By: Mohnish Singh
Known for helming a number of memorable films such as Murder (2004), Gangster (2007), and Barfi (2012), Anurag Basu is a filmmaker that is on the wish list of every Indian actor. Rohit Saraf fulfilled his dream of working with him quite early in his career. The young actor played a beautifully written character in Basu’s directorial offering Ludo (2020), which recently premiered on Netflix.
Also starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Pearle Maaney, Sanya Malhotra, and Fatima Sana Shaikh in important roles, Ludo did not only garner great reviews from critics but also appealed to all segments of the audience.
Talking about how the success of the film has changed things for him, Saraf tells a publication, “I recently stepped out to watch one of Akarsh Khurana’s plays and some people came up to me and said ‘We liked the way you played Rahul, we loved your honesty’. You look for such motivating assurances that make you confident about your craft,” says the actor who made his silver screen debut with Gauri Shinde’s acclaimed film Dear Zindagi (2016).
When asked about Ludo premiering on streaming media, skipping theatrical release, Saraf says, “In such times, the web made more sense as the film released in 190 countries to a massive audience across the globe. The 70 mm charm is undeniable, but people are enjoying OTT. It is about content reaching the audience.”
The debate around the topic of nepotism in Bollywood is never passe. Asked Saraf about his journey in showbiz without any godfather and he says, “I do not want to disregard any of the struggles others faced, but mine were different. I also gave auditions that never materialised not necessarily because I am an outsider, but things did not work out at many levels.”
Rohit Saraf will next be seen in Tamil film Enge Andha Vaan.
Bhumi Pednekar
