Satya Dev’s upcoming film 61 Rao Bahadur is already drawing attention, and the actor has now spoken about how he landed his only Hindi film, Ram Setu, starring Akshay Kumar. In an interview with Galatta Plus, he recalled that casting director Shruti Mahajan first approached him for the role, but he initially turned it down without even knowing the part.
“She called me and said there’s a role for me in Akshay sir’s film. I didn’t feel like doing it and said no straight away. She didn’t reveal what my character was. Two days later, she called me and asked why I wouldn’t accept the offer. One day, she called me and said she would tell me the story, but wanted me to act as if I knew nothing when the director narrated it,” Satya Dev said.
He added, “She gave me a hint about my character, and I was shocked that they were offering such a significant part for me. Initially, it went to other top stars in the South, but they didn’t give the nod. Abhishek (director) wanted only me, and I was surprised that a Bollywood director was aware of my body of work. At that point, even Godfather hadn’t happened. Abhishek watched all my films. There was no reason for me to say no after that as I loved the character.” He also said the role brought him more recognition than expected. However, he felt disappointed that Ram Setu did not do as well as the team had hoped. Still, the opportunity left a strong mark on his career.