Rushad Rana, who is currently seen in the TV show Mehendi Wala Ghar and will soon be seen in Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Ulajh, started his Bollywood journey with Shah Rukh Khan’s Mohabbatein. Though it was a small role, he says he is not hesitant to share it as it was a great learning experience for him. He is gearing up for the release of his latest movie, Ulajh, and revealed that he is currently busy auditioning for interesting roles.
He said, “My filmography includes Mohabbatein, where I started with a very small part. There were three boys cast along with the main three boys, Jimmy, Jugal, and Uday. It was an enriching experience for me. Working with living legends like Mr. Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Aditya Chopra was an excellent experience for me and taught me a lot, and that is the reason I don’t feel shy about mentioning that I’ve started my Bollywood career with such a small part. After Mohabbatein, the prominent films I have done are Veer-Zaara. The movie happened because Aditya Sir really liked me. In fact, my number had changed during that period. But they kept waiting. They found my number from somewhere.”
“Other notable films I’ve done are Dor, which opened up doors to Bollywood for me, 8x10 Tasveer with Nagesh Kukunoor, Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, and Maatr, which was my last theatrical release and marked Raveena Tandon’s comeback. I also did an OTT film called Nail Polish, which came out in January 2021. Another film I forget mentioning was Juda Hoke Bhi. It was a visually impaired character that I played and it did well on Zee 5. Mahesh Bhatt called me in office to praise me so it is an award for me. And if all goes well with Vikram Bhatt sir I will be doing a new film with them as well. There are few unreleased films too like Privacy, The Rapist, and Kaise Ho Mik. Post Ulajh have been auditioning for some interesting films and web series,” he added.
Ulajh is slated to hit theaters on August 2, and Rushad plays the role of a politician in the movie. “The character is very positive, vibrant, and energetic, traits that I share in real life. Unfortunately, I can’t disclose more about the character at this point in time,” he said.
He mentioned that he enjoys doing suspenses and thrillers and added, “They are doing very well on OTT platforms and in theaters. People find these kinds of films intriguing and exciting.”
Having spent over two decades in the TV industry, Rushad shared that it taught him to be on his feet. “It’s a cutthroat industry. As actors, we don’t get much time to go through the scenes on the set as well. There are times when we have 2-3 pages of dialogue and we are expected to get ready in 20 minutes,” he said.
“I think it also helps me to be relevant because, for any creative person, the more you work, the sharper you get. I haven’t been to acting school. Whatever I have learned, I have learned it all on my feet. So yes, TV is my school, teacher, and guru, and it has given me name, fame, fortune, and everything,” he shared.
