An Actor By Profession – An Altruist By Heart! – Rahul Rajsekharan

Rahul Rajsekharan, an actor and model by profession and an altruist by heart, was an athlete since his childhood, and an active kid until his college days. While engaging himself in bike racing and stunting as a recreational pursuit, he ended up piling on some pounds.

With the aim to get his health back on track, Rahul began working out and reading up a lot about fitness.

Seeing his well-crafted and worked upon physique, a close friend asked him to share his pictures on Facebook and contemplate on modelling as a career. Also intrigued by photography, Rahul attended a photography workshop where they needed a model, and he pitched in to do the part.

With passing days, Rahul also began auditioning and getting projects as a model. He remembers his first biggest project was a national hoarding ad for Dell laptops.

Showing up in TV ads, hoardings, websites – getting 3-4 projects a week – all of this while working with a Sales and Marketing firm. Continuing his stint there till the moment he had to make his choice, and his parents never held him back. His father said, “You can’t model when you’re 45-50, you can do a job then, so go for it!”

Hence, In 2015, when Mr India auditions were being held in Bengaluru, Rahul was unaware of this until 3 days before the auditions.

Rahul prepped to the best of his abilities and ended up being in the top 15 men selected from all over India. “This was the turning point of my life”, Rahul considered.

Beginning his 11-day journey of the pageant in Mumbai, he remembers having a rather troubled time. Being the only one from Karnataka, he felt secluded from the other fourteen contestants. In a talent sub-contest for acting, he was actually left alone as everyone else partnered with each other. He managed to win it, amongst many other sub-contests, by acting out a scene from legendary actor Kamal Haasan’s movie. The judges admired his ability to have communicated aptly with the other contestants and to have delivered a stellar performance with their help. This was his journey to becoming the first runner-up in Mr India 2015.

After participating in a TV challenge show, A Minute To Win It, Rahul was recognised further and bagged a role in the movie Diwanjimoola Grand Prix in 2018. Even the journey of moulding himself into an actor was a rediscovery of his capabilities.

Rahul had to unlearn something as simple and natural as his walk! He recalls, “because models walk chest up, chin straight, that’s not necessarily how a real-life character may walk. People consider modelling as the foundation step towards acting, but they’re two completely different professions.”

Rahul looks up to talents like Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal and Leonardo Di Caprio as his inspirations. Surreally, he mentions, “there are some scenes from their movies, I’m sure people watch and wonder how anyone in mankind can portray emotions as they do, and at the sheer brilliance of them.”

Behind the charming dimpled face, Rahul carries a heart of gold. The glitz and glamour world affect the values of many people entering it. While there are also others who remain unaffected by it – Rahul is one of those. What anguishes him, Rahul stresses, is “the era that the world has come to, how people are destroying the world. Natural calamities, economical de-stability, environmental degradation, everything affects the poor on the streets while the rich continue to live in their mansions.”

Yearning to create a holistic living made him work towards a better environment by reaching out to strays, cycling short distances, terrace gardening and organic farming, Rahul looks up to anyone and everyone who is making even a little effort for a healthier Earth and a better tomorrow. “People, experiences, and cultures inspire me.”

He wants people to keep learning, be focused, while also have a plan B and keep working to better themselves constantly. Encouraging artists to know their talent’s worth and not bring their own value down by doing projects for free. Ending with a sprinkle of his witty advice, “Don’t do portfolio shoots with sunglasses!”