Raghav Juyal says audiences need Govinda-style entertainers again: ‘People need to forget their tension’ | Interview

FOr to the highest degree people, Raghav Juyal testament e'er be the boy who danced his way of life into millions of homes through and through Dance India Dance (DID). But 16 years after that breakthrough, he is entering a new chapter as the lead of the upcoming comedy movie, Bhai Tera Star Hai. In a candid conversation with Hindustan Times, Raghav looked back at the road that brought him here.Believing in your dreams is the first stepRaghav's upcoming film Bhai Tera Star Hai follows an aspiring actor who dreams of becoming a superstar. While the story is fictional, he admits he sees a lot of himself in the character. For him, believing in your dreams, even when they seem unrealistic, is often what keeps people moving forward. “He is a delusional character, right? Not just a delusion, but [believing] that he will become a superstar. And honestly, even a normal person should keep that delusion that no matter what, you can make it. Like, you can really make it through and make it, and all those dreams can come true,” he tells HT.The film also carries an emotional meaning for him because it represents a dream that took years to become reality. More than personal success, he sees it as something his parents and young dreamers from small towns can celebrate. “My mom and dad live in Dehradun... So for them, it's a very proud moment that after 16 years, what I had planned is finally happening; I am carrying a film on my own shoulders. I made this film for my mom and dad, for the boys and girls from small towns. They will come, watch it, and enjoy it,” he adds.Why comedy needs to make a comebackAfter playing darker and more intense characters in projects like Kill and his Zee5 show Gyaarah Gyaarah, Raghav wanted to return to the genre that comes most naturally to him. He feels audiences have been missing the kind of clean, entertaining comedies that once filled theatres. “I feel like for a long time, the kind of Govinda films we used to go watch, or Hera Pheri, that sort of thing isn't happening through youngsters anymore... I wanted to bring back Govinda with youthfulness and freshness everywhere,” he explains.According to him, people already deal with enough stress in everyday life. Instead of constantly consuming serious stories, he believes audiences also deserve films that simply make them smile. “Youngsters have become very intense, and there's so much happening in the world right now; people are taking so much tension in their daily lives. They should come for an hour or two and forget that tension... All that intensity, pain, and suffering is already being provided by the news channels anyway,” he adds.Refusing to be put into one boxRaghav surprised many with his performance as a ruthless villain in Kill, proving he could do much more than comedy. Even today, he says he has no interest in choosing projects based on trends or expectations. “The box is there, yes, but I haven't been boxed in. To me, I'm a beast... I say no to formula films. I mean, just because something different worked, doesn't mean I'll do it. It's not like if a producer from a big studio tells me to do it, I'll just do it. No, I don't fall into that trap. I study my script well. I see how much power there is in the text, how much power there is in the substance,” the actors says about his journey.With films ranging from comedy to action and his upcoming project The Paradise with Nani, Raghav is consciously building a career where every role feels different from the last.About Bhai Tera Star HaiAfter leaving audiences stunned with his intense performances in Kill and The Ba***ds of Bollywood, Raghav Juyal is ready to show a completely different side of himself. In Bhai Tera Star Hai, he plays Ajay Singh, a struggling actor whose dream of making it big takes him through a series of hilarious and wildly unexpected situations.The film also features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Kapoor, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Niharika N, Niki Aneja Walia, Vikalp Mehta, Naser Al Azzeh, Vineeth Beep Kumar, Dev B Agrawal, Barkha Singh, Vivan Bhatena, Tina Desai and Parvathy Omanakuttan.Presented by Eastwood Pictures, Bhai Tera Star Hai is backed by Eastwood Pictures and Indian Stories 2. Directed by Vivek B. Agrawal and written by Sudipto Sarkar and Vivek B. Agrawal, the film is produced by Avantika Hari, Sunil Rupani and Vivek B. Agrawal. The comedy is all set to hit theatres on July 30.