstar’ that changed my career. I have been given the credit of being a part of lots of films. I have done small roles in many films and I don’t regret being a part of them. I don’t come from a film background, so I had to struggle a lot. I thought I didn’t get good work because I wasn’t able to present myself in a better way. I feel ‘Secret Superstar’ was my first film; all other films that I did was to prove my existence as an actor. The film changed me as a person also. Before this, I was taking up whatever was coming my way but after ‘Secret Superstar’, I have the liberty to choose. I was nowhere before the film. It reinvented me.
How did you deal with failure when films didn’t work?
To be honest, it doesn’t make any difference to me. When I complete one project, I feel sad because I have to say goodbye to my character. It leaves a vacuum inside me. But soon I move on to my next project, where I focus on my new character. I have no time to think whether the film I have completed will work or not. I don’t get into number games. I have seen a lot of failure in my life.
Take us to the beginning of your journey in Bollywood. What were struggles like?
I was not clear as to what I wanted in life. I wanted to be an actor. I did theatre with dedication in Bhopal. I come from a business family, so my family members wanted me to get into the family business. I asked them for a year to prove myself. I was quite arrogant and had a lot of ego. I believed I was a great actor. I thought I would get work very easily. I remember meeting a man outside the Prithvi theatre. He asked me since when was I looking for work, and I told him it was since four or five months; he told me he had been struggling for the past five years. God taught me the perfect lesson. It took me 18 years to prove myself as an actor. I used to carry my bio-data mentioning people I have worked with. But I soon realised that everyone was doing the same. Some people even faked things in their resumes. So, I stopped doing that. Instead, I started distributing my photos, noting down where work is going on. However, that, too, didn’t work out as I realised I was just running from one place to another in the fear of missing out on an opportunity. I decided to do work that comes to me. I did small roles in films. I even did TV, where I was told I don’t react much. All this work did not satisfy me as an actor.
While growing up, what were the kinds of films that influenced or shaped your mind?
I have watched films of Daniel Day Lewis, Tom Hanks, Al Pacino, Robert De Nero and of course, how can I miss Irrfan Khan. I wouldn’t say they have influenced me, but they have surely inspired me. By watching them, I realised I was on the right path.
With content gaining more importance in films and with the growing emergence of OTT platforms – do you think it is the end of star power in Bollywood?
I don’t think there is any need to differentiate stars from actors. In a family, there is an elder kid and there is a younger kid. Just because they have different personalities, we don’t differentiate between them. Aamir Khan is a superstar but he is a great actor. The notion that stars are not good actors is wrong. OTT has become such a big platform today that even the biggest of actors want to work there. Irrespective of whether you are a star or not, if you have the talent, you get an opportunity to showcase that.
You were a part of ‘Shershaah’. What kind of response have you been getting for the film?
Actually, ‘Shershaah’ and ‘Sabka Sai’ have been happening simultaneously. My attention is right now on ‘Sabka Sai’ as we are currently promoting it. This is a baby that is yet to be delivered. My experience of working in the film was wonderful. I played an army man and that too Subedar Raghunath. I have lived his journey when I played the role. Now, I am out of the project and focusing on ‘Sabka Sai’.
Of all the actors you have worked with so far in your career, who has been a delight to work with?
All the actors I have worked with have been delightful. Although I have been a part of a lot of films in my career, I consider ‘Secret Superstar’ as my first film. I have not shared screen space with Aamir Khan in the movie but I have had some personal moments with him, which were quite special. Despite being a superstar in real life, he had absolutely no airs. He spoke to me like a big brother. I also shared a great unspoken bond with Zaira Wasim and Meher Vij.
I recently worked with Naseeruddin Shah in a film called, ‘Miniaturist of Junagadh’, which is making waves at many international film festivals. It was a great experience. I get emotionally connected to all my co-stars when the project is on. However, I get disconnected once I am done with the project. That does not mean I forget about them, they stay in my heart as a fond memory, but I eventually move on to make new relationships with new projects.
