#AgainstAllOdds! Rajat Barmecha: After ‘Udaan’s success, I didn’t know how to handle fame – Times of India

Almost a decade ago, a fictional character called Rohan walked into our lives in Vikramaditya Motwane‘s ‘Udaan‘, and established an immediate connection with the youth. However, Rajat Barmecha, who played the teenager in the film, disappeared from the silver screen after his first taste of success. But not one to let his name fade into oblivion, Rajat battled the odds to make a comeback in the web-space. With MX Player’s ongoing series ‘Hey Prabhu’, Rajat has become the talk-of-the-town. So much so, that the show was greenlit for a sequel and has recently released on MX Player too. ETimes spoke to the actor to find out what he has been up to after ‘Udaan’, and here’s what he had to say:

Looking back, how has the journey in showbiz been for you?

Honestly, the journey has been beautiful. And I really can’t be more thankful for how things are shaping up for me. I’ve learnt about how life can be; it cannot be stagnant or run at the same pace. So, even my professional journey has been with its ups and downs, and I think I really needed that reality check. I remember Vikramaditya Motwane, who directed me in ‘Udaan’, had once told me that it’s good to get those phases of ups and downs because the downs can teach you a lot.

Right after ‘Udaan’, things were a little bumpy; it was not how I had planned. But then, I eventually picked up, and today, I have so much gratitude for how my life has shaped up professionally and personally too. I’ve grown so much in these five years that I think it’s been a very, very fulfilling journey for me, as a person. I always believe acting is just a part of Rajat Barmecha’s life, it cannot make Rajat Barmecha whole. I have so many other things I do and I like to do; I want to do it. So I think everything together has been really, really fulfilling.

We didn’t see much of you after ‘Udaan’s success…

I’ve always been low-key. Every year, you’ll find an article about me, which states: “Here’s what the ‘Udaan’ fame, Rajat Barmecha is up to”. I think two years ago, there was an article that Anurag (Kashyap) sir had shared with me, saying that he’s really really proud of the journey that I am paving and not running in a race.

You put a 20-year-old boy, from a non-filmi background, from Delhi, who has no idea about how this industry works, as a lead actor in a film, and it goes to the Cannes Film Festival and wins all the awards. As a 20-year-old, one doesn’t know how it works and how to handle fame. As a 20-year-old, I thought my life was filled with roses and that it’s all chilled out. But then, eventually, you understand. The amount of maturity I have is because of that journey. God gives you things exactly when you are ready to handle them. Everyone has their own journey.

How are things shaping up for you?

Honestly, we have been so keen into rushing things and making it a big deal, ruining the present because something in the past didn’t work out or something in the future might not work out. This is how you actually end up spoiling your present too. Why do that? Because, eventually, everything will work out.

Things are happening beautifully right now. I started shooting for ‘Hey Prabhu’ in the 2020 pandemic. In 2021, it is the first project which is coming out. I’ve already signed two new projects. So, I think things are good right now. And I can appreciate all of this because I’ve seen my mess. So, now that’s the reason I know that this is not the only thing that makes me; there’s so much more to do in life.

What challenges do you face now?

I won’t say challenges. It’s just that I go with vibes. If I read a script, and it excites me enough, it’s a yes. Also, for me, people are very important. If there’s a person with whom I’m not ethically aligned, or I have a problem with, then I won’t do it. Even though I know a project will be great for me, I still don’t do it because I have to respect a director when I’m on a set. If I can’t respect the director, I don’t want to be on that set. Your ethics should be your primary focus because a lot depends on that.

How do you take care of mental health?

Buy cool hoodies…(laughs) But yeah, on a serious note, it is very easy to get into that zone as an artist, take a lot of pressure and start comparing. Please have a close set of people, with whom you can share these things. Since childhood, we have been taught this one thing: ‘Be a man, don’t cry, keep your emotions to yourself’. But it doesn’t work. There have been situations, where I’ve cried, fallen apart, and have learnt to pick myself up. It’s always important to accept your emotions, experience it and move on. It’s basically as simple as that. Don’t keep it under wraps so much that it starts affecting you. And if things don’t work out, it’s totally fine to take professional help. A therapist is a beautiful thing to have. I think everyone should have sessions whenever they need because that really really helps. Apart from that, travelling has helped me the most. When you’re travelling you are closest to your truest self.

What projects are you currently working on?

The recent and the most interesting one right now is ‘Hey Prabhu Season 2’. Because, in the pandemic, when things were not happening for anyone, it provided a lot of excitement to all those present on the sets. So, I think it’s very important for people to watch it because a lot of people have put in a lot of hard work into making it.