'When I gave the audition and landed the role of the villain Fani, I felt this is the only character which will establish me as an actor in Indian cinema.'
Raghav Juyal's birthday on July 10 was extra special: It came right after his feature film Kill opened to critical acclaim in theatres.
"My mother came from Dehradun, and we quietly checked the movie theatres. I wore a hood and mask," he tells Subhash K Jha.
"When I went to a theatre, a huge crowd came out from a screen. When my mother asked which movie they were coming out of, they said, Kill. Inside, from the last row to the first, people did not move from their seats. I saw my action scenes with the audience.
"People were clapping not for big stars, but for me. I was drenched in tears. It is reassuring to know that an actor like me from the outside can succeed."
Raghav is enjoying this new phase in his career.
"Ours is a small budget film. There is no item number, no songs. It is an R-rated film. Despite that, people are giving so much love to it," he says.
"Lakshya and I are new to cinema, and we are very happy. On my birthday, the film crossed Rs 10 crore (Rs 100 million).
"We are able to attract the public with our film, and that is a very big thing for me. On my birthday, my biggest gift is that the public is loving this film, giving love through word-of-mouth. This is the love of cinema."
Raghav has been excited about Kill from the start.
"When I gave the audition and landed the role of the villain Fani, I felt this is the only character which will establish me as an actor in Indian cinema. I had an intuition that this role means something; it is a path-breaking role.
"The physical preparation took nine months. But more than physical, I did mental and psychological preparation. (I worked on) The body rhythm of this character and the Bihari accent because I am from Uttarakhand, and don't have that touch of eastern UP. It took me about two-and-a-half months.
"I must have read the script at least a hundred times. Every time I read the script, there was a new discovery in the nuances of the character, in the behaviour..."
Raghav rates his Kill Director Nikhil Bhat very highly.
"Nikhil sir is 10 out of 10. He did not stop me from any improvisations that I made. He had written everything in detail, and made the text so strong. I would like to work with him again."
Then he shares: "A Dharma series is coming in August and by the end of August-September, there will be a very big film. I have a very interesting character in it. I have a dance number, basically, what happens in Bollywood commercial films."
Raghav doesn't mind starting his big screen journey as a villain.
"Shah Rukh Khan had started as a villain. If you want to really become an actor, you have to have a hold on your craft. You need to work through it. Some take longer, some take less time, it is a matter of luck. But one should not stop working hard.
"It's been 14 years since I came here to become a background dancer. I never stopped learning. I became a dancer, choreographer, then I did some hosting. I trained in acting for five-six years, gave a lot of auditions, and then this happened."
