Gajraj Rao said that things changed in Indian cinema suddenly in the middle as filmmakers shifted focus to profit making.
Gajraj Rao also opened up his upcoming series Dupahiya. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Gajraj Rao has carved a niche for himself with his relatable portrayals in various slice-of-life films and television shows. His roles in films like Badhaai Ho, Talvar, and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, and Blackmail and web series like TVF’s F.A.T.H.E.R.S. and Tech Conversations with Dad have etched a special place in the hearts of his fans. The actor has been garnering praise for his role in the Netflix show Dabba Cartel and is gearing for Dupahiya on Prime Video. Amidst his achievements, Gajraj Rao recently reflected on the shift in Indian cinema narratives through the years.
In an interview with HT, Gajraj Rao shared that the beginning of Indian film history saw evergreen movies by directors such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Basu Chatterjee, and Sai Paranjape. However, things changed suddenly in the middle as filmmakers shifted focus to profit making. “There was a whole phase of cinema in the middle where limitations came into play. The fear of Friday came in”, he noted. He said that the filmmakers assumed the audience wanted item numbers and slowly the fabric of filmmaking changed.
Regardless, the Maja Ma actor feels grateful for the proliferation of content deep-rooted in Indian culture and real-life scenarios yet again via the streaming platforms. Talking about the past enormity of larger than life concepts in cinema, he said, “OTT has freed that by bringing shows similar to Nukkad and Buniyaad. This is such a huge buffet that it has something for everyone. You can watch whatever you want,” Gajraj explained.
Talking about Gajraj’s upcoming drama on Prime Video, Dupahiya will premiere from March 7. The series is based on the plot of a small village in Bihar. It will showcase the aspirations of the middle class with a simple story of a two-wheeler. It also stars Renuka Shahane, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Sparsh Srivastava, and Bhuvan Arora in key roles.
During the promotions of the series, the actor recalled his first impression of the show and shared, “The moment Salona (Bains Joshi, executive producer of Dupahiya) sent me the script, she asked for my thoughts on it. Within just 3-4 days, I read it and immediately responded, saying, ‘I had to be a part of this- no second thoughts. Everything else-logistics, negotiations-could be figured out later, but this project was a must for me.’”
