PremiumRoyal's Raghu Mukherjee: ‘I believe I am an under-explored actor’
Royal actor Raghu Mukherjee has been in the film industry for over 22 years, doing the odd film every now and then, even though, most of his work has got him applause, and award nominations
Last Updated: 07.46 PM, Jan 17, 2025
Raghu Mukherjee has a certain screen presence and swag – he was the Grasim Mr India 2002, after all, and has maintained himself really well, more than 2 decades later. As an added bonus, he could act well too, but strangely enough, he remains one of the most under-utilized actors in the Kannada film industry. In his career so far, Raghu has done an average of 1 film a year.
In a conversation with MetroSaga as part of the promotions of Royal, in which Raghu is playing the antagonist, he was emphatic that he does feel under-explored. “I definitely feel under-explored, because I am very confident that I have a certain potential as an artiste. Every time I try to do something different, audiences have been appreciative of my work. For instance, when I played an antagonist for the first time in Inspector Vikram, both the team and audiences liked my performance,” says Raghu.
Raghu Mukherjee: Filmmakers, like Royal's Dinakar Thoogudeepa, should look at actors like me
In Royal, the actor says he has a never-before-seen avatar, which convinced filmmaker Dinakar Thoogudeepa also that it was the right approach to the character. “I think I need to be explored; people need to take me for a jolly good ride in their films,” he says, adding that it starts with directors like Dinakar, who should look at actors like him. “Any film industry needs a dynamic range of actors; each with his/her own caliber and style. One of the nicest things about Dinakar is that he’s very observant and he said that I have a certain style that I may not be aware of. I guess he has seen something in me. I wish more people see different things in me and that will give me the opportunity to entertain more people,” he said.
In Royal, which has Viraat and Sanjana Anand in the lead, and releases on January 24, Raghu plays a suave multi-millionaire. “I am a director’s actor and every time I have got a strong filmmaker to collaborate with, my performance has been enhanced. Like, for instance, Savaari, which was only my second film, and was, back in the day, celebrated by critics, citing that there was a metamorphosis in my acting. That confidence to try things differently comes only with certain filmmakers, who are ready to explore actors like me,” says Raghu.