Rag Mayur talks about his Maridesh Babu multiverse in Raj & DK's works, including The Family Man 3 | Interview

In an interview with Hindustan Times, actor Rag Mayur talks about playing Maridesh Babu not once or twice, but trice in Raj & DK's works. Read all about it.

There are only a few actors who get to play the same role not once or twice but three times in their careers. Telugu actor Rag Mayur is one of them with his now-iconic character Maridesh Babu, who was first introduced in the indie film Cinema Bandi (2021), presented by Raj & DK. He recently also made a splash in he filmmakers' third season of The Family Man as the only Telugu-speaking character, and Rag is on cloud nine about it.

Rag Mayur and Manoj Bajpayee share the screen in The Family Man Season 3.

“The Family Man was the cherry on top for a busy year after Srivarapalli, Paradha and Mithra Mandali,” Rag tells Hindustan Times. “I just thought playing Maridesh again would be a fun little throwback for those who watched Cinema Bandi and Subham. Little did I expect it to resonate so well with people,” he adds, talking about playing the quirky man, who’s a ticket collector this time around in the Prime Video web series. Excepts from our chat.

Playing Maridesh Babu twice in one year

Any Cinema Bandi fan will remember the barber, Maridayya, who chose the screen name Maridesh Babu for his big-screen debut in a film shot by his friend. Those who watched Subham this year, produced by Raj’s now-wife, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, will also remember the character making an appearance at an opportune time.

“I remember how Samantha praised my performance and spoke about my character on stage during Subham promotions. She really didn’t need to mention me at all, but I felt validated,” says Rag, adding, “As for playing Maridesh for the third time in The Family Man, I did it purely for the kick of working directly under Raj & DK’s direction. When DK approached me for the role, I was more than happy.”

Rag reveals that he missed out on the opportunity to star under Raj & DK’s direction before in Farzi (2023), so this felt like a second chance. “I was supposed to play Bhuvan Arora’s role as Shahid Kapoor’s best friend. However, I couldn’t replicate the Mumbai tapori accent they needed in time, and my Dakhni (Deccan/Hyderabadi accent) would come naturally. I lost out due to that,” he says.

Working with his idol Manoj Bajpayee

And while Rag was already more than happy to finally work under Raj & DK’s direction, he says that working with his acting idol, Manoj Bajpayee, was also a draw. “You know how Manoj’s character in the scene with me says, ‘Ajeeb intefaaq hain na? Ki aap Chittor se nikle (Isn't it a coincidence that you're from Chittoor?)’ That’s how serendipitous it felt when I was told I had a scene with Manoj. I was awe-struck and nervous,” says the actor.

Once Prime Video released their scene as the first promo, and people had binge-watched the show, Rag says his timeline with inundated with Maridesh Babu jokes. But his first praise came from Manoj himself. “I still don’t know what was so great about our scene. Now there’s a Maridesh multiverse, and everyone’s coming into it (laughs). It also didn’t hurt that Manoj praised my performance to DK, and all I could do was stare back in return. I was shocked when he humbly said he hopes we work together again,” he says.

Rag also says that Manoj is the most secure actor he has worked with. “I’ve never once seen him feel impatient when Raj & DK asked for retakes. He also made me feel so comfortable and collaborative,” says the actor, adding, “As for Sharib Hashmi (who plays JK), he is the life of the party and has no inhibitions. It was a ball to work with them both.”

While Rag might not be ready to say goodbye to Maridesh Babu just yet, he is moving on to bigger and better things with his upcoming films Anumana Pakshi and Garividi Lakshmi. “I can’t wait for the world to see what I have in store next,” he rounds off.