Who's That - Rajeev Ravindranathan couldn't become an idiot

Ravindranathan recently seen as the senior in the Bollywood blockbuster- 3 Idiots, is an advertising person, an actor, a theatre personality, stand-up comedian, and now a proud owner of a creative shop of his own. A lot keeps him busy. afaqs! finds out

Rajeev Ravindranathan is the senior in 3 Idiots whose ragging experiment backfires when he gets electrocuted. How did the Bengaluru-based ex-creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi land the role in the movie that has proved to be a rage in more ways than one?

Ravindranathan almost didn't make it into the film. When he auditioned "they were looking for a fresh face for the role of Chatur (the bookworm). Later, there was a possibility that I might be cast as one of the other two idiots. But from the financial perspective, it didn't seem to be a safe bet to have such a big banner film, with two unknown faces flanking Aamir Khan, so the idea was dropped, which meant that I lost out on both the roles," shares Ravindranathan.

In December 2008, while on a holiday, he got a call from Rajkumar Hirani (director of 3 Idiots) asking him to play the role of the senior. "I just jumped for it!" But for Ravindranathan, theatre has been the first love. The actor who dabbles in stand-up comedy, finds theatre - which he started off with in 1999 - a more challenging medium of entertainment.

"I love the whole concept of a live audience that theatre offers. And whatever I do, I do it for the curtain call, the applause. For me, if people are paying money and committing their time - you jolly well entertain them." What about advertising then? Why did the entertainer choose advertising as a career?

"I love advertising for what it is. It is about helping consumers make a choice, creating a brand that the consumer resonates with. Hopefully, it would help bring some improvement to their life and help them make a better choice." Besides 3 Idiots, Ravindranathan has done roles in Freaky Chakra (2003), Bas Yun Hi (2003) and Phir Milenge (2004). He got his first break with Bas Yun Hi. "I was more of a starry-eyed fan on the sets. These were tiny roles - people wanted me to come and I would go," he says.

At the time of the economic slowdown during 1997-98, he was trying to make it to the advertising industry. He took up a job in HSBC to please his dad. "It was sheer horror! I realised that I was losing my spontaneity, madness and energy. That's when theatre happened. I got hooked."

His first play was based on Ayn Rand's Night of January 16. He is part of Black Coffee Productions, a theatre group in Bengaluru run by the theatre personality Pritam Koiltillai. Ravindranthan is quite proud about a play, Filth, in which he enacted 30 characters. He has set up his own creative shop along with V Balaji, both being ex-Saatchi's, the shop is named People. He has modelled for brands such as TVS Victor, Sprite and Prestige.