Ayush Shrivastava’s electric portrayal in the role of Rudra Deshmukh in Zee TV’s Jagadhatri (Rahul Tewary Productions) is winning a lot of praise. Playing the unpredictable, aggressive and extremely expressive character does not come easy for Ayush. In an exclusive conversation with IWMBuzz.com, Ayush details the tough process of getting into the character and how it affects his personal self.
He also talks about the high energy levels needed to play Rudra and how he receives all the support from his team and crew, and speaks about carrying out the big responsibility of living the character.
Read on.
What does it take to play a volatile, crazily histrionic character like Rudra?
Honestly, I never knew what I was tapping into when I signed it. It just came out of the sheer craziness for the craft. We fine-tuned Rudra’s character later to make it more edgy. Rightly said, it is a very volatile character, and I have never seen any character like him in television shows. I think at some point, God is handling the energy levels to play this character. I am in total surrender to my craft.
Rudra is immoral, yet charming. He is a bad boy, but with a soft heart somewhere inside.
How do you manage to handle his high energy levels whenever you get into the character?
The process starts with the intake of vitamins (laughs). On a serious note, yes, I need to regulate my energy a lot through meditation and breathwork chantings. I need to put in a lot of inner power every day. Honestly, it’s a tough character and dark too.
Do the requirements of the character take a toll on your personal life? How do you tackle it?
Personally, yes, it has taken a toll on me. I get into mood swings, which I don’t even understand how they happen. Physically, it has been quite draining, but the challenge is to keep yourself fit, because all of it impacts physical health as well. Initially, this character hampered my emotional life too. But now, I manage it quite well. I have found a knack to tackle it; I do a lot of bakchodi(fun) on and off the set to keep myself lighter (laughs).
If you are asked to describe Rudra, what will you tell?
He is a disruptive animal with a heart which can be melted, but has a diabolical reality. He is immoral, yet charming. He is a bad boy, but with a soft heart somewhere inside.
How much of the inputs come from you to make Rudra look so appealing on screen?
See, honestly, in television, after a point in time, a lot depends on the actor to take the character forward in the way he wants to play it. Of course, the amazing writing, Atif Sir’s direction towards Rudra, has helped me a lot. Also, a lot of valuable inputs keep coming from Rahul Sir and Abhishek, our creative, from time to time. But in the end, as an actor, it’s your responsibility to build and project it.
A lot of the good chemistry you watch between Rudra and Tapasya comes from the great equation we share off-screen, as friends.
Are you happy with what Rudra has got on his plate so far?
I am more than happy. This is such a meaty role.
What can viewers expect from him now?
Unpredictability, dominance and thrill.
Tapasya and Rudra make a crazy couple, so different yet so complex. Tell us about it.
It’s so fun to do scenes with Yesha Harsora. She is a lovely co-star. She adds a lot of her own vibe to the scenes and brings great enthusiasm to the set. A lot of the good chemistry you watch between Rudra and Tapasya comes from the great equation we share off-screen, as friends. A lot more of the Rudra-Tapasya scenes are coming from the viewers to enjoy.
