Our Profession Never Ceases To Surprise
Arjun Rampal talks about what he looks for in a role, and how they raised the bar in season 2 of ‘Rana Naidu’
By : subhash k jha
Update: 2025-07-26 16:17 GMT
QHow do you view your journey so far?
I am truly blessed and in a great space right now. I am getting to do the kind of work that I really enjoy doing, with some fabulously talented people around me.
QHow is OTT different from the big screen?
It’s more or less the same to me. In OTT, you film faster compared to film. You also get to spend more time on fleshing out your character Otherwise it’s all a film set.
Q If your children are inclined towards acting, what would your reaction be?
I would encourage them to work on their craft. These days, they have great access to a fantastic education which can hone their skills. Mahikaa, my eldest daughter, has already graduated from film school. Now she should assist on some films and then start her auditions. It’s a profession which never ceases to surprise you. That’s the beauty of this work. One needs to keep pushing the envelope.
Q What do you look for in your screenplay?
Too many things — clarity, how unpredictable it is, how easily one can comprehend it without spoon feeding, how original it is — it goes on and on.
Q Season 2 of ‘Rana Naidu’ is more taut. Did you have to work harder this time?
I am delighted you felt that we raised the bar with Season 2.
I was a fan of season 1, so it was a lot of pressure to live upto. That credit goes to Karan Anshuman, Suparn and Abhay.
Q Your character, Rauf, is like a modern-day Robin Hood. Is that how you saw him?
I think that he is a loyalist and is very protective of his own people. If the antagonist doesn’t have a strong belief system of his own, it gets boring.
Q Did you have to exorcize your urbanity, work on the accent and the body language?
When you play characters that are so different from you, you have to become that person. I gained 12 kgs for this part. As Rana is a huge guy and has very strong screen presence, it was important for Rauf to look a particular way.
The accents one has to work on, the body language and other aspects come when you are close to where you want to go.
QHow is OTT different from the big screen?
It’s more or less the same to me. In OTT, you film faster compared to film. You also get to spend more time on fleshing out your character Otherwise it’s all a film set.
Q If your children are inclined towards acting, what would your reaction be?
I would encourage them to work on their craft. These days, they have great access to a fantastic education which can hone their skills. Mahikaa, my eldest daughter, has already graduated from film school. Now she should assist on some films and then start her auditions. It’s a profession which never ceases to surprise you. That’s the beauty of this work. One needs to keep pushing the envelope.
Q What do you look for in your screenplay?
Too many things — clarity, how unpredictable it is, how easily one can comprehend it without spoon feeding, how original it is — it goes on and on.
Q Season 2 of ‘Rana Naidu’ is more taut. Did you have to work harder this time?
I am delighted you felt that we raised the bar with Season 2.
I was a fan of season 1, so it was a lot of pressure to live upto. That credit goes to Karan Anshuman, Suparn and Abhay.
Q Your character, Rauf, is like a modern-day Robin Hood. Is that how you saw him?
I think that he is a loyalist and is very protective of his own people. If the antagonist doesn’t have a strong belief system of his own, it gets boring.
Q Did you have to exorcize your urbanity, work on the accent and the body language?
When you play characters that are so different from you, you have to become that person. I gained 12 kgs for this part. As Rana is a huge guy and has very strong screen presence, it was important for Rauf to look a particular way.
The accents one has to work on, the body language and other aspects come when you are close to where you want to go.