Prashant Raj on his role in Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag

For actor Prashant Raj, who plays Jai in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, it has not only been a memorable experience but also one that has helped him learn. Ritujaay Ghosh speaks to the actor.

He could not have dreamt of a better debut. For actor Prashant Raj, who plays Jai in Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag, it has not only been a memorable experience but also one that has helped him learn. The actor speaks to HT City.

HT Image

Okay, you couldn't have got a better break.. right?

Right.. now I can brag to generations of my family that I played Jai in the remake of

Sholay

. For me, the experience was surreal because I shared screen space with some of the best actors in the country.

Mohit Ahlawat was to do the role. How did you get it?

Ramuji had seen some of my photographs. When we met, he conducted a rapid-fire quiz on acting. I had no idea he was offering me the role of Jai. He gave me a few pages of the script.. within two days, my photographs were splashed all over the newspapers.

Is Ram Gopal Varma's Jai similar to Ramesh Sippy's?

He's quite different. Here Veeru is older, Jai looks up to him. The character is not called Jai. I'm Raj and Veeru is Heeru.

Did you pick up any mannerisms of Amitabh Bachchan's from the original?

That would have been foolish. Even the audience wouldn't like it. I saw Sholay when I was a child, I remember Gabbar Singh more than Jai.

Does Jai have that same trick coin?

It's more interesting, there is a certain twist about the coin.

You've signed on quite a few films. Did you plan to act?

For me films happened all of a sudden. I'm playing the lead in Ramesh Kathkar's Toss, it's quite a dark film. I never planned to be an actor. I was a model, I was one of the runners-up in the Grasim Manhunt.. I was thinking of settling down in Los Angeles and starting an event management company.. that's when I got the phone call from Ramuji's office.