Raj Arjun says age-gap chatter around Sara’s debut with Ranveer Singh doesn’t bother him
Raj Arjun is unfazed by the online age-gap debate surrounding his daughter Sara's Bollywood debut with Ranveer Singh in upcoming film Dhurandhar.
Actor Sara Arjun is set to make her Bollywood debut opposite Ranveer Singh in upcoming film Dhurandhar, and while the age gap between the two actors has sparked conversation online, her father, actor Raj Arjun, says he remains unfazed.
Best known for his performance in Secret Superstar (2017), Raj shares that he is simply proud to see his 20-year-old daughter take this next step after working across regional cinema as a child and teen actor. “As working professionals, who has the time to think about all this? I tell Sara the same. These things are just cherries on top. The real, meditative space is doing your work.”
He adds that external validation cannot be the compass. “Some will write good things. Many will write negative things. It is all part of the profession. I have made her promise that, come what may, she will be the happiest person in the world. Everything else follows when you keep moving forward.”
Raj says Sara’s journey began unexpectedly when she was spotted in a mall at the age of two and a half. “I came from Bhopal in 1999 to become an actor. I never thought my daughter would become one. Her journey took off naturally. Later, I sent her to a school in Coimbatore so she could decide for herself what she wanted. She returned, and offers began again. I did not have any role in shaping it.”
As a father, however, he has always been a quiet guide. “I accompanied her everywhere and helped her mature emotionally. My biggest advice has always been to be real. Be a little less, but never fake it. Agar rona nahi aa raha hai to udaas ho jaao.”
Raj says he is happy that Sara now has her own process. “She has been working since she was a kid, so she has her own individuality. Whenever she asks, I advise her based on my experience, but it is always just guidance. My father was never strict with me, and I have followed the same. I give my children freedom. I have treated them more as a friend than a father.”
Sara had played younger version of Aishwarya Rai in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan I and II. She has also featured in Ekta Kapoor's film Ek Thi Dayan (2013). Raj was last seen in Yudhra (2024) and Match Fixing this year and will be next seen in Ram Gopal Verma's Rush.
