Akash Makhija: ‘Raakh’ actor Akash Makhija reveals that he once lost the lead role in the film Rajshri with just a text message: ‘He went to the toilet and cried’
Akash Makhija He may be currently grabbing headlines for his chilling portrayal of Babu in the crime thriller ‘Raakh’, but the actor says his journey to recognition has been filled with heartbreak, rejection and constant struggle. As the audience applauds him for playing one of the most hated characters on screen, Makhija revealed that there was a time when he was replaced from a Rajshri film at the last moment, leaving him devastated.In a conversation with Mid-Day, the actor spoke about the setbacks that shaped his career, his early days chasing auditions in Mumbai and why success in the entertainment industry never comes easy.
From a McDonald’s toilet to playing Babu in ‘Raakh’
Akash shared that acting had fascinated him since childhood. One of his favorite characters growing up was Baburao Ganpatrao Apte from ‘Hera Pheri’, played by Paresh Rawal. Looking back now, he finds it funny that his breakthrough role in ‘Raakh’ is also a character called Babu.Recalling his struggling days, the actor said he traveled from Ulhasnagar to Mumbai almost every day for auditions, surviving on limited pocket money while trying to build a career.“I used to get a student train pass for a fifty percent concession. I used to go to McDonald’s outside Andheri station to prepare in the toilet. For a long time, it was my vanity.”Before landing substantial acting roles, Akash worked in more than 100 commercials and accepted every opportunity that came his way, waiting for a project to turn his fortunes around.
Losing a Rajshri film left him in tears
While Akash has now earned accolades for performances in projects like ‘Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi’, ‘Gram Chikitsalay’ and ‘Raakh’, he revealed that the road to success included painful disappointments.The actor revealed that he was once selected to play one of the lead roles in a Rajshri production but lost the project without any notice.“I was cast in a Rajshri film as one of the leads. One day, I was doing an ad shoot and I got a text, not even a call, that I was being released.” The sudden decision left him emotionally shattered.“This field is brutal. I was on a different set when this happened, and the director told me to say my line. I asked for a five-minute break, went to the bathroom and cried.”He also revealed that rejection took different forms during his career. “There was also a time when I was not chosen for a show because of my horoscope.”
‘Raakh’ became the breakthrough it almost didn’t get
Interestingly, Akash was not the original choice to play Babu in ‘Raakh’. Nearly 800 actors auditioned for the role, and although he was initially turned down, fate eventually worked in his favor.According to the actor, another performer had already been finalized before the makers unexpectedly brought him on board a week later. Having experienced similar setbacks himself, Makhija said he empathizes with actors who lose projects after being blocked.Today, his terrifying portrayal of Babu has become one of the most talked about aspects of ‘Raakh’. The actor joked that viewers have started calling him “the most hated man on the internet”, with many even comparing his performance to Joffrey Baratheon from ‘Game of Thrones’.Also starring Ali Fazal, Sonali BendreRamandeep Yadav, Aamir Bashir and Rakesh Bedi, ‘Raakh’ is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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