With ‘Awarapan 2’, Anirudha Rawal marks his entry into films, becoming the newest addition to an acting family. He takes on the role of Sikandar, a boy on the autism spectrum, in the Emraan Hashmi-led project, following in the footsteps of his father Paresh Rawal, mother Swaroop Sampath, and brother Aditya, all of whom are in the profession. According to Rawal, stepping onto the ‘Awarapan 2’ set was initially “intimidating” given the presence of “big actors.” Still, he says teaming up with Emraan and Disha Patani felt effortless, since they’re “extremely cool people to work with.”
Anirudha Rawal on the pressure of a much-awaited film
Speaking to Variety India, Anirudha revealed that being part of a highly anticipated film comes with its own challenges, noting, “you don’t want to mess with their expectations.” He further explained, “It’s a lot of pressure. Because you don’t want to let down your co-actors and the people that have cast you.”
Anirudha Rawal on going from assistant director to actor
His journey in the industry began behind the scenes as an assistant director (A.D.) on ‘Sultan’ and ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, before he transitioned to acting. Reflecting on the difference between the two roles, he explains, “When you’re an A.D., you’re in the dirt, you’re sweaty, it’s a struggle every day. And this does not have to do with the two movies [I’ve worked on]. It’s just general for an A.D. You wake up at 5 o’clock and then you go home at 10-11 o’clock; you’ve barely slept. But as an actor, you’re kind of pampered, you’re spoiled. There are days when it’s rough and tough and you also get abused as an actor. But it’s totally different.”
Anirudha Rawal on how film sets have evolved
Discussing the shift in film set dynamics over the past decade since his time on the Salman Khan starrer, he notes, “It’s more genre-based. If you’re doing a comedy, the set is going to be a little light. If you’re doing a drama, in some scenes, it is going to be a bit intense. ‘Sultan’ and ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ had massive action sequences. Because of safety, you need perfection when you are on those sets. So sometimes when you don’t get perfection, there is chaos. Now the ADs are getting better, if anything else.”
Anirudha Rawal’s ‘Awarapan 2’ hits a box office milestone
Directed by Nitin Kakkar, ‘Awarapan 2’ has reportedly crossed the ₹100 crore mark in just five days since hitting theaters.
