DREAMING BIG

Viraj Ghelani talks to Vedanshi Pathak about his big Gujarati debut, Jhamkudi, his Bollywood aspirations, and the creatorcelebrity debate

- Viraj Ghelani

Viraj Ghelani, a well-known content creator and actor, recently debuted in the Gujarati film Jhamkudi. As the movie gains traction, Ghelani has discussed the challenges confronting Gujarati cinema and why it lacks the widespread popularity of other regional film industries. He also expressed his frustration about the transactional nature of relationships between stars and content creators. Excerpts from a candid interview with Viraj.

Tell us about your recent release, Jhamkudi.

The only stress was recovering the money from the producer. They placed their bet on me, and I didn’t want them to regret it. I noticed that Mr. & Mrs. Mahi sold over 12,000 tickets all across the country, whereas Jhamkudi has sold over 8,000 tickets in just two states. When it comes to box-office collections, the film has already crossed over Rs 9 crore, and Laapataa Ladies made somewhere around Rs 7 crore.

In Bollywood, everyone is a thorough professional. However, in Gujarati cinema, everyone works like a family. They work together and cover up each other's mistakes on set

What’s the Gujarati film industry like?

There are mainly two to three lead actors who are offered all roles in the Gujarati film industry. Gujarati films were earlier watched by people who were mostly 40 years old or older; however, my presence in the film attracted the youth towards it too.

Do you feel the success of Jhamkudi will bolster Gujarati cinema?

I’ll tell you a story. I went to watch