Anupamaa fame Rushad Rana opens up about rejection; says, “Out of 100 auditions I gave maybe 5 worked out”

Rejection is a big part of working in the industry, says actor Rushad Rana, who has been part of showbiz for the last 26 years. Known for his shows such as Hip Hip Hurray, Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki, Sasural Simar Ka, Kehta Hai Dil Jee Le Zara, Kumkum Bhagya, Anupamaa, and films such as Mohabbatein, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, and Veer-Zaara, Rushad says he has learned a lot along the way, including how to handle rejection.

Rushad Rana on handling industry rejection

Rushad Rana said, “You have to learn to take rejection positively in this industry because, in this industry, you face 90% rejection and 10% acceptance. I mean, at least that’s what happens with me. Out of, I would say, 100 auditions I give, maybe 5 work out for me. Sometimes I do get work without auditioning, but I feel that is God’s way of rewarding me for the hard work I am doing, indirectly. So yes, one has to take rejection in stride.”

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“Now, I don’t get very disheartened at times. I just follow up with casting directors. I ask them what went wrong. So many times, the teams responsible for the projects don’t even respond. One doesn’t know what went wrong—whether the client changed the brief or what happened. But yes, I still get affected by rejection. But I think with experience and age, you learn to deal with it gracefully. There is nothing much you can do about it,” he says.

Rushad Rana on strength

Ask him who gives him strength, and he says, “All these years, my strongest pillars of strength, as I have said in every interview of mine, have been my parents. And now, along with that, it’s Ketki, my wife. I don’t know what I would do without the three of them. They have been my constant source of inspiration. When I went through my bad marriage and was on the verge of giving up, it was my parents who brought me back to life, made me understand that I was making a mistake, and helped me hold myself together in the industry. So yes, it is undoubtedly my parents, and now Ketki has been added to the list,” he says.

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From Hip Hip Hurray to Mithya, things have changed in the industry, he says, adding, “I have tried to evolve with the change. Well, talking about technology, obviously, things have become far easier to reach out to people, especially casting teams. Whether it is you reaching out to them or them reaching out to you, you can just record an audition at home and send it across. So in that way, things have become far easier. Social media has brought people closer, I would say.”

He added, “Even if we are not in touch with our friends through social media, we know what is happening—where, who’s doing what work, and what kind of work they are doing. So yes, I think the industry has evolved, and it has evolved for the better. There are many more opportunities now, thanks to technology, the zillion channels available, and the lovely OTT boom that has happened. So yes, I think we are all in a very good space,” he says.

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Rushad Rana’s upcoming projects

“What’s next? Well, on my bucket list as an actor, I would say I just want to do primary roles now, be it on OTT or in films. I just want to do very important roles. I am quite sick and tired of doing the three- or four-day roles in OTT shows, which thankfully has changed in the last year. But I just hope it gets better now with time,” Rushad says.

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