Potential has a shelf life and Krishna Ajai Rao proves it. After 13 years in the industry, he has come to a firm belief that the art of being a successful actor does not lie in controlling what happens, but in using what happens. And his emergence as a promising bet for any producer seems to have an interference by the ‘divine’. After Krishnan Love Story in 2012, Ajai hit the bull’s eye every time he used the character name, Krishna. What followed was Krishnan Marriage Story, Krishna-Leela, and Krishna-Rukku, which performed well at the box office. With his latest outing, he has again retained the name albeit in a different avatar, that of Janardhan, another name of Lord Krishna.
The actor states that in John Jani Janardhan, a multi-starrer, he plays the character of Janardhan, which stands-out because of a blend of emotions. “The character demanded a makeover of my personality, outward and inward. There is an extended humourous shade and a brief shade of intense portrayal, which makes the character’s presence felt even though the other two characters are also exceptionally well crafted,” he says and adds that the urge to be part of the Guru Deshpande film made under MR Pictures, came to him because of the theme of the film. “It is inspiring and brings out moral values. Such films should be brought out universally,” he says.
According to the actor, he had to work extensively on his physique, attitude and style. “I had to straighten my hair and even sport a moustache. Bringing the stark differentiator between being funny and being serious had to be defined by my appearance too. And what is complementing the look is my physique, since hitting the gym became a norm while shooting for the film,” says Ajai.
Although the actor started with a dream debut in the 2003 multi-starrer, Excuse Me, he has avoided the genre pattern since; John Jani Janardhan being his second. He opines that such films, after a gap, are necessary in the course of his journey towards stardom.
“Though I share screen space with two other heroes, I was very particular with whom I share it with. And I was glad to be associating with actors like Yogi and Krishna because I know their caliber and was confident that they would equally support the film. Since I knew them personally, the atmosphere during the shoot was quite friendly, ,” he mentions.
Speaking about being part of remakes, the actor asserts that he has no qualms in being part of one as long as it has good content. “I believe a remake should carry the same dignity and if possible, take it to the next level. For some reason, the remakes which I have been part of previously has not been satisfactory. If given a choice, I would prefer original scripts,” he says.