An Indian Avatar

Ramamurthy is dressed in a purple tee and a pair of denims and the effects of an early morning photo shoot show in the ruffled curls and the 8 pm shadow. But the smile doesn’t leave him — the 35-year-old is evidently excited about his Bollywood debut Shor. In this Ekta Kapoor production,he plays an NRI,Abhay,who falls in love with Mumbai on his visit to the city.

A second-generation Indian in the US,Ramamurthy has a natural affinity for the character. His story is one of the three parallel tracks in Shor and traces Abhay’s journey that begins in a Colaba penthouse and ends in the narrow alleys of the metropolis.

For a Hollywood actor — despite all the warnings — the way the Indian film industry functions can come as a surprise. “A camera can cause a stir in a crowded Colaba street. And after you have given what may be your best shot,you will have to roll again just because someone in the crowd waved in the background. Now,that can be irksome sometimes,but I understand that it is impossible to cordon off an entire area in a teeming metropolis like Mumbai,” says Ramamurthy,between sips of his coffee.

Ramamurthy,who comes from a family of doctors,gave up med school for acting. But he admits that he finds his career extremely tough. “I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone and am actively discouraging people,” he says. “Well,it’s the rejection that I find tough to handle. I don’t get anywhere near the roles I want to do. I often go for auditions and find myself competing against actors who are much established. When the other guy bags the role I so badly want to be him.” For now,Ramamurthy is glad that Bollywood,though patrimonial,hasn’t been hostile towards him. “Most actors here have the same last name,” he laughs.

The actor is preparing himself for parallel careers in Bollywood and Hollywood. While he is waiting to hear from the producers of Heroes about the show’s fate,his film A Wonderful Afterlife by Gurinder Chadha premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in the US next week.