MUMBAI: Although he made his movie debut at 24 with Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen (1994), it was only with the 2018 sleeper hit Badhaai Ho that Gajraj Rao shot to fame. The Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan actor, who has been enjoying a solid run at the movies ever since, is now gearing up for a digital outing with Disney+Hotstar's PariWar.

Rao, who plays Kashiram Narayan in the six-part series, gave his nod to the show as it fulfilled his long-standing desire to work with director Sagar Ballary of Bheja Fry fame. "That's my all-time favourite movie; I can watch it repeatedly. I have seen it twice in the past five months. Although I have not seen the final cut of PariWar, I trust the script; it is funny and interesting," says the actor. 

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The ensemble comedy also features Ranvir Shorey, Abhishek Banerjee, Yashpal Sharma, Vijay Raaz, and Nidhi Singh. "It was an amazing experience to collaborate with such talented actors, especially comedian Kumar Varun, who is quite popular in the comedy circuit. He is playing my Man Friday and is the narrator of the show."

While Rao has resumed work amid the pandemic, he admits the risk is higher for actors on the set. "The crew and technicians wear PPE suits, masks and shields; we have to deliver our dialogues without any protection. I recently shot two TV commercials. The set felt like an operation theatre." 

SOURCE – MID DAY   

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