Arjun Rampal on reinvention, real roles, and raising kids in Goa: 'You have to update like software'

Arjun Rampal appears on Zoom, lounging casually on a couch at home in Goa. It’s rainy season, and there's a canopy of green behind his window. There’s a soft stillness to the scene, the kind you only find in places where life slows down and nature takes precedence. He’s calm, present, and ready to talk. Not just about films or fame, but about what keeps him grounded, why honesty matters more than applause, and how sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is not try to please people.

After a successful stint in modelling, Rampal made his acting debut in 2001 with Rajiv Rai's film Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat. For an actor who’s spent over two decades navigating the highs and lows of Indian cinema, he doesn’t talk in clichés. There are no carefully rehearsed one-liners, no performative humility. What he offers instead is something rarer: clarity.

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“Are you saying I was doing bad work before?” he laughs in response to our opening line about him entering a “new chapter.” But then, almost immediately, he says, “No, I don’t feel there’s a new chapter. Hopefully, one improves with time and experience. Now, I just do work I’d love to watch myself.”

You can see it in Rampal’s recent filmography. From the Netflix series Rana Naidu, where he played a dark, emotionally complex character, to the upcoming Dhurandhar, an espionage thriller alongside the likes of Ranveer Singh, R Madhavan, and Sanjay Dutt, Rampal is clearly choosing roles that challenge more than comfort. He’s done trying to second-guess what audiences might like.

“If you’re presumptuous and try to make a film thinking this is what people would want or like, it usually backfires,” he says. “You have to surprise them with something new and fresh. And for that, it has to first resonate deeply with you.”

In Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, Rampal joins an ensemble cast, but rather than feeling dwarfed, he finds creative synergy.

“It’s wonderful feeding off good actors,” he says. “What’s amazing is that everyone brought their A-game because they believed in Aditya’s vision. There were no insecurities, which helped this become a collaborative effort to bring that vision (to life).”

It’s not a new experience; Rampal has done his fair share of multi-starrer films (Aankhen, Housefull, Om Shanti Om). But what’s changed, perhaps, is his approach. The hunger is still there, but it’s no longer about validation. “Initially, you work to be appreciated or loved,” he says. “But those are all the wrong reasons to work really. The reason why you should work is because you enjoy it and have fun while making a movie. You should really just be able to bring in a tremendous level of honesty in your work.”

That honesty has bled into his personal life as well. When asked what keeps him grounded, his answer is immediate: family. Privacy. Nature.

“I like to live a normal life. We moved to Goa so my kids could grow up climbing trees, cycling, going to the beach — not staring at screens all day.”

And just as he says this, life imitates narrative. His young son comes into the frame asking, with charming urgency, if he can play on his PlayStation 5 (we could tell from the controller). When we ask what game, he replies: Spider-Man. “He’s really good at it,” Rampal says, proudly.

He then tells his son: “You can play after I finish this interview.”

This said more about Rampal’s current state of mind than any answer could. This is someone who has consciously created a life that’s as mindful as it is meaningful. There’s no trace of the restless star chasing his next high. This version of Arjun Rampal seems content being rooted.

Staying relevant

Rampal is aware that the industry has evolved and that it is vital to do so on an individual level as well.

“People who haven’t changed become irrelevant,” he says. “You have to update yourself — like a software update. You've got to reinvent. People who don't do that are stuck in time and will definitely have problems in telling their stories."

He talks about how attention spans have shrunk, how storytelling now must work harder to stay engaging, not necessarily faster, just deeper, and more real.

That realism is the foundation of some of his work. Projects like Panjab 95, based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, and The Rapist, a searing drama directed by Aparna Sen, are content-rich and ideologically bold. Then there’s Blind Game, O Saathi Re (a Netflix series with Imtiaz Ali), and two commercial thrillers with Abbas-Mustan.

“Each of these films has incredible minds behind them. Aparna Sen, Imtiaz, Aditya Dhar... they all bring something fresh,” he says. “And the cast — Ranveer, Diljit, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanju (Dutt), Akshaye Khanna, Madhavan — these are all great actors. It's really fun to work with them."

What’s next?

Even after a prolific year, Rampal isn’t slowing down. Ask him what’s left on his bucket list, and his eyes light up.

“I love period films. I’d love to do something historical. Or even dystopian. Or mythological. Something that puts you in a new world.”

And he's no longer interested in applause for the sake of it. He wants resonance. Realness. Roles that mean something. Days that begin with meditation and end with paddle tennis. Films made from the heart. Kids who ask about Fortnite or Spider-Man.

“It has to be real and honest for me,” he says of what he looks in the scripts. “It has to have a very strong belief system of that character, and once it does, I can build from there.”

And maybe that, in itself, is the beginning of a new chapter, even if he doesn’t call it one.

Husain Rizvi

husain@khaleejtimes.com

Husain Rizvi is a Senior Features Writer who covers entertainment and lifestyle stories and has a profound interest in tech (games) and sports. When he’s not working, you can find him at the gym, or finishing a boss fight in a video game.