Raj Arjun talks about transformation, commitment
Ahead of the Hindi release of Razakar, actor Raj Arjun gets candid with The Pioneer in an exclusive chat, speaking of taking historical references for his character, being afraid to leave a character, and more. K. Ramya Sree
Raj Arjun, renowned for his nuanced portrayals across the Indian film industry, steps into the challenging realm of a brutal antagonist in the historical drama Razakar, set for its Hindi release today (April 26). The actor’s riveting performance in the Telugu version of the film received critical acclaim, setting high expectations for his Hindi and Marathi releases.
Directed by Yata Satyanarayana and bankrolled by Gudur Narayana Reddy, the film stars Raj Arjun, Bobby Simha, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Vedhika, and Indraja in key roles. Ahead of its Hindi release, we spoke to actor Raj Arjun, a Bhopal native creating his sweet spot in the southern film industry with the kind of work he has been doing apart from being part of some superhit Bollywood films.
In a candid conversation, Raj Arjun delves into the meticulous process of embodying his character, drawing inspiration from historical figures like Hitler and Saddam Hussein: “Just for reference to know what they have done and how they have done, I learned about Hitler and Saddam Hussain. They had a vision of making something in their minds, and to execute that, they went out of their limits, started killing people, and did whatever they liked. There is no such feeling for them. When I got this role, I was thinking about how to justify my role. I related it to my dream. That’s how I started developing that psychology, and that helped me a lot. If I start behaving like a villain, it will look monotonous, so I looked for the purpose of playing the role and living the character rather than pretending it. I think that has reached the people and touched the chords.”
Living the character of a remorseless antagonist posed unique challenges for Raj Arjun. We wanted to know if it took a mental toll on him, as Raj Arjun is an actor who lives in the character. He explained, “I am scared to leave the character. I got all the works I have done so far with a lot of difficulties, and much effort went into it. I am afraid of not taking my characters seriously. I live in that zone of the character deliberately until it is over so I can give my best; however, I do not start behaving like one at home. I avoid parties being in that zone too, so it will subconsciously enhance the graph of the character. I sometimes get very tired of living in the character because it is all brain work, but the actor within me lets me leave it.”
The Thalaivii star believes his performance and emotions should reflect from his eyes, and till today he follows the words told by his guru, “Kam mein khubsoorati hai, zyada mein gadbad hai (There is more beauty in less and confusion in more).”
Be it Thalaivii, Rowdy Rathore, Thalaivaa, Dear Comrade, and more, the actor was mostly seen playing negative roles only, and he is genuinely not bored of playing those villain characters time and again. Reflecting on his diverse roles spanning Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema, Raj Arjun remains unfazed by the recurring villainous characters. He shared, “I don’t get bored because whatever role I am getting, it is from different industries. I have done films in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam, and fortunately, whatever roles I am getting are because of the intensity of my performance in the films, and all the roles are very different from one another.”
“I have Yudhra, which is a performance-oriented film. I have another film, Gam Gam Ganesha, with Anand Deverakonda, which has a bit of comedy in my out-and-out negative role. It is a proper commercial film. So I am enjoying all the work that I have been doing because I am not playing a typical villain. I am playing those roles where I can show more character than just being a villain,” he added.
Having played so many roles in his illustrious career, we asked him about the role in which he put in more effort than the rest, and he answered, “I have no background in the industry, so initially I didn’t get the freedom to choose roles. But now the roles I am getting are the result of all the work I did in my initial days. However, I believe Secret Superstar is the running point in my life that helped me bag roles across industries. The next is Thalaivii, and I am truly performing one-on-one with Kangana. I was initially worried if she would give me space to perform because she is an established actress, but to my surprise, she turned out to be one of the best and most supportive co-actresses. My character is a masterpiece in Thalaivii. Razakar, too, is close to my heart. Moreover, I am eagerly waiting for my upcoming film, Yudhra, because this is a commercial film and I loved working on it.” Lastly, on the work front, he has Yudhra, Gam Gam Ganesha, and another Hindi project whose title is yet to be decided.
