Rajesh Mapuskar has tried his hands at varied genres with films like Ferrari Ki Sawaari and Ventilator. His upcoming OTT show Rudra: The Edge of Darkness is creating quite a buzz. Adapted from Luther, it is the acting debut of Ajay Devgn in a web series. It will begin streaming from March 4 onwards on Disney+ Hotstar. Opening up about his work process, Rajesh shares, “I always doubt myself and feel I could have done better. As a filmmaker, you are never satisfied. I get bored of repeating things that are done, and I am not scared of success or failure. I take both in a positive light. It doesn’t affect me. I just feel the need to get up and try something else. I am an explorer, and that explorer in me has told me to pick up different genres. I am so happy.”
When asked how did the journey of Rudra: The Edge of Darkness and association with Ajay begin, Rajesh explains, “It was a journey that began with excitement because it’s Luther. And I love Luther. I didn’t know it before. Once I was offered this project, I started watching all the seasons. And then I got thinking, ‘Who can be Idris Elba? Who could be the right cast for his role?’ Ajay is the perfect cast!”
Rajesh has always been an admirer of Ajay’s work. “I am his huge fan. I love Ajay, and he is my favourite. As we went along, there was a curiosity with a question in mind, ‘Will I be able to succeed with this?’ We did mock shoots and a lot of prep-shooting to understand the language and the colour tonality, also the angle. How would we be shooting? What would be the pitch of my characters? These were all a wow feeling. I watched a lot of American dramas. I have to tell a good crime story,” he gushes.
According to Rajesh, when he is working on one project, it becomes his world. “I don’t look into any other genre until I am working with any particular genre. Until I finish it, I eat and breathe that genre only. During its making, if I’m offered any scripts, I just refuse even to read those scripts. I want to be focused on whatever I am doing at that point in time. I did the same while making Rudra. Ajay was already onboard, and we started shooting. I was directing him; it was a great high also working with the entire cast,” he says.
Rajesh has previously helmed Ventilator, which was produced by Priyanka Chopra’s production house Purple Pebble Pictures. “I have spoken to Priyanka. Let’s see when things will fall in place. We are ready with an exciting script,” he reveals.
On a parting note, the director talks about his future projects. “My next project will be a historical film. The project for Purple Pebble Pictures is also a movie. From now onwards, I have decided to do films only. The connections that we make through films go missing in a show. We don’t know how many have watched it and also can’t know their feelings closely,” he concludes.
