'I am a coffee addict'

Actor Rahul Dev is known for his versatility. Though popular for his effective portrayal of negative characters, Rahul says that he wants to explore as many different characters as possible.

Having worked in over 100 films, Rahul owes his success to being able to work in different languages.

The actor says he wants his films to not just entertain people but also provoke them to think beyond what they see on screen.

In an interview with Nina C George, Rahul talks about his future projects.

Are you choosy about what you work on?

Every actor is choosy to a certain extent. I have been blessed to be able to work in different languages. Earning your bread and butter from just one language can be quite tough. Thanks to the variety, even the audience doesn’t get bored of seeing your work.

You are known for your negative characters. Do you have the fear of being typecast?

When you work in a certain mould then you are bound to get typecast but I don’t bother about it too much. In fact, I have had the chance to portray a very different role in ‘Mubarakan’. It was a positive experience.

Tell us about your role in ‘I‘m Not a Terrorist’?

It is a Malay film. It about a son who comes to Kashmir enquiring about his father. The father is never shown in the picture but he exists. I mainly interact with the son. And as the title suggests, my character is a positive one. My role is that of a neutraliser where I am supposed to talk to the son and convince him that his father was not involved in any kind of terrorist-related activities.

How has the experience of working in different languages been?

It has been a great experience so far. I am most comfortable in Hindi because the other languages require more labour. I also think it is better to lip-sync the dialogues because if there’s any mismatch then it will look odd. So I make it a point to study the dialogues and understand the language.

Is there a director that you admire?

This is like asking a mother which child is her favourite. Every director that I work with is special but I find the work of Anees Bazmee and Anurag Kashyap to be different. People go to the movies for entertainment and to get a respite from their routine. I like films of directors who provide a mix of entertainment with a wonderful message.

How was your experience of being a part of ‘Bigg Boss 10’?

Frankly, it was a joyride. But I missed my coffee. I have a coffee machine and I’ve also tasted coffee from across the globe. I am a coffee addict. I also found it hard that I had to cook for myself because I don’t have a passion for cooking.

If there is something new that you want to learn, what would it be?

I am very intrigued by art. This is one area that I would like to explore.

One thing that you would like to change about
yourself...

I want to try to be more of a morning person.

What’s your definition of style?

I must feel comfortable in what I am wearing. That, for me, is style. One doesn’t have to go out of bounds to make a style statement. You just have to wear what makes you happy.

What connects you to Bengaluru?

I completed my engineering from R V College of Engineering. I have close friends who stay in Bengaluru and that’s why I come here so often. The city has grown and changed from what it used to be during my colleges days. M G Road and Brigade road don’t look the same anymore.