Rajeev Siddhartha has a special connection with the hills. Having studied at The Doon School and CJM Hampton Court School in Mussoorie, the actor spent a significant part of his growing-up years surrounded by mountains. Interestingly, the hills have also become an important part of his recent projects. His upcoming film, Kinaare, premiered at the 15th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), while his recently released Netflix series, Musafir Cafe, is also set against the picturesque backdrop of the hills. Co-starring Vikrant Massey, Vedika Pinto and Mahima Makwana, Musafir Cafe has struck a chord with audiences and become quite a rage. In fact, the show’s popularity has inspired the creation of two real-life cafes in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh! In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Rajeev Siddhartha spoke about it and a lot more.
EXCLUSIVE: Rajeev Siddhartha AMAZED as Musafir Cafe inspires two real-life cafes: “It is ABSOLUTELY insane in the best way possible”; bats for slow-burn storytelling: “Our minds are in a daze because of overexposure to Reels…fast-paced content can be so tiresome!”
Rajeev Siddhartha said, “The feedback has been absolutely fantastic. Every time your film or show releases, you hope to receive immense love and appreciation. The same was true for this show as well. But the only difference was that the love and appreciation that I received for my performance, and that the show received as a whole, have been way beyond anything I had imagined. It’s just amazing.”
He remarked, “I keep telling my actor and director friends, ‘I don’t know why we always make shows or films that are so fast-paced’. Our minds are in a daze because of overexposure to Reels on social media. Agreed that people’s attention spans are probably getting shorter, but that doesn’t mean every piece of content needs to have fast cuts and no thehrav. Hence, Musafir Cafe’s success is significant because it is a slow-burn. It goes to show that if you tell a good story, the audience will happily consume it. Hopefully, this changes people’s mindsets.”
Rajeev further added, “I truly love slow-burn storytelling, and I am glad that Musafir Cafe has become such a rage. Also, slow-burn doesn’t mean boring. That’s a misconception people have. In fact, fast-paced content can be so tiresome sometimes!”
One of the most fascinating developments surrounding Musafir Cafe is that the show has inspired two real-life cafes, one each in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. When asked about this unique phenomenon, Rajeev smiled and said, “If somebody watches a film or series and loves it, that’s great. But if it inspires people to open a cafe in real life, then it is absolutely insane in the best way possible! It shows that you’ve touched a chord in people’s hearts to such an extent that they feel compelled to do something like that.”
He continued, “I am sure the creators, director and producers must be feeling overwhelmed because it’s so beautiful that their work has inspired and influenced people to take that step. In fact, it’s the most beautiful feeling possible.”
Rajeev summed it up beautifully, saying, “If there’s a shift that has happened because of your work, then there’s nothing like it.”
With Musafir Cafe receiving such tremendous love, a second season is in the works. However, Rajeev Siddhartha remained tight-lipped about what audiences can expect from the next instalment. He said, “I have some idea, but I cannot share it at all. Please forgive me for that (laughs). Whenever I am allowed to, I’ll speak to you.”
Apart from Musafir Cafe, Rajeev Siddhartha is also known for his role in the hugely popular series Aashram, starring Bobby Deol. The new season is currently being shot, but the actor confirmed that he won’t be a part of the upcoming season. He explained, “In the last season, my character was shot dead. I am so grateful that Aashram has been watched by probably the whole country and even audiences abroad. Thanks to Prakash Jha sir, who is a legend, I got to work on such a big production. Kinaare is an intimate production. There were fewer people on the sets. Meanwhile, in Aashram, on average, we had 100-200 extras on the sets. And Prakash sir handles everything with such coolness and calmness. Hence, it was a learning experience to be around that energy. I am glad that the latest season is being shot. Having been part of the show since Season 1 and being one of the protagonists, I am looking forward to it. I want to know how it ends!”
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Rajeev Siddhartha ECSTATIC about his film festival debut at Dharamshala’s DIFF; compares Kirti Kulhari’s maiden production Kinaare to Iranian cinema: “It DOESN’T have fast cuts or a frantic pace”
Tags : Bollywood Features, Exclusive, Features, Mahima Makwana, Musafir Café, Netflix, Netflix India, Netflix Series, OTT, OTT Platform, Rajeev Siddhartha, Vedika Pinto, Vikrant Massey, Web SeriesBOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
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