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Rajvir Arora,who makes his debut in psychological thriller 404,talks about his bumpy filmi journey and working with three directors in one film.

Rajvir Arora,who makes his debut in psychological thriller 404,talks about his bumpy filmi journey and working with three directors in one film.

Launch Vehicle
In Parwaal Ramans psychological suspense thriller,404,I play Abhimanyu,a junior college student. My on-screen character,Abhimanyu,is unlike my real-life persona and it was a real challenge getting into the skin of my character. I think what drew me to the role were the complexities of Abhimanyus character. Abhimanyu is a rational person,but when someone plays a dirty trick on him,he loses his rationality.

Casting Coup
Some years ago,I had worked on a music video for Page 3. The producer of the music video,who was still in touch with me when the casting of 404 had begun,asked me to give the auditions. After the first round of auditions,the director,Prawaal Raman,did not like my auditions so I was called in the next day too. After another round of auditions that lasted for a couple of days,I finally got selected for the role.

Stepping stone
I always wanted to pursue acting but,my family insisted that I complete my studies before I join the industry. So,I did my bachelors from Delhi University and a few years later,I went abroad to acquire an MBA in marketing. I have no formal training in acting or theatre and Bollywood is completely alien to me.

First shot
It was the opening scene of the film. When the shot was being filmed,Nishikant Kamat and Satish Kaushik,who have roles in 404 and my director Prawaal Raman were on the sets. Their presence made me very nervous as I did not want to make a fool of myself in-front of the directors.

Lessons learnt
As an actor one should be honest to the profession as there is no shortcut in Bollywood. Irrespective of what your role is in a film,it is important to treat everyone on the sets with respect,and if you are really passionate about your job then your passion will definitely show someday.

Stumbling blocks
After my studies when I returned to India,I had to go through the grind for four years before I bagged a role as the protagonist in 404. Through my struggling years I gave plenty of auditions that never materialised. 404 gave me the opportunity to work with well-known directors like Kamat and Kaushik. I come from a simple family background and I never dreamt that I could come this far in the industry.

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Matinee Idol
I have my list of favourites but I would love to work with all the stars as long as they are willing to work with me. For me,the role and the script precede the actor I would be sharing screen-space with. My all-time favourites are Shah Rukh Khans role in Devdas and Aamir Khan’s in Sarfarosh.

Future Projects
For now,I want to concentrate on the promotions of 404. I have many expectations from the film and hope to be appreciated for my role.

Anita.aikaraexpressindia.com