Raghav Juyal says made a conscious decision to quit TV for Bollywood: “Dheere dheere paisa aik dum nil hone laga aur fame bhi jane laga” | Exclusive

Bollywood actor Raghav Juyal is being loved for his negative role in the recently released movie Kill, and now the actor-dancer is ready for his next role in the web series ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ on Zee 5.

Raghav Juyal, who made a deliberate shift from TV to Bollywood, says it is not an easy one and that there are many sacrifices in store. In an exclusive conversation with MoneyControl, Raghav spoke about how he took a break of five years and disappeared from TV to start his journey in Bollywood.

Raghav, who was a successful TV host, said it was difficult when he left his comfortable life in TV and took a break of five years to start afresh in Bollywood.

Self Doubt 

He said there was self-doubt at one point of time, and someone even advised him to do Bigg Boss to remain in the public eye.

Raghav added that he was satisfied with his work despite people's doubts and how he dealt with the challenges of dwindling money and fame. He said, “Haan dheere dheere jo paisa ek dum nill hone laga because of TV se sab cheezein chodi aur fame bhi jata hai.”

"There wasn't a struggle period, but people around me had doubts at one point, saying, 'Why don't you do Bigg Boss? You're not getting anywhere.' But I was shooting for films every day, which made me happy and satisfied as an actor. However, the money was dwindling because of TV shows, and fame was fading away. I'm not active on Instagram, and fame decreases over time, which makes you feel a bit insecure as a human being. But then you have to fight your own devil and tell yourself that this is the path you chose, so go for it,” he told us. So, every day I'm shooting for some or the other film, for which I was happy. I was satisfied as an actor. But haan dheere dheere jo paisa ek dum nill hone laga because of TV se sab cheezein chodi aur fame bhi jata hai, active nai rahte aap Instagram pe dhire dhire fame bhi kam hoti hai, and you get a little insecure to be honest as a human being. But then you have to fight your own devil, matlab the evil inside, and you have to tell yourself you believe.

He emphasized the importance of being passionate about his work and the sacrifices required to succeed in the film industry. Raghav says, ‘It's not easy to leave a comfortable TV life and enter this line.’

“I was lucky to have films with production companies like Sikhiya, Dharma, and Excel, which ensured a release. I knew that some films I worked hard on didn't get released, but I also knew that it takes time. It took five years for one film to release, and it's not easy to leave a comfortable TV life and enter this line. You need to be passionate about it because it requires a lot of sacrifices,” he added.

TV actors being seen more 

On being asked if he faced any hinderance in getting roles since he is from TV, Raghav said for TV actors there is one major disadvantage for TV actors that they are ‘overexposed’. Raghav says he took a genuine call to be invisible from the public eye and concentrate on his craft.

"If Shah Rukh Khan was told back then that he's just a TV actor who has done Fauji and Circus and whatnot, he wouldn't have made it big. He tried playing villainous roles in 2-3 films because he wasn't getting hero roles. I have a similar story. When there are no lead roles, you take up villainous roles and perform them well. Now, it's the era of villains, and films are being made solely on villains. So, I don't think TV is a hindrance. If you know your craft, it's important to be less seen. On TV, you're seen every day, and that's a problem. People say TV actors can't make it big because they're seen every day, and that's a hindrance. You need a big reason for people to spend money on tickets and watch you on the big screen. I think Sushant Singh Rajput and Vikrant Massey took a gap, and I did too. It's important to be seen less and seen right. If you want to be seen and just be famous, that's a different job. But as an actor, you need to surprise people and not be seen everywhere. That's why people say TV actors can't make it big."

When asked how he made this dramatic shift from being a dancer to now a ‘dreaded villain’ in Kill, Raghav said he didn't have a specific plan to become a villain but was open to exploring different roles.

Becoming Villain onscreen 

"I didn't have a plan to become a villain, but I used to give a lot of auditions. My casting directors saw me in a lot of different roles, and I'm really thankful to them.”

"Growth, I think, is important. When you're in a comfortable space, you have a house, a car, a good job, and you're enjoying life, but then your growth stops. I needed to learn new things and act in different roles. As long as I'm alive, I want to explore different characters and emotions through acting. It's really fun to go into an imaginary world and tap into those feelings and emotions. I love acting, and that's why I said, 'Let's have this experience too,” he added, talking about his sudden decision to quit TV and move to Bollywood.

Watch the Video Interview with Raghav Juyal:

"To be honest, my character in Kill was very challenging, but the role that moved the entire being was this role of a police office in Gyaarah Gyaarah. That’s what makes it enjoyable. However, the character I played was a complex one, and it was difficult for me to maintain his motive throughout. He's a police officer, but he's also guilt-driven, questioning his own duty and policing in general. He's like a complainant from all sides.

Challenges of complex character 

Raghav spoke about the challenges of playing a complex character, a police officer with a troubled past and guilt-driven motivations. He found it difficult to maintain the character's motive throughout the season but enjoyed the challenge of playing a complex and vulnerable character.

“It was tough for me to play this character because he's not just a straightforward police officer. He's a troubled soul throughout the season, and that affected my entire being. There was no set pattern to his behavior, and he was vulnerable, crying, and questioning his own job. It was a contradictory character, and it was very challenging, but I enjoyed it,” said Raghav.