Gajraj Rao’s film Thai Massage has hit screens today. In it he is seen as Atmaram Dubey, a 70-year-old struggling with erectile dysfunction. The film, which also stars Anuritta K Jha, Divyenndu and Sunny Hinduja, is directed by Mangesh Hadawale. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actor for an exclusive chat.
Gajraj has previously worked with Anuritta in Pariwar and he shares a precious bond with her. “She is very dear to me. We might not meet frequently, but there are special strings attached with us. I am really fond of her as a person and an actor,” he says.
While Gajraj is known to play many versatile roles, Atmaram Dubey stands out as his most flamboyant character by far. “If we look back a little, the roles I played in Badhaai Ho, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan had a different universe. Maja Ma also had an entirely different world. I always try to do a variety of roles. I totally believe that my role in Thai Massage was the most challenging to play,” he shares.
Elaborating more on his role, Gajraj reveals, “The director of our film, Mangesh Hadawale is primarily a farmer. This is the first time ever I have collaborated with someone like him. He is so rooted. I have a huge respect for his previous work too. I witnessed so much clarity in the script and in him. I had a lovely time working with Mangesh on this film. The funny challenge for me was to play a 70-year old despite being a 50-year old.”
Very few actors in his age group actually get to headline films in Bollywood and Gajraj thanks the viewers for liking him. “I feel the credit goes to our young audiences, who have accepted actors like me to play leading roles. If films like Badhaai Ho, Maja Ma would have been released 20 years back, they wouldn’t have been accepted. This is the reason that writers are getting a lot of push to pen down such characters. I pushed my envelope in Badhaai Ho and in a way it is a game-changer in my career, it is rather a milestone,” he concludes.
