When I watched Double XL earlier this month, I really liked the sweet story the film’s team told. In fact, even in the Double XL review, I mentioned how every performance fit the part, but the newcomer Mahat Raghavendra was a silver lining to the film’s story. His honest and endearing performance showed on the screen, so I got n touch with Mahat to have a little chat, and I could see the dreams this boy carries as he steps into Bollywood. I am sure he will achieve them for hard work is the key for him. Read excerpts from his interview here!
On his journey with Double XL, Mahat says…
First I would like to thank Sathish of artist management who got me this project. I never thought that I will get so much appreciation for the character. All thanks to Mudassar (Aziz) sir for creating such a beautiful character and bringing out the best in me. The journey of the film has been very overwhelming for me and I would like to thank the whole team or Double XL for this.
Talking about dealing with competition and creating a mark in Bollywood, Mahat shares,
There’s competition in every field for sure. I am just going to keep working hard towards my goal, picking up the right scripts and the right characters. I am sure that if I keep doing my work honestly, things will keep falling into the right place. There will be competition everywhere but I feel you need to focus on work and when you work hard towards your goal, I don’t think anything will go wrong.
On facing stereotypes…
My character was a Tamilian in Double XL and I played it perfectly, I feel that’s why people are talking about it. From the next movie onward I don’t think this going to be the same because the scripts and the characters that I pick up will be different and moreover I am going for my diction classes for my Hindi. So I am sure I’ll get better at it and I hope people will love me as a Hindi boy as well because a lot of people kept saying that I don’t look like a Tamilian. So I am sure that I will fit into different kinds of roles and I will take the best out of myself with whatever I get.
On his bucket list of directors…
Every actor would like to play different kinds of roles and genres. So whatever comes my way and whichever genre I feel best at that point of my life I will that kind of characters and genre. As an artist, I would like to explore all kinds of roles and genres, my favourite directors are Raj Kumar Hirani, Luv Ranjan, and Anees Bazmee. I would like to work with them and I hope that I will get good opportunities ahead.
Sharing how his friends and family reacted to his performance in Double XL, Mahat comments…
All my friends and fans are very happy for this next step of my life which is bigger. The best compliment I got was that they loved my emotional sequences and the comical humour, the scene that I played with Huma they loved that as well and they said Mahat we never knew that your eyes could speak so much.
I wish Mahat all the very best in all his future endeavors. Double XL was released on the 4th of November in theaters and also starred Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha, and Zaheer Iqbal.