The return of Rajeev Pillai

The vagaries of filmdom are well known — one day you could be up in the clouds with fawning admirers jostling for autographs and selfies and the next day could see the same group gathering around another happening star. Rajeev Pillai has seen the crests and troughs and learnt from them; some of his last projects did not get the required results at the box office but he persevered.

Today that patience has borne fruit — Rajeev’s role in Oru Muttasshi Gadha(OMG) has been noticed and happy days are here again. Busy with the practice sessions for the Badminton League in which he is one of the players for Kerala, Rajeev is all smiles as he says, “It has been a long two and a half years since I have been a part of any film. It was not that I was not getting any roles but they were all because of my physical appearance and I did not take up those projects.”

Talking about his role of Milind in OMG, Rajeev explains, “I have known Jude before he became a director or me an actor — our friendship goes back a long way! Jude could have got anybody for the role but I am grateful that he decided to cast me.” There is a scene that has Rajeev consuming more than a dozen egg whites which Rajeev does in real life. The friend in Jude has taken the liberty to cast that incident on the big screen and Rajeev agrees,” That character is close to my real self!”

Though Rajeev and Jude are friends, that equation changed when Rajeev stepped in front of the camera. “Jude the director is very particular on what he wants and the friend is nowhere in place when he is behind the camera. He knows what I can deliver and used to get angry and scold me till I gave him what he wanted,” says Rajeev fondly.  Rajeev has a Tamil film Ezhu Naatkal up for release which has him sharing screen space with Shakti and Prabhu.

Seeing him puff on the badminton court after watching him effortlessly swing his bat to hit a six or a four while playing cricket, Rajeev concedes, “I am not a great badminton player but I have faith in my athletic ability. I am a good cricketer and footballer than a badminton player but feel with practice, my hand and feet coordination can be improved. Physical fitness is of paramount importance,” he signs off before going for another round on the shuttle court.