Mohit Raina reveals he thought Nikkhil Advani was going to offer The Empire; says ‘I was prepared to say no’

Devon Ke Dev Mahadev fame Mohit Raina is currently basking in praises for his portrayal as Dr Kaushik Oberoi in Nikkhil Advani’s Mumbai Diaries 26/11. However, there’s an interesting story on how he bagged the role in the series. Talking to a portal, Mohit revealed that he had a meeting with Nikkhil Advani and he thought he is meeting him to offer a role in a historical drama (The Empire). Raina was certain that he would turn down the offer as he didn’t want to play a character with the sword but Advani took him by surprise as he instead offered him the medical drama.

Recalling the time, Mohit told Money Control, “When Nikkhil Advani called me for a meeting, I had heard he was making a historical, so I thought again I would be given a sword and yet another cape. But I thought he’s a senior director and I should meet him at least. I was prepared to say no more swords. I want to do something different. But then he surprised me by saying he was working on a medical drama based on a real-life event that he wanted me to be a part of.” 

“He said 26/11 is the backdrop but the show is a medical drama that explores the emotions and drama that the hospital staff and doctors are facing. Nikkhil Advani is so good at putting real-life stories on screen and here I was getting an opportunity to work with him and to understand his vision. In fact, the whole journey of becoming the character was very beautiful. When the writing is in place, half the job is done. For the rest, we worked on my look with the spectacles, bandana, thick bread and dark circles. These small factors helped Oberoi come alive on screen,” he continued.

 

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Meanwhile, Mumbai Diaries 26/11 starring Sandesh Kulkarni, Mohit Raina, Konkona Sen Sharma, Satyajeet Dubey, Prakash Belawadi was released on September 9, 2021, only on Amazon Prime Video.

Also Read: Mumbai Diaries 26/11 Review: Mohit Raina, Konkona Sen Sharma starrer is a refreshing re-telling of the ghastly terror attack