'I hated myself': Arjun Rampal admits to being 'too stiff' in film debut, found attention on looks 'confusing'

Arjun Rampal spoke about his early days in Bollywood in a new interview, including a critique of his early performances.

Arjun Rampal is a National Award-winning actor. His portrayal of a dejected musician in Rock On won him his only National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. He has also won acclaim for numerous other films, including Om Shanti Om, D Day and most recently, Dhurandhar. But Arjun wasn’t always the best actor around, something the actor admits too. When he entered the film industry, many criticised his stiff performances, and Arjun himself has said he ‘hated’ himself.

Arjun Rampal on his early days as actor

Arjun Rampal transitioned from modelling to acting in 2001.

In a new interview with Grazia, Arjun recalled the first film he shot for Moksha. “I hated myself. I was too stiff. I’d trained myself as a model, not an actor,” the actor recalled.

Moksha was delayed for years, and Arjun made his big-screen debut with Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat in 2001. In the initial years of his career, Arjun was known as the model who transitioned to acting. The conversations around him always focused on his looks and how he appeared on screen. Talking about that, Arjun added, “It was tough for me to have conversations. Suddenly, it all became about looks, and I got a lot of attention. Attention became important because if you’re not getting it, you’re in the wrong field. It kind of confuses you to a certain degree. But as you mature, you realise that how you look has nothing to do with you; you have to thank your parents for it.”

Arjun Rampal in Dhurandhar