Would do anything for a movie with Salman Khan
4 Nov 2013 3:16 AM IST
He was a small town boy from Bareilly, but his Mumbai trip turned everything around for him. Paras Arora marks his Bollywood debut with Rajjo that stars strong actors like Kangana Ranaut, Mahesh Manjrekar and Prakash Raj.
'I came to Mumbai in 2007 to audition for dance competitions, gave quite a few and went back home. Then I started getting calls,' says Arora. He recalls that he had once easily said out a dialogue that was a page long and the director auditioning him was very impressed. He was only 12 years old then. That was perhaps Arora's leap into the limelight, the kid had talent.
He became a familiar face on television as Veer Shivaji, the mythological drama that was aired on Colors. Director of Rajjo, Vishwas Patil spotted Arora on this very show and picked him for the movie. Now as Rajjo prepares for a 16 November release alongside Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela, the excitement is palpable in the actor.
'I play the role of Chandu, a Maharashtrian Brahmin who loves cricket and music,' says Arora. Rajjo is the story of a nautch girl. It tells the love story of Rajjo (Kangana Ranaut) and Chandu set against the backdrop of the dying Kothas of Mumbai.
'When Chandu helps his team win a cricket match, the team decides to celebrate the victory by visiting the kothas of Nagpada. This is where Chandu meets Rajjo,' explains Arora as he tries to create a bridge between a Brahmin boy and the nautch girl. Their love has to survive the odds off a changing social scenario and obvious family opposition.
Speaking about his co-star Kangana, Arora says,' She often forgets that she's a star, she is very down-to-earth,' as he adds that despite all the big names on the sets, he was never made to feel that he did not belong there. Arora recalls an incident where he had to slap Kangana and he actually hit her by mistake and laughs about how nervous that made him. Kangana was unaffected by the incident he says, 'She made me feel that is wasn't a big deal and a simple mistake that anyone could make.'
Rajjo is Arora's first film that is going to clash with Ram Leela, so what does the actor think? 'Releasing the movie with Ram Leela could be an issue, but if the director is confident, we are with him. If a film is pitted against a bigger movie that actually adds to the USP of the movie,' feels Arora. 'People are smart enough to recognise a good product,' he adds. 'Every movie comes with its own share of luck, says the actor, some movies get the basics of dates and publicity right but still don't work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed,' smiles Arora.
So what's next for the newbie? 'Meetings are on, but I won't sign anything before Rajjo releases,' he says. And what does he want to do next? 'I definitely want to do an action film,' says Arora but his dream is to work in a movie with Salman Khan. 'I don't care, I'll play his brother if I need to, I don't need a big role, I would do anything for a movie with Salman Khan!' And maybe one with Amitabh Bachchan and Katrina Kaif too, he hopes.
'I came to Mumbai in 2007 to audition for dance competitions, gave quite a few and went back home. Then I started getting calls,' says Arora. He recalls that he had once easily said out a dialogue that was a page long and the director auditioning him was very impressed. He was only 12 years old then. That was perhaps Arora's leap into the limelight, the kid had talent.
He became a familiar face on television as Veer Shivaji, the mythological drama that was aired on Colors. Director of Rajjo, Vishwas Patil spotted Arora on this very show and picked him for the movie. Now as Rajjo prepares for a 16 November release alongside Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Ram Leela, the excitement is palpable in the actor.
'I play the role of Chandu, a Maharashtrian Brahmin who loves cricket and music,' says Arora. Rajjo is the story of a nautch girl. It tells the love story of Rajjo (Kangana Ranaut) and Chandu set against the backdrop of the dying Kothas of Mumbai.
'When Chandu helps his team win a cricket match, the team decides to celebrate the victory by visiting the kothas of Nagpada. This is where Chandu meets Rajjo,' explains Arora as he tries to create a bridge between a Brahmin boy and the nautch girl. Their love has to survive the odds off a changing social scenario and obvious family opposition.
Speaking about his co-star Kangana, Arora says,' She often forgets that she's a star, she is very down-to-earth,' as he adds that despite all the big names on the sets, he was never made to feel that he did not belong there. Arora recalls an incident where he had to slap Kangana and he actually hit her by mistake and laughs about how nervous that made him. Kangana was unaffected by the incident he says, 'She made me feel that is wasn't a big deal and a simple mistake that anyone could make.'
Rajjo is Arora's first film that is going to clash with Ram Leela, so what does the actor think? 'Releasing the movie with Ram Leela could be an issue, but if the director is confident, we are with him. If a film is pitted against a bigger movie that actually adds to the USP of the movie,' feels Arora. 'People are smart enough to recognise a good product,' he adds. 'Every movie comes with its own share of luck, says the actor, some movies get the basics of dates and publicity right but still don't work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed,' smiles Arora.
So what's next for the newbie? 'Meetings are on, but I won't sign anything before Rajjo releases,' he says. And what does he want to do next? 'I definitely want to do an action film,' says Arora but his dream is to work in a movie with Salman Khan. 'I don't care, I'll play his brother if I need to, I don't need a big role, I would do anything for a movie with Salman Khan!' And maybe one with Amitabh Bachchan and Katrina Kaif too, he hopes.
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