Few actors in Hindi cinema have had quite the tryst with superstardom as Arjun Rampal. At several stages of his career, he flirted with major stardom, only for it to prove evasive. From playing the iconic villain in Om Shanti Om to an ISI officer in the Dhurandhar franchise, he has seen and done it all. Now, after being in the industry for two and a half decades, the actor is at ease with where he stands in his career. And even as he leads a major Hindi film, the latest ZEE5 release Blind Game, after five years, Arjun remains as grounded as some of his subdued protagonists in Hindi cinema.
Dismissing the notion about Blind Game being his long-awaited comeback into a headliner role, the actor candidly says, “I don't like it when people say, ‘Oh, this is an Arjun Rampal film.’ It's a Sangeeth Sivan film. It's Anuj Sharma's (producer) film. It is Priyamani’s film. The film belongs to all the actors who have worked in it.” While acknowledging that he is among the few known faces in Blind Game, Arjun reminds us that the film also has several newcomers with much to offer.
Blind Game is a remake of the 2014 Malayalam thriller 7th Day, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, but Arjun notes that several changes have been made to the screenplay to ensure relevance. Several modern thrillers employ the latest gadgets equipped with artificial intelligence, but Arjun notes that the minimalism of Blind Game is what appealed to him. “I like the fact that it's grounded. It has a simple, basic story set across one night that lends itself beautifully to the Manali setting,” Arjun explains. He adds, “We're in a day and age where everything is getting so unreal, causing a disconnect. The challenge of a thriller lies in keeping it real and organic, which is where Blind Game excels.”
The suspense thriller marks Arjun Rampal’s first collaboration with director Sangeeth Sivan, and the filmmaker’s last directorial venture before his passing in 2024. Calling Sangeeth “an amazing man,” Arjun reminisces about collaborating with the filmmaker on the thriller. “Sangeeth was so excited about this film. We had spoken so many times about doing a film together. I'm really fortunate that we finally did it. Nobody knew this would be his last film, and it is really sad that he is no longer with us.” Interestingly, Arjun reveals that Sangeeth had even started to write for a Blind Game sequel before his untimely death. “I guess wherever he is now, he'll be smiling. He really worked hard on it. I think this is one of the best films in his career.”
Regarding what makes Sangeeth a good filmmaker, Arjun shares, “There is a quirkiness and a unique sense of humour about him, which you either get or don’t get. He's been able to bring it into the film. Even a serious subject such as Blind Game has that underlying Sangeeth Sivan touch.”
Speaking of which, the actor reveals that his character also has a comedic element in Blind Game, although he keeps its specifics under wraps to avoid spoilers. “You should go in blind for Blind Game. The film has so many twists and turns that keep you guessing. There's a surprise at the end that I didn’t see coming, and I hope the audience won't either. If you do guess it, send me an Instagram message—I'll definitely respond,” the actor reveals, while adding that such an approach to filmmaking and film viewing ultimately contributes to a thriller’s repeat value.
Arjun Rampal is also known for playing brooding characters with a simmering sense of intensity in Hindi cinema, such as the filmmaker in The Last Lear (2008), opposite Amitabh Bachchan, and the grey-shaded gangster in Daddy (2017), in addition to his menacing villains. The actor, however, does not distinguish the roles that come his way as heroes and villains. “To have layers and depth in a character automatically makes you more intense and will bring out a certain level of brooding inside of you. Especially characters who are dealing with emotions which are very intense and are also very cold, such as damaged ones feeling hurt and pain. I enjoy portraying such roles because once you do it, it's like you've come out of therapy,” Arjun shares.
This insight from Arjun Rampal is reminiscent of what his Dhurandhar co-star Ranveer Singh once said about finding it really difficult to come out of his Alauddin Khilji character in 2018’s Padmaavat. Arjun echoes the sentiment and reveals experiencing similar challenges in his career as well. Arjun elucidates, “You can never completely release a character. Certain aspects stay buried inside you. When we did the Rock On!! sequel after six years, the moment I picked up the guitar, Joe Mascarenhas was back instantly through muscle memory. It freaked me out—like another person had been living inside me all those years.”
This begs the question: ‘What if the Dhurandhar villain comes out sometime?’ Pop comes the reply from Arjun: “Just make sure you're not around me.”
Speaking of Dhurandhar, Arjun relishes the opportunity to play such characters as Major Iqbal, although he does not view him as an antagonist in the strictest sense of the word. “Flawed characters are much more fun to play than conventional good guys. Major Iqbal does nasty things, but he justifies these in his own head, which takes a psychological toll on him.”
Noting that such characters are “more real and relatable,” Arjun admits, “It's difficult to play a very one dimensional, straight character with a lot of conviction,” as he circles back to the box office performance of director Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar. While the actor admits that he, much like the rest of the team, knew that they had done “something special,” they did not see it becoming such a massive hit, with the two parts minting a reported 3000 crore-plus together. “Nobody thinks that this film is going to be a 3000-crore grosser. I knew it would be a good film and would do well. I was so glad with the whole team that Aditya put together. Dhurandhar is a film where I felt that every department's heart was in the right place. That shared investment meant that we had such a great time making it.”
Looking ahead, Arjun Rampal is set to share screen space with Mohanlal in a film titled Operation Ganga. However, the actor does not regard it as strictly a Malayalam film. “It's a very interesting subject about the evacuation of Indians in the Ukraine war. I don't want to divulge too much before its release. But it’s a multilingual project, where I speak English, Hindi and Russian.”
Arjun delivers his own lines in Operation Ganga, something which fans of the actor’s deep baritone voice would appreciate, and reveals that it is being shot with sync sound. Another highlight of the film for Arjun is the fact that it marks his first collaboration with Mohanlal. “He is an absolute legend. I have not met a more effortless and experienced actor than Mohanlal sir. There is such ease in his performance. He is so fit even at this age, which is incredible, and his appetite for new and different things is fantastic to see.”
Praising Mohanlal’s tendency to perform stunts without a body double, Arjun shares, “He's better than half the younger guys I've worked with. It was an absolute pleasure to work with him. We got to spend some good quality time together as well. And he's got a great sense of humour. He's shared a lot of great moments and anecdotes from his career. He was definitely one of the actors I wanted to work with, and I got to check it off my bucket list with Operation Ganga.”
Speaking of collaborations, Operation Ganga extends Arjun Rampal’s experience acting with superstars beyond Hindi cinema, where he has shared screen space with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, and Rishi Kapoor. Talking about the common factor among all these stars that separate them from the rest, Arjun explains, “There is a childlike quality in all of them, and they have an insatiable appetite to learn. When they come in front of the camera, they're a different beast altogether.”
Looking at his own relationship with stardom, the actor admits, “Every time I start behaving like a star, I get a big tight reality check from God. So I don't behave like one. I've been working from the age of 16 or 17 when I started modelling, and I saw a lot of success in that. So it's nothing new to me.”
Connecting the concept of stardom with his life philosophy, he adds, “For me, the most important thing is to be in touch with your real self. The minute you start to fly and behave in a particular way, you are just cutting yourself off from that. And as an actor, being in touch with reality is your primary resource when portraying characters. You have to just go about your life without expecting the world to stop and listen to you every single moment.”