Raghav Juyal is every bit as quirky off-screen as many of the characters he portrays on-screen, especially his scene-stealing turn in ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’. Armed with a razor-sharp wit and an effortless sense of humour, he comes across as intelligent, spontaneous and refreshingly unfiltered. But beneath the fun-loving exterior is an actor determined not to be confined to a single genre.From making his mark on a dance reality show to becoming a popular television host and now carving a space for himself as an actor, Raghav’s journey has been anything but easy. Yet, he has embraced every challenge with grit and conviction. Today, he stands confident, self-assured and ready to push his boundaries with every new project. As his latest film, ‘Bhai Tera Star Hai‘, releases in theatres today, Raghav sits down for a candid conversation about the film, his evolution as an actor, the transition from television to the big screen, and why he believes comedy deserves a comeback. Read on…
‘Bhai Tera Star Hai’ is your first film with you as the main lead if one may say, one also sees that the film is quirky with lots of comedy, how was the experience of doing this?
It was amazing. I read the script and, at that time, I said, “I have to do this.” I knew I couldn’t let it go because it was very fresh. It’s not a formula comedy; it’s something new. There’s a space in comedy that has been empty for a while now. The kind of comedy that Govinda and others used to do is missing, and audiences are very young today. The environment everywhere is so intense that there should be a wave of comedy. People should come to theatres, laugh, be happy, and go home feeling relaxed. So I said, “Let’s do this.” It was a lot of fun.
Do you think this film will fill that gap?
Yes, it should. After this, I have so many intense projects coming up, so I wanted to tell the audience that I’m still the same kid, the same boy. Come, enjoy, laugh, and go home relaxed.
Do you feel that after ‘Kill’, there was a shift in how people perceived you or in the kind of offers you started receiving? The critical acclaim the film received seemed like a turning point. Then ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’ also happened. Do you feel those projects changed things for you?
Yes, absolutely. After ‘Kill’, the entire industry’s perspective towards me changed, and that was very important. After that came ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’, ‘Yudhra’, and ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’. Now, as an actor and as a star, you have to serve different kinds of content to the audience. The audience has changed. They can recognise what is good and what isn’t. So you really need to work on yourself and be at that level.
What has been the most challenging part of your journey so far?
The only challenging part has been the transition from television to reinventing myself as a theatrical star. We are good at acting. I know I’m talented. But building that image where people come to theatres to watch you, where the audience wants to see you on the big screen—that’s a completely different game.
So were there any jitters about becoming a theatrical lead?
I’m really confident.
Have you always been this confident, or is it something you had to work on?
I don’t know if it’s confidence or not.
What do you mean by that?
You have to be your own coach. You have to motivate yourself. If I’m going to do it, then I’m going to do it. You have to keep telling yourself that consciously. Now it’s my time to come as a lead. People are craving for someone like me to make it big so that they can dream big too.
Do you think it’s still difficult to avoid being stereotyped? Paresh Rawal recently said he doesn’t want to be typecast as Baburao after ‘Hera Pheri’. Does that still happen—that once you play one character successfully, you start getting similar scripts?
Yes, it does happen that you get similar scripts and get stereotyped. But it’s up to you whether you choose to do them or not.
Lastly, what would you like to say about ‘Bhai Tera Superstar’ and all the projects that are coming after it, including ‘Vikram Maalik’?
Before all the intense projects, I want to bring a wave of comedy to theatres so that people are happy. The environment is so stressful. Everyone has tension in their daily lives. At least come to the theatre and be happy. I want to give people that dose. Before every medicine, the doctor gives an antacid. If you’re feeling fine, then you can watch the rest of the content.
You said something so lovely in an interview recently, when asked about being protective towards Shehnaaz Gill in a viral video, that you will always be protective towards any woman and that your parents raised you to be that kind of man. In general, how do you deal with people writing about your personal life? Also, do you think men are changing their perspective today when it comes to being a protector, provider?
It’s up to you. You should do what you feel is right. I think I’m a little old-school. I’ve been brought up to be a protector and a provider. That’s how I’ve become. My mother and my aunt raised me very well. I believe women should be respected, and if they are in a crowd like that, they should be protected. People may say different things, but whatever I did there, I did it out of protectiveness. Go to Source
