He is dashing, he is macho and he is the new promising star of Bollywood. Meet Prashant Raj, lanky 6ft 3inch frame, sculpted physique, intense brooding eyes and his attitude on the ramp made him an accomplished runway model. Director Ram Gopal Varma discovered potential spark in him and finalized him to play the role of Jai, originally played by Amitabh Bachchan in Ramesh Sippy's Sholay, which was remade by Ram Gopal Varma as Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag. Prashant Raj is again ready to dazzle the silver screen with his upcoming movie, Toss, directed by debutant Ramesh Khatkar. Here Prashant spills the beans about himself.
The beginning of my stardom...
It was always my dream to be a model. I knew at the age of 16 what I wanted to do, but to be honest, I have never dreamt of being a part of the Indian film fraternity. It all happened by chance. One day, I got a call from Mr. Ram Gopal Varma's office and when I walked out, life had changed completely.
My experience with the biggies...
It was surreal. I had never imagined that my first break would be with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgan, and above all, Sushmita Sen as my leading lady! It was a great experience. I learnt a lot from them. They never treated me like a newcomer. I learnt that no matter how famous and successful you become, one must remain humble.
First day of shoot...
I was definitely very excited on the first day of shoot. Of course, the nervousness was there but the tremendous amount of comfort level on the sets put me at ease.
A journey without a Godfather...
It is like a huge mountain staring you right on the face. It is very tough, but not impossible and luckily I did have a dream debut. However, the fate of the film was not in my hands.
Ramp or camera...
To be honest, walking on the ramp was a piece of cake for me earlier. Nowadays, my entry has been right at the end, as a show stopper. This definitely plays on your nerves because earlier the viewers would be staring more at your clothes but now the total focus is on you!
Modelling as a profession...
If you have a professional attitude, you can earn a lot of money not only in India but in overseas also. I remember when I won my international pageant; I was doing shows in South America and was paid up to 1000 US dollars a show at that time. Your personality really matters here. You have to look good always, that means eat well, work out hard and not party hard. However, modelling has a life of five years. After a while, people won't take you seriously enough and one will find it difficult to sustain a livelihood just through this.
Upcoming movies...
Currently, I have finished shooting for the movie, Toss, which is ready for release this monsoon. I have signed another film, which is slated to start in July. The cast is still being finalised. I am really picky about the roles, which I choose. I don't want to categorise myself for a particular role. I am open to play any character that is challenging and help me in clinching a vital role in the film.
My Favourites:
Movies: Old Boy, 300 and Agnipath.
Directors: Christopher Nolan, Guy Richie and Anurag Kashyap.
Actors: Hugh Jackman, Edward Norton and Christian Bale.
Actresses: Madhuri Dixit, Julia Roberts and Hillary Swank.
Colour: Yellow.
Book: Shantaram.
Perfume: Versace Crystal Noir.
Outfit: Zara.
Hobbies: Watching a movie, playing golf and chilling out with close friends.
Holiday destination: Spain.
Fashion designers: Narendra Kumar, Raghavendra Rathore and Rohit Bal.
Fitness mantra: Eat well and gym hard.
Food: Continental, lots of meat and vegetables.
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