Acting is a full-time job but back-up plan is a must: Ruhaan Rajput

Model-turned-actor Ruhaan Rajput feels it’s extremely necessary to have back-up options if one plans to dabble into acting. A computer engineer, he first gained experience in the corporate world before establishing his business and now is following his passion with élan.

Rajput started his career with short film Potly. “The film went on to bag 11 awards in India and abroad. Then, I got to play the lead in the horror film Ishq Mera Ruhani that was directed by Dr Vishwanath Dixit, an UPite. My short film Chhotisi Baaat and Unfaithful, which are available on a streaming platform, have garnered over 25 million views. Besides, I have done 10 music videos and my recent one was for Jonita Gandhi’s song.”

Now, he is set to take a bigger leap with two OTT series in the making. “I am shooting for space-fiction thriller Antariksh with Mohan Agahse and Bidita Bag where I play a cosmonaut. Simultaneously, I am also shooting for Time Series, based on a time-travel story, in which actor Virendra Saxena plays a senior scientist and I play his junior. I am also scheduled to shoot for a project in Uttarakhand.”

Rajput has deep connection with the state. “Though we hail from Jaipur, I was born and brought up in Paradip, Odisha. My real aunt lives in Kushinagar so that keeps bringing me back to UP. I even came to Lucknow for my brother’s reception. On work front, we shot for a feature film Paama in Jhansi which bagged award in Goa Film Festival and is a story of a kinnar (transgender), father and mother to a boy who becomes an IAS officer — that I played. The film is doing rounds in the film fest circuit and will be released soon.”

Telling us about his journey he tells, “Though acting is a full-time job, we need to have a back-up support system. If we have a Plan-B in place then struggle becomes much easier though hard work doubles. I’m an IIT-Kharagpur pass-out and had a passion for acting so I thought to pursue both. I did theatre from Nadira Babbar mam’s group and Rangshila theatre. I trained myself in cosmetology and established two clinics. I also run an IT company and we have four patents of our own.”

Rajput did a TV show which couldn’t be released. “Never say never but after that experience I can’t get into the shooting drill of shooting for an entire month. It’s just not possible for me for now so currently my focus is on OTT series and films,” he adds.