JOIN US'Raghu and I are obsessed with bikes'
The audience has seen him on television with his twin brother, playing the ‘angry twins’ on ‘MTV Roadies’.
Television presenter Rajiv Laxman, who is forever confused with his twin Raghu, promises the next time he is confused with his brother, he will cook up random silly answers.
Rajiv, who was in the city recently to promote upcoming film ‘Dhanak’, gets candid with Tini Sara Anien about the film and more.
This isn’t your first time in Bollywood. How different was the experience from ‘Tees Maar Khan’?
I acted with Raghu in ‘Tees...’ . The experience was quite different. Comedy requires comic timing and I have zero idea about what comedy entails. It was obvious on screen too. I wouldn’t even call it a performance — we were just a train wreck in the film. I’m not proud of what I did in that film. The silver lining is only that my son enjoyed the movie a lot. Of course, he will grow up. But thankfully ‘Dhanak’ will be there then.
How was ‘Dhanak’?
The more one gets to know Nagesh and Elahe, they will fall in love with the duo. They are actually a different breed of people. I’m from Delhi and I’m used to loudness. I work in Mumbai and they are very work-oriented. But, we all get along like anything and have a lot to talk about. Working with them was like being in a Master Class. It was the peak of summer in Rajasthan, people were dehydrated and fainting. We got tanned like anything and it was difficult. But, so was ‘Roadies’. And I feel the more intense the situation, the stronger the bond. It’s in a war-like situation that one can identify with people more.
We hear that you do not know how to ride a bike. And you were an active part of the ‘Roadies’?
Raghu and I are obsessed with bikes, maybe because we never owned one. I have ridden a bit, mostly short distances and at night. I’ve been in the ‘Roadies’ journey long enough and in all the seasons we have witnessed mishaps. In this movie, the issue wasn’t riding a bike — it was riding a bike with two kids! (Laughs) With me being involved in such a scene, the statistical probability of an accident happening was much higher.
A funny moment on the set...
The riding scene! As one can see, it was a very happy moment, but all three of us — Hetal, Krissh (child actors) and me were aware that this could turn around any second. (Laughs) Krissh was continually asking me to ride faster, which didn’t help at all! That’s award-winning acting one can see there.
Given a chance, would you have been a contestant on the ‘Roadies’?
I would never do that! As a person I don’t aspire to do it. It’s a very youthful show and as a creator of the show, I’m the wrong person for it. This is the same reason that Raghu and I will never do another reality show again. We’re not expressive that way.
How different are you from Raghu?
We are different expressions of the same intention. At any given moment, what we feel would be the same. But we might express it differently. But there is a rhythm in everything. When I lose my temper, Raghu would be laughing or diffusing the situation and vice-versa. I don’t think we are different. We’ve shared a womb together and our success and failures.