Raghav Juyal is going in for the kill. Playing ‘bad’ has served the 33-year-old dancer-turned-actor well, as he is being hailed as the deadliest villain ever seen on Indian screens.
Raaghav plays the brutal Fani in filmmaker Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s R-rated ultra-violent thriller Kill. “It has been the perfect launch for me as a main actor. Had I been launched any other way, I couldn’t have proven myself. Playing the character I have in Kill has created a buzz amongst filmmakers. Anurag Kashyap messaged me, saying I had cracked it, and that was the ultimate achievement for me. This film has opened doors that were earlier shut for me,” says Raghav with full honesty.
Kill, co-produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga, premiered at the Toronto International Festival in 2023. But unlike films that are toasts of the festival circuit, which usually struggle for a theatrical release, Kill is holding strong on the screens despite competition from biggies such as Kalki 2898 AD, and the fact that it’s a restricted watch, given its gory and ferocious content.
“We didn’t go on a promotional overdrive; it was all word-of-mouth — managing to get us audiences despite the nature of its content, which is not per everyone’s palate. My eyes welled when the film began with the Dharma signature tune. It was validation after 14 years of struggle,” says the actor.
Well known for his dance moves
Called the ‘King of Slow Motion’ given that he reinvented the slow motion dance walk, Raghav is a well-known dancer and choreographer as well as a show host. His appearances in films such as ABCD2, Street Dancer 3D and Kissi Ka Bhai Kissi Ki Jaan resulted in him being relegated to playing the supporting character to the likes of Varun Dhawan and Salman Khan.
He feels that in Kill, he was evenly balanced with Lakshay in the lead.
“This is the right way to approach films and scripts. At the end of the day, the backbone of any project has to be acting and performance,” that’s what matters says Raghav.
Nevertheless, he has to avoid the stereotype trap. “The industry loves to box you. Earlier they would give me dancing parts and now it will be villainous avatars. I will balance my next Yudhra (with Siddhant Chaturvedi) with something lighter,” he says.
Hard work all the way
Raghav, who hails from Dehradun, feels that an outsider like him is as good as his last project, since unlike those in the ‘family,’ he may not get another chance.
“It’s an old debate — the Insiders vs. Outsiders. I have been here for a while, and yes, we have to work a bit harder; in a way, it helps you. Had I been one of the privileged few, maybe I would not have worked as hard, because you get comfortable. After a successful project, I have to work harder for the next and keep proving myself, since I have neither a Godfather nor backup. But I am glad we now have casting directors, who at least call actors like me for auditions,” he stresses.
Raghav notes that post-Kill, he has not only seen a change in the industry’s attitude to him but audience perceptions as well. “When I came here in 2011, I had youngsters who followed me, now I have cineastes leaving comments,” he shares.
Raghav, who is known for his smooth footwork on stage, feels Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal are the industry’s most effortless dancers.
“Art needs to be easy. I see that in them.” And now, having tasted blood with Kill, Raghav says he would love to star in a vampire film opposite Alia Bhatt.
