Rajat Kapoor on Raghu Romeo releasing on OTT platform open theatre: "Had told Vijay Raaz film would only be made with you" [Exclusive]

After Kadakh, another one of Rajat Kapoor's classics – Raghu Romeo – is all set to release on OTT platform open theatre. Starring Vijay Raaz, the film will once again be available for people to watch from January 10 onwards. The film was based on the life of Raghu, a simple man living in the chaos of Mumbai, who finds solace in a fictional TV character, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

Despite its poignant and realistic tale, Raghu Romeo had failed to bring huge footfall to the theatre. However, the film did go on to have its own fan following as the years passed by. International Business Times, India, got in touch with film's director Rajat Kapoor to talk about the inspiration behind the film.

The Kapoor & Sons actor told us that when the film was made, it focused on how pop culture and television become a part of not just our life but even our identities.

The thought behind the film

"Well, it was the time when television was a very big part of our lives. The film was a kind of reaction to that not television in particular, but pop culture overall and how our own identities are defined by what is given to us. We kind of fit into one of the 10 or 12 given slots, and each one takes over that 'type'—or the type takes you over—and we live our lives through these tropes," he said.

Why Vijay Raaz?

Rajat Kapoor also said that he was sure that he would only cast Vijay Raaz as Raghu Romeo and no one else. "I wanted a man who would be earnest enough for the audience to actually believe that he could take on the image for 'real.' There had to be an innocence in Raghu, which cannot be faked—we had to believe it. I had interacted briefly with Vijay Raaz on Monsoon Wedding and another film that Saurabh Shukla directed called Mudda. On the set of Mudda, I had told Vijay that whenever I made this film, it would be with him. He was an absolute delight to work with, and the earnestness of Raghu shows. When he cries over Neeta ji's death, it breaks your heart," Kapoor further told IBT.

Apart from Vijay Raaz, the film also had a stellar star cast including Nishikant Dixit, Sadiya Siddiqui, Maria Goretti, and Saurabh Shukla.