This actor rejected Abhishek Bachchan's film 4 times, later became scene-stealer of flop movie, producer gave him...

Vijay Raaz is one fine talent who never disappoints. His gruff baritone voice and impressive acting chops have made him earn a stature for himself. Hailing from Delhi, Vijay has been active in films for more than two decades and has done over 90 films. Be it a comedic character in Monsoon Wedding, Dhamaal, Raghu Romeo, Fool & Final, Welcome or a no-nonsense antogonist in Delhi Belly or Gangubai Kathiawadi; Vijay has never disappointed his fans. In his filmography, there is a movie that may have flopped at the box office, but his character was appreciated and gained him recognition in commercial cinema. 

Vijay Raaz's journey to the film industry 

While studying at P.G.D.A.V. College, University of Delhi, he was active in theatre. Vijay was a part of the dramatic society. With time, he realized his true calling and decided to focus on his film career. To fulfil his dream of becoming an actor, the actor moved to Bollywood's hub, Mumbai. 

Vijay's first break at the cinema

After Vijay moved to City of Dreams, he struggled for some time, and then he got a small but significant role in Ram Gopal Varma's Jungle. Vijay also did a cameo in Jaspal Bhatti's famous series Flop Show. Reportedly, Naseeruddin Shah noticed him performing at the National School of Drama (NSD) and then he recommended him to Mahesh Mathai for Bhopal Express and to Mira Nair for Monsoon Wedding. After the success of Monsoon Wedding, Vijay received several offers as a supporting lead. He also got a leading role in Raghu Romeo, and it was commercially successful. 

When Vijay was running away from a film, and rejected it four times

In the recent interaction with DNA India, Vijay recalled his initial reaction to Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Run. The actor said, "Main yeh (film) karna nahi chahta tha. Chaar baar mana karne ke baad phir se phone aa gaya (I wasn't interested in the film, and they called me even after rejecting it four times)." 

Furthermore, Vijay added that he demanded more money, so the producer (Boney Kapoor) would drop him, but he agreed. "Jab unka phone aaya toh maine socha ek hi tarika hai paise zyada mang liye, aur woh mann gaye. Toh phir majboori mein maine woh film ki (When they called me, I asked for a raise in acting fee, and they agreed. So, I was obliged to do the film)." The Delhi Belly actor further reveals after the filming commenced, he enjoyed the most. Run was a major flop at the box office, but his goofy character, Ganesh, is still regarded the part of the movie.

Read: Vijay Raaz lauds OTT for giving freedom to artistes, storytellers: 'Hamare cinema mein kahani ko...' | Exclusive

.