Jamai Raja is what his identity is from last four years to everyone who watch TV. He nailed his character of Siddharth Khurana so perfectly that viewers don’t remember Ravi Dubey but they adore their Siddharth. Perfect son, husband, and most importantly a son-in-law who is every mother-in-law’s dream boy. Every journey reaches its destination and so is Jamai Rajs’s. Ravi shares his heart about his journey.
How was the journey been?
Jamai Raja was a terrific journey. While everybody would say the show is shutting this month but I really mean it because this show has given me everything. Everything in all aspects, whether it is financially, creatively, personally or something else. In every possible way, the show has left me much richer than I was when the show has started. It was truly clutter breaking, Everybody knows that television is a female dominated space which is great because all the shows are doing extremely great. But there is been always this pre-conceived notion and it’s painful that there was never been any space for male protagonist on Indian television. So somewhere all of us together have been able to break that perception to some degree. I am very proud of that we are pioneers in a way. I just hope that we could be encouraging to makers so that they could deviate from the regular format of doing things. They can also invest their faith, money and effort into something else.
You have sported many get-ups. Which was most difficult yet close to your heart?
Like I said creatively it has been hugely satisfying experience. There is this huge risk of stuffs becoming Monday when you are doing television specially when you are doing long running shows and the shows which last for many years. So, playing the same character again and again, doing the same role repeatedly in a similar situation, it gets boring for a creative person one can feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed or deadlocked at times creatively but Jamai Raja was not such show. I think after every 3 or 4 months I was made to face challenge which made me expand my boundaries as an actor, as a professional and I am very proud of that. It gave me opportunity to put my thoughts into the character, to create a completely new character with completely new brain, new heart, new thoughts and a completely new way of talking walking, a new belief system and a new dialect. So I played everything in show with obviously nucleus Sidharth Khuranna. I played Satya, then Raghu – guy from UP, then I played a Sardar, Haryanvi and possessed women too.
Playing a woman was the most challenging phases of Jamai because seldom the protagonist takes the full fledged track. So, I am very grateful that I got this opportunity. I was squeamish at first but when I began to prepare for the role I felt more confident about it. Things just began to fall into place and I am very proud that I got opportunities time and again in course of Jamai.
The character that is closest to my heart is always Siddharth Khurana and all the other characters where off shoots of this main character.
Are you going to miss daily shoot of Jamai Raja?
Yes definitely, I will miss it. To be very honest with you, I don’t want to glorify my efforts in the show but I have worked quite hard. This was primarily because I was very protective about it and still I am. I want to give my best till last day. I was excited when the show began, I was excited throughout the show and am excited for healthy culmination of the show. We had a successful run and are going to finish 700 episodes and the 701st episode will be the last episode of the show. Everybody who is a part of the show is looking at it as a milestone, so am I. I am very happy with the journey. Yes! I am going to miss it, miss the routine but also I am happy and relieved that we have done our job. We have tried to do it in the best possible way and it’s been respected and loved by all. Somewhere I think, it will give me some time to revitalize myself. I am extremely excited. I was excited in all phases – in the beginning, throughout the journey and now for the culmination also.
In these four years, Jamai Raja must have given some cherishing memories. Share few with us.
There are several memories. Jamai has given me so much and so many memories to live with. I have had personal interactions with everyone. One of the special interactions is with Apraji. I really love her. I love Swaraji and now Shinny. I love Rajeshwariji, Mouliji, so many names playing so many characters, I love them all. There was only one equation that started of being very sour but eventually I found a good friend in Nia. Nia is now a very good friend but there was a time in the show when we literally did not had eye contacts in the show. There were lot of differences, sometimes creative, sometimes personal and sometimes professional. We choose not to get into any conversation with each other but as time passed and at the end of her character in the show, during the last 6 month we found good friends in each other. I am very lucky to have found a good friend in her. I have learned so much from the seniors that I have worked with in the show so a lot of memories are associated with the show but we have celebrated everything in the show. Whether we had some reasons or we didn’t really need reasons to party on the sets. We had get together for the whole unit, not just actors even the spot boys joined. In fact, I am planning a get together on 28th February, the day when we are culminating the show. I am thinking of doing a get together for everyone who has ever been a part of the show. From a spot boy to production team or director’s team, everybody is invited. We are looking for around 200 people who have been a part of Jamai Raja. We have marked some great memories in the journey till end the show.
Are you working on any new project?
I don’t have liberty to share lot of things right now but what I can definitely tell you is that we will talk soon.
What message you want to give to your fans who adore you?
My gratitude is my message for my fans. Thank you so much! Me and Sargun both, we are made by the love which fans have given us. We are made of the constant power and grace that they are sending us. And Jamai Raja is a clear example of that they have invested so much on me as a performer, as an actor. I cannot reciprocate it in any other way other than trying my best to entertain. After all that is what I would like to believe I am. I want to invest myself fully where I am. I want to request them that keep remembering me in your prayers, in your positive thoughts. Definitely, a lot of gratitude for making us who we are.
