Raghav Juyal’s onscreen journey may have begun with reality TV, but the actor-dancer is now basking in the glowing reviews that he received for the recently released film Kill. Juyal, who played the gangster Fani, says the response to the film has been “phenomenal”.

“I am enjoying this time a lot; it feels like I am having a career shift. The entire industry and filmmakers abroad have called me to appreciate [the film]. It feels good that our hard work is being rewarded,” he tells us.

Kill did the rounds at film festivals before releasing in theatres this year. Juyal, who last starred in the comedy Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023), feels that the actioner has been pivotal to his career shift. “This film opened doors for me, I feel this is my breakout. It has been a crazy ride,” Juyal shares, adding that word of mouth played a significant role in the film’s success.

“Kalki 2898 AD jaisi Rs. 600-700 crore ke budget wali film humare saath thi, but we were able to bring people to the theatre simply by word of mouth.”

Ask why he thinks this was possible and the 33-year-old notes that the audience is king. “People don’t want to see flashy cinema where the hero is romancing his girl and saving her. The audience expects raw content and real stories, not a dream world,” he explains.

Talking about waiting for the right time to begin acting, Juyal, who hosted shows such as Dil Hai Hindustani 2 and Dance Plus, says, “Agar log mujhe TV par roz dekhenge toh theatres par paise kyun kharchenge? It is better if you are entering the industry with a blank slate. It takes a lot of time to break stereotypes and you need to do something to surprise audiences. Shocker zaroori hai, kuch mediocre karoge toh aaoge aur jaaoge.”

Will dance take a back seat as Juyal focusses on his acting career? “Nothing takes a back seat for me. I will dance in films now, why does it have to be a thing? I even have a huge dance number in my next film,” he ends.