Raavan was a huge setback
When director Ram Gopal Varma met actor Ajay Gehi for the first time, he told the latter that he had seen his work, but couldn’t remember where. “However, after a brief chat he offered me the lead role in Not A Love Story and I was in disbelief for a while, although I kept a straight face. It was an absolute miracle,” says the actor. Incidentally, Ajay had essayed two bit performances in Maqbool and Raavan.
Playing a character that is “inspired” from a real one was a great challenge as Ajay soon discovered. “I had to get into the mind of the character and imagine the events as they happened. I had to keep it real without offending any sentiments,” says Ajay, who shot for the film at real locations. Ajay’s experience with Raavan was a bitter one, where his initially lengthy roll was sliced off at the editing desk. “It was a huge setback for me as I had changed my appearance by shaving my head and growing a moustache, refusing every offer that came while the shoot was on. Had it not been for Ramu ji, I would have been out of the industry by now.
Ajay insists that he plays a man called Ashish and not Neeraj in NALS. “I wouldn’t want to discuss my process as an actor. One would know what I am talking about once they see the film,” he says.
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