"It's the silence that becomes unbearable."
Vijay Raghavendra is a loved, National Award-winning actor who has carved a name for himself in Kannada cinema.
With his acclaimed performances and renowned script sense, Vijay has entertained the audience for over four decades.
In a gritty thriller, presented by ZEE5 Global, Vijay Raghavendra portrays Sub Inspector Hanmappa, who ends up investigating crocodile attacks near the Yellamma temple in Savadatti.
The film is titled Raakshasha, and Suhan Prasad directs it.
Tharunsudheer Productions produces it, while Suhan and Apoorva also write the film.
In an exclusive interview with DESIblitz, Vijay Raghavendra divulges his experiences of starring in Raakshasha and portraying Hanmappa, who must contend with investigations, fear, and murder.
Raakshasa sounds intense and intriguing. What was your first reaction when you heard the script?
When I initially heard the script, I did not know the title yet.
All I knew was how intense the characters are, how intense the scenes are, and of course, also the element of a crocodile that hunts down people and all the tensions around this cop.
I was not very inclined towards asking the title also, but when they revealed the title, it made me so happy that I thanked myself for having heard the script and saying okay to the project.
Hanmappa is a man torn between duty and belief. How did you internalise that conflict while portraying him?
I’m not torn between duty and personal life, but I am there in between duty and personal life.
But fortunately for me, as an actor belonging to a certain industry, which also has its own perks of keeping me peaceful, along with my duty.
But some people are literally torn between duty and personal life.
So the only thing I could connect is the attachment towards my duty, the attachment towards my family and my personal life.
I could barely see any kind of difference between the emotion on screen and the emotion that I carry as Vijay Raghavendra.
Did this role require you to approach fear differently, not as a victim, but as someone chasing the fear?
I am still scared of darkness when I’m alone at home, all the lights are on, but especially at night.
While playing a cop, the fear of this particular person in this story is not about any object or anything that is fearsome.
The only fear he has is losing out on the peace that he is chasing after back home with his wife, the dignity and promptness that he is working on duty in his police station, and respecting his superiors and everything.
He just wants to hold that intact and do his best towards his duty.
That is the fear in him. As far as I have understood the character.
How does the silence of the narrative translate into your performance?
Being silent sometimes can be difficult. It can be taxing, especially for people who are constantly in the middle of people, for the police officers who are required to keep meeting people to listen to them.
But in the middle of all that, there is the silence that creeps in during certain scenes, because that is how life works.
Sometimes, life just goes silent, and sometimes silence can be very noisy. It’s the silence that becomes unbearable.
So those are the situations where I felt I need to work on something more as an actor, just given to my emotions, just given to my to the instincts that are playing in my mind.
And it’s not all about me. It is because the writing was so good. It is the writers who have done a great job, and the director who would explain the detailing so well, and they gave me the space as an actor to work on certain work in certain places.
So I would say that it was not very different for me.
As an actor who started very young, do darker and more layered roles like this excite you more now?
Yes, people have seen me as a good person, from a boy to a man and someone who’s going towards old age.
As we grow older, as we look at life, look at people, there are many layers of life.
It’s not just about romancing or yelling or shouting. There is more to life, and I would want to explore those areas as an actor, and also with the responsibility of being liked and looked up to by all age groups of audience, I would love to explore more.
What do you hope the audience will take away from Raakshasa?
There are a lot of web series coming up on OTT (over-the-top) platforms.
There are many options, many, many options.
I would want them to watch Raakshasa for its intensity, for its craftsmanship.
Amazing technicians have worked on this series, and they have narrated a story of how people get into trouble because of their own mistakes and sometimes the mistakes of others.
I would also want to encourage more and more content from the Kannada industry. And spread it like wildfire.
I think we need more of that in Kannada.
Vijay Raghavendra’s thoughts suggest that Raakshasa will be an unforgettable and exciting viewing experience.
The unique premise, the nail-biting twists and turns, and Vijay’s performance are jewels which adorn the film.
This show adds to the glowing tapestry of Vijay’s body of work.
As Raakshasha premieres on ZEE5 Global on February 20, 2026, fans can watch it with a subscription.
Watch the trailer:
Loading ...