Raghav Juyal is well aware that in today’s social media-driven world, celebrities’ lives are under constant public scrutiny, with online trolling now part for the course. Yet unlike many stars who’ve called out the pressures of this scrutiny, Juyal shared his take on the pap culture. The actor spoke candidly about his equation with the paparazzi, sharing that he’s nurtured a long-standing bond with several of them over the years.
Raghav Juyal’s balanced take on pap culture
Speaking to Bollywood Bubbles about today’s pap culture, the pressure that comes with it, and constant online trolling, Raghav Juyal responded, “Haan, nahi. Main toh sochta hoon sabka apna open point of view hai. Jo bhi likhna hai, likho. Aur paps ke saath toh sab mere dost hi hain. Main unhe itne saalon se jaanta hoon. Kisi ko toh maine bada hote hue dekha hai. Umar mein bhi hum saath-saath hi bade hue hain, aur career mein bhi saath hi grow kiya hai. Toh woh bond toh rehta hi hai. But comments-vomments par main itna dhyaan nahi deta. Main un par zyada focus nahi karta. Aur kitno ko kya kar loge? Jo log comments kar rahe hain, woh karte rahenge. Hamari journey bahut alag hai. Har kisi ki journey aur mehnat alag hoti hai. But we can’t stop everyone. It doesn’t matter.” (Well, I feel everyone is entitled to their own opinion. People can write whatever they want. As for the paparazzi, they are all friends of mine; I’ve known them for so many years. I’ve even watched some of them grow up. We’ve grown up together—both in age and in our careers—so that bond is definitely there. But I don’t pay much attention to comments; I don’t focus on them too much. And how many people can you really deal with? Those who leave comments will keep doing so. Our journeys are very different; everyone’s path and hard work are unique. But we can’t stop everyone. It doesn’t matter.)
Raghav Juyal on staying relevant
On the question of how important it is for actors to stay relevant, Raghav said, “Yaar, I have been relevant for more than a decade. So I think agar aapka kaam sahi hai aur aap mein khud ko reinvent karne ki capacity hai. Then you will stay relevant. Warna relevant rehne ke aur bhi bahut tareeke hote hain. But if you really want to do the real thing, toh apne craft par kaam kijiye and keep reinventing yourself—as a person and as a human being to stay relevant. Your audience evolves with you. Mujhe yaad hai, Kill tak aur usse pehle jab maine Sab Bhula Ke kiya tha, jo audience mujhe 2011 mein dekhti thi, woh tab chhoti thi. Aaj unki shaadi ho gayi hai, unke bachche ho gaye hain. Sabki zindagi badal gayi hai. But the thing is, woh audience achanak se phir se connect ho gayi. Aur ab unke bachche bhi mujhe dekh rahe hain. Unke liye main ek actor hoon. Aur jo aaj ke youngsters hain, unke liye bhi main ek actor hoon—ya phir woh chilled-out person jo interviews deta hai. Lekin jo meri purani audience thi, woh dobara jaag gayi because of my dancing days. I think isi wajah se meri relevance aur zyada spread hui hai. Aur yeh bahut zaroori hai, yaar.” (I’ve remained relevant for over a decade. I believe that if your work is solid and you have the capacity to reinvent yourself, you’ll stay relevant. Of course, there are other ways to stay relevant too, but if you want to do the real work, you have to focus on your craft and keep reinventing yourself—both as an artist and as a person. Your audience evolves along with you. I remember back when I did *Sab Bhula Ke* and up until *Kill*; the audience watching me in 2011 was young then. Today, they’re married and have children; everyone’s life has changed. But the thing is, that audience suddenly reconnected with me. And now, their children are watching me too. To them, I’m an actor. To today’s youngsters, I’m also an actor—or perhaps that chilled-out person who gives interviews. But my old audience re-engaged because of my dancing days. I think that’s why my relevance has spread even further. And that is so important, man.)The actor concluded, “Industry, studios aur producers aapko kitna bhi push kar lein, lekin agar aap audience se connect nahi karte, toh kuch bhi nahi hoga. Chahe kitna bhi paisa laga lo—even if I spend crores of rupees—it won’t happen. Audience ka connection dil se hota hai. It’s a very heart-driven thing. Haan, shayad logon ne meri journey dekhi hai. Ho sakta hai parents apne chhote bhai-behenon, cousins ya Gen Z bachchon ko mere baare mein batate hon. Aur phir woh connection ban jaata hai. Thankfully, all of these things have really worked in my life.” (No matter how much the industry, studios, and producers push you, if you don’t connect with the audience, nothing will happen. You can invest any amount of money—even if I spend crores of rupees—it simply won’t work. A connection with the audience comes from the heart; it is a deeply heart-driven thing. Yes, perhaps people have witnessed my journey. It is possible that parents tell their younger siblings, cousins, or Gen Z kids about me, and that is how the connection is formed. Thankfully, all of these factors have truly worked in my favor.)
Raghav Juyal’s next release
Meanwhile, on the work front, Raghav Juyal is all set for the release of his next film, ‘Bhai Tera Star Hai’.