Actor Rag Mayur was ‘never a rule breaker’, he says candidly. And yet, looking at his filmography - Cinema Bandi, Keedaa Cola, Modern Love - you wonder how that’s possible. “It’s going to sound stereotypical when I say this…but I hate stereotypes,” he tells Hindustan Times, in his way of explaining it all.

In the next few minutes, Rag talks about everything from why he wanted to be an actor to his upcoming film Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra, his choice of scripts and more.

‘I waited for 9 years for a break’

Rag's childhood in Hyderabad was like most other 90s kid from a middle-class family. “I always had a penchant for movies. Shah Rukh Khan and Chiranjeevi were my absolute favourites. But we would have cable TV at home only during the summers, so my brother and I focused on our studies for the rest of the year. Watching movies and listening to music on cassettes was always such a special occasion,” explains the actor.

After completing his engineering here, Rag moved to the US for his Masters. “I even worked as a film critic for a portal for 7 years. I would dabble in theatre, direct short films, work a 9-5 job—basically do too many things at once. I thought direction was my forte, but as it turns out, it was acting. After I moved back to India, I waited 9 long years for a break till Raj & DK noticed my demo film,” he adds.

‘Everyone tried to cash in on Cinema Bandi’

The minute people saw Rag in the 2021 Netflix film Cinema Bandi, they knew he was special. Maridesh Babu, his character—a budding actor and bonafide jester—seemed tailor-made for him. The Praveen Kandregula-directed production by Raj & DK soon opened new doors for him, but the actor admits he was choosy with his roles.

“After Cinema Bandi, everyone tried to cash in on it. Personally, I know that won’t work for me. I don’t want to be boxed in, so the going has been slow but steady since then. I’ve been picking up roles with depth,” he says, adding, “Tharun Bhascker’s Keedaa Cola was a dark comedy, but it incited deep conversations. I deeply respect Venkatesh Maha, which led me to the anthology, Modern Love Hyderabad.”

‘I worked with a dream team’

And now his next film, Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra, seems close to heart because of the actors involved. Rag claims that his co-stars Naresh and Rajendra Prasad were always on his list of favourite actors, and he teams up with Brahmanandam for the second time after Keedaa Cola—even if they don’t have scenes together. “I couldn’t play Brahmanandam’s grandson last time (in Keedaa Cola). I was envious, so I’m glad I played it this time,” he says.

“For once, I play an urban man, someone trying to break norms. He’s an independent thinker from a middle-class, orthodox family. Life isn’t a cakewalk for him, and the film will explore his equations with his family. A road trip helps him rediscover relationships,” explains Rag. The actor adds that he could relate a lot to his character, “He’s not like me but I get it. Unlike him, I had a great relationship with my father and had umpteen freedom. I was no rule breaker like him, so it took me some time to understand him in that aspect,” he adds.

‘I want to create my own niche’

Apart from Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra, Rag also has Praveen’s next film, Paradha, with Anupama Parameswaran, Darshana Rajendran and Sangeetha. “Praveen has a very unique way of looking at things. The film is based on something we’re all aware of but very few of us explore in cinema. I’m proud to be part of the film,” says the actor. He will also star in Shashank Yeleti’s Don’t Trouble The Trouble, apart from Gandhi Tatha Chettu with director Sukumar’s daughter Sukriti, a madcap comedy film and a yet-to-be-announced web series.

“I’m really excited to be part of such perfect projects and to play such interesting roles. I want to focus now on playing only the lead unless the film is very interesting. I want to create my niche like Rajkummar Rao or Fahadh Faasil. I want people to continue to struggle to box me in certain kinds of roles. I’m more than just a funny man; they will see more of me,” rounds off Rag.

Veeranjaneyulu Vihara Yatra will stream on Etv Win from August 14.

TeluguCinema

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