According to the web, it sometimes takes two Shah Rukh Khans to defeat Arjun Rampal when he becomes a villain. Om Shanti Om and Ra.One both seem to suggest that this is the case. One might conclude that the lead character should be concerned as Arjun switches to the dark side in Netflix's Rana Naidu. In a frank conversation with HT, however, Arjun admits that he was the one who was concerned. He was concerned about his body above everything else. In a exclusive interview, the actor discusses his part, his preparation, and other topics.

Portraying Rauf, the antagonist of Rana Naidu Season 2

Rauf, the character Arjun portrays in season 2 of Rana Naidu, is endearing but erratic. He states, "The more time you've spent working on your character with your director, writers, and yourself, then when you are on set, you can have fun," while discussing how he personalizes such a part. By that point, you have provided your inputs, grasped the personality, and completed all the tasks. It was also really crucial to me that Rauf be unpredictable, amusing, and have a set of beliefs.

In accordance with Rana's physique

Arjun engages in highly physical and intense combat scenes with Rana Daggubati, who plays the main character, in the performance. Despite being one of the fittest actors out there, Arjun admits that he felt a little too 'small' next to Rana's imposing 6'3" stature. “Speaking of physicality, the one thing I felt I really needed to work on for Rauf was gaining weight. Particularly because I was working with Rana, who's a big man. Arjun explains, "He's really big and tall, and has this amazing screen presence that made me feel small next to him."

The actor says the only way to bridge that gap was to bulk up himself. “I decided to gain weight, because that's the only way it would appear like two guys, equals, at each other. If I go at this weight, which I have now, I would really look small next to him. So, it was important for me to put on this mass and have Rauf appear big,” he adds.

On playing villains effortlessly

Arjun may play villains effortlessly, but he admits they take a toll on him mentally. “Nobody likes to be that (bad) guy. It takes a lot out of you. It's not an easy space to be in. But while doing it, you can have a lot of fun. So, I enjoyed it,” he sa

Rana Naidu also stars Venkatesh, Surveen Chawla, Sushant Singh, Abhishek Banerjee, Rajesh Jais, Kriti Kharbanda, Tanuj Virwani, and Rajat Kapoor. The show is currently streaming on Netflix.

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