- By Piyali Bhadra
- Tue, 29 Aug 2023 09:23 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Mohit Raina is one of the most versatile actors in Bollywood. He will soon be seen in Disney Plus Hotstar’s upcoming show ‘The Freelancer’ which releases on September 1. The series will see Mohit Raina essaying the role of an Indian mercenary, who is on a rescue mission to save a girl from a war-torn Syria. Mohit Raina and director Bhav Dhulia opened up about the making of ‘The Freelancer’ and also talked about the journey of Mohit Raina’s role as Avinash Kamath.
Q. As the trailer looks intriguing, can you please tell us what made you pick Mohit Raina for the role of the protagonist?
Bhav Dhulia: ‘The Freelancer’ team needed someone who is extremely versatile. This is the first time the audience will see an Indian mercenary in popular culture and we needed someone who could change the character’s graph, as Mohit Raina’s character goes through a journey. One can see him to be very rooted to India and also someone who knows the nook and corner of Eastern Europe. He deals with the CIA and with several other intelligence agencies across the globe. The team needed someone who is really versatile and can handle a lot of action. We saw a glimpse of 'The Freelancer' in Mohit Raina in ‘URI’ and instantly knew that he would be the best fit for the role.
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Q. Can You please give us a brief about your role as Avinash Kamath, and the journey you had to undergo to get into the skin of the character?
Mohit Raina: I play the role of Avinash Kamath, an ex-cop, who goes through some personal turmoil and and then enters into a dark phase, where next Anupam Kher’s character comes in and reforms him by showing him a new leaf of life. He then becomes ‘The Freelancer.’ That’s the journey of the character, but other than that, he is a very common man, whose life has suddenly transformed and eventually he decides to get back on his feet and do what he really is good at. The journey has been great, when you have a visionary like Neeraj Pandey, who comes with so much experience, and then Bhav taking it ahead from him, you don’t need to do a lot of homework. Neeraj sir also prefers his actors not to do too much, as he believes in the magic of the moment.
Q. What is the one unique factor in the series which you think will make the viewers enjoy and appreciate the show?
Mohit Raina: We have seen a lot of films based on extraction, but on the digital platform and in the form of series, we have never seen an extraction show of this scale. In the series, the viewers will see Avinash going across oceans for someone, and that is what really stands out. The action is just phenomenal in the series. Our action choreographer has worked on tons of international projects, so the kind of experience and action he brought in was phenomenal. The Indian web series genre will see this kind of action for the first time tangled with a range of emotions attached.
Q. Can we expect more such Avinash Kamath roles in the future from you? Can you tell us what is more in the pipeline?
Mohit Raina: Right now I only have this project with Disney Plus Hotstar, then obviously ‘Mumbai Diaries 2’ is going to come out super soon. After that, I have something exciting in the row, however I will have to keep things under the sheet for now.
Q. In 5 words, can you please describe the character of Avinash Kamath?
Mohit Raina: Early I would say short tempered and lost, but post his reform, he became more ruthless, focused, and having an eye on his goal.
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Q. Apart from Mohit Raina, who do you think can provide justice to the role of Avinash Kamath and why?
Bhav Dhulia: I don’t. Because, the character of Avinash Kamath goes through a very drastic journey in the show. Initially he is very rooted and desi, but when he transforms into an operative working in Europe, it takes alot to match the dots. So, on top of my head, I don’t think anybody can go through that journey.
Q. An unforgettable moment of yours from the sets of the show?
Mohit Raina: We shot this series in Morocco, and we went to shoot in the same place where ‘Gladiator’ was shot. I stayed in the same room where Russell Crowe has stayed, so for 24 hours I was feeling really special, as I’m a huge ‘Gladiator’ fan.