Raj’s secret wish: Want to turn hatred of audience into love!

After playing a conservative and abusive husband in the super-hit film ‘Secret Superstar’ (2017), actor Raj Arjun earned accolades and awards but has not had a Bollywood release since then. However, he gave hits down South and now has a string of films, web-series and short films that he has shot in this period.

After playing a conservative and abusive husband in the super-hit film ‘Secret Superstar’ (2017), actor Raj Arjun earned accolades and awards but has not had a Bollywood release since then. However, he gave hits down South and now has a string of films, web-series and short films that he has shot in this period.

Secret Superstar actor Raj Arjun has shot a web-series in Kanpur and another in Lucknow earlier this year (Sourced)

The actor said, “Yes, thodi se yeh vidambna rahi (it was unfortunate)! I also felt that I had proven myself and all hardship was rewarded with recognition and awards. I expected a lot of work to come my way, but whatever roles came, were very mediocre, though in big films. I was a bit disappointed but was sure that now I won’t do anything less than this…I would satiate my hunger as an actor!”

Raj did not get much in Bollywood but got good offers in the South Indian film industry. “I did a Telugu film ‘Dear Comrade’ that had Vijay Devarakonda and Rasmika Mandanna, and me as the main villain. It was followed by ‘Watchman’ with GV Prakash Kumar also as antagonist. Both did very well at the box office and OTT.”

His OTT journey started with ‘Karanjit Kaur: The Untold story of Sunny Leone’ (2018). “In July, the audience will see a mega series where I have a different kind of role. I did a short film ‘The Miniaturist of Junagarh’ with Naseer(uddin Shah) Saheb and then with young filmmakers shot ‘Pilibhit’. Both are travelling to international film festivals. I did the Ritam Srivastava’s short ‘Maternity Blues’ on surrogacy followed by a silent film and another short film ‘Natkhat’ with Vidya Balan.”

Raj Arjun during his shoot in Lucknow. (Instagram)

In Lucknow, he shot Malayalam film ‘Khajuraho Dreams’ before the pandemic, followed by OTT series ‘Taav’ in Unnao-Kanpur and another series in Lucknow where he plays an orthodox Muslim politician. “Both Kanpur and Lucknow projects I have shot in February and March this year. In between, I was also shuttling to Bhopal for the film ‘Love Hostel’. I had three days of work left in the film but as the pandemic worsened so I came to Mumbai as yeh jaan bachane ka samay hai. Work can happen later!”

Raj confesses to have earned cinema lovers’ “hatred” for his role in ‘Secret Superstar’. “I have got enough abuse and hatred for my role which as an actor is surely an achievement for me. Now, I want to turn it around so that audiences fall in love with me…which will hopefully happen soon,” he said on a positive note.