Signing you in

For Raghav Juyal, his new film, Bhai Tera Star Hai, is not just another release. This is his first film as the leading man — a milestone that has been in the making for over a decade-and-a-half. “I am excited about the new movie. So are my parents, who live in Dehradun. They are very proud. I have been a background dancer, reality show contestant, host, choreographer, supporting actor — and now, finally, a protagonist in an entertaining Bollywood feature film,” he says.

Juyal’s journey to this point has been anything but linear. He stepped into showbiz as a contestant on the dance reality show, Dance India Dance 3 (2011). In recent years, he has garnered wider recognition with his performance as a hot-headed goon in the action thriller Kill (2023), and as the much loved Parvaiz in the Netflix series, The Ba***ds of Bollywood (2025). The number of acting offers increased dramatically after Kill’s release. “I received 751 scripts after that film. Out of them, I chose Bhai Tera Star Hai as well as those in the pipeline, including The Paradise, King and Ramayana,” he shares.

After Aryan Khan’s The Ba***ds of Bollywood gave a major boost to his career, he decided to advance the release of Bhai Tera Star Hai, a comedy directed by Vivek B Agrawal, to July 30. “People today are under so much stress. I want to make them happy,” says Juyal, adding, “Earlier, we had so many comedy films led by Govinda and others. There’s a gap today. I want audiences to watch this film, have a good time and leave with a hearty laugh.”

While many actors gravitate towards more intense roles as their careers progress, Raghav Juyal sees comedy as a tougher genre. “Making people laugh is a different challenge. It’s something I enjoy and want to explore,” he says. Although streaming platforms have given him visibility, his focus now is on theatrical releases. “I have acted in several series. Now, I want to concentrate on films made for the big screen. I’m choosing scripts carefully. Good writing is important,” says Juyal, who has been part of web-series Abhay 2 (2020) and Gyaarah Gyaarah (2024).

The biggest hurdle though, for Juyal, was overcoming the industry’s perception of him. “When you come from television, it is difficult to get rid of certain perceptions. You audition for big projects, sometimes reach the final stage and still don’t get the role. But that’s part of the game. I don’t want to complain,” says Juyal, whose father is an advocate and mother is a teacher.

Juyal became serious about transitioning into acting after playing a supporting role in Nawabzaade (2018). By then, he had established himself as a popular television personality after choreographing for Dance India Dance Li’l Masters 2 (2012); hosting Dance Plus (2015, 2016, 2017); and competing on Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7 (2016), among others. “My performance in Nawabzaade was not anything special. So, I took a break and trained under actor and coach Saurabh Sachdeva for five years while continuing to audition,” he recalls. “Then, I got Kill.”

Despite his growing success, Juyal insists he is still “a Dehradun boy” with big dreams. “I want to be a superstar.” Juyal believes his “authenticity” would lead him to superstardom. “Nothing can stop me from reaching where I want to be. But I have to remain true to myself,” says the actor, who believes good performances come from strong collaborations.

“My co-stars are important. In fact, I want them to be better than me. That would inspire me to do better. Lakshya (his co-actor in Kill, The Bads…) is a good friend. It’s also important to jam with directors, experiment together and learn from their wisdom,” says Juyal, who was asked by Shah Rukh Khan to join King’s cast after the success of his Netflix series.

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He considers the Badshah of Bollywood his “mentor”, and sought his advice for Bhai Tera Star Hai’s release and got the assurance that “your work will speak for you.”

Even though acting remains Juyal’s singular focus, whenever his schedule allows, the actor returns to his ancestral village Khetu and mountains in Uttarakhand. “I manage to visit only a couple of times now but my friends back home are the same. They don’t treat me differently because I am an actor,” he says. Camping under open skies remains one of his favourite escapes. “Those moments make me feel alive.”