BANGALORE: These days, model-cum-artiste Raghu Mukherjee is a happy man. With the unexpected (since most films have crashed at the box office in the last six months) success of his latest film Savaari, Raghu is on cloud nine. Raghu, who won the Grasim Mr International award in 2002, had acted in Parish Pranaya but it returned to the cans as soon as it was released. After that disaster, no producer or director wanted to approach Raghu for his callsheet.
Meanwhile, an unfortunate incident took place. Chennai police arrested the actor on December 1, 2005 on charges of harrassment. Earlier, he had a tiff with his wife Deepa when the latter found him in the company of a girl.
Recently, Usha Kiran Movies approached Raghu for its callsheet to act in Savaari in which Kamalini Mukherjee and Srinagar Kitty are also cast.
The film has completed 30 days of screening and is heading towards 50 days. Raghu has played a possessive lover of Kamalini in the film. How does he feel with the success of ‘Savari’? “I am very happy. I think that I got a very good break from this film. I think that I had wasted a lot of time by not acting in Kannada films,” he says.
Basically, Raghu is a model. Many people in Gandhinagar think that he is not serious about acting in Kannada films. “No. I want to take up acting as a profession. Though there are offers for modelling, I have decided to focus on Kannada films,” the actor says.
What is the feedback from audience about ‘Savari’? “Many people are asking me why I did not act in Kannada films all these years. With the success of Savaari, my in-laws and parents are very happy. I can take my wife and children to the film since it is a family watch. It is good to see your parents and relatives feel happy about my success,” says Raghu.
How many producers and directors have approached him? “I have been offered the lead role in 11 films. I am yet to take a decision. I want to select a good script,” says Raghu.