Rahul Bose Reveals Why He Hasn't Landed Lead Roles In Big-Budget Films

Rahul Bose has crafted a distinguished career with films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, Bulbbul, Split Wide Open and 15th Park Avenue. He has also left a mark in mainstream Bollywood with notable films like Dil Dhadakne Do, Jhankaar Beats and Shaurya. Recently, in an interview, Rahul opened up about his views on why he has not yet secured a lead role in major Bollywood blockbusters.

During a chat with Indian Express, Rahul Bose said, “I don’t think that I’d ever be offered a lead role in big-budget films because I don’t justify that expense. I realised that if I wanted to play leads, I would have to go for small-budget films. Filmmakers of big-budget projects would cast the stars, why would they take me? That’s been a big deciding factor; from 1993 till 2012-13, I only played lead roles.”

When asked if he ever felt bitter about not being chosen as the first choice for a lead role in mainstream Bollywood, Rahul said, “Of course not. The fact that I have had 30 years with this kind of face, I should be full of gratitude and thankfulness. I am not some wonderful physical specimen of humanity.”

For Zoya Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Rahul Bose stepped out of his comfort zone with the character Manav. He mentions that the film holds a special place in his career and is one he truly cherishes. The movie starred Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar in lead roles.

On his latest project Berlin, Rahul describes it as a very different film, filled with interiority and silences, and deeply psychological. He mentions it is not just a typical whodunnit, but a psychological one that will leave viewers uncertain about who they should be rooting for.

Berlin, directed by Atul Sabharwal, tells the gripping story of Pushkin, an ordinary teacher assigned to interrogate Ashok Kumar, a suspected ISI spy implicated in a plot to assassinate the Russian president. The film features Aparshakti Khurana as Pushkin Verma, Ishwak Singh as Ashok Kumar, Rahul Bose as Jagdish Sondhi, Nitesh Pandey as Mr. Mehta, and Ujjwal Chopra as Mr. Mahajan, among others. Berlin premiered on the OTT platform Zee5 on September 13.