When director Ram Gopal Varma met actor Ajay Gehi for the first time, he told the latter that he had seen his work, but couldn’t remember where. “However, after a brief chat he offered me the lead role in Not A Love Story and I was in disbelief for a while, although I kept a straight face. It was an absolute miracle,” says the actor. Incidentally, Ajay had essayed two bit performances in Maqbool and Raavan.
Playing a character that is “inspired” from a real one was a great challenge as Ajay soon discovered. “I had to get into the mind of the character and imagine the events as they happened. I had to keep it real without offending any sentiments,” says Ajay, who shot for the film at real locations. Ajay’s experience with Raavan was a bitter one, where his initially lengthy roll was sliced off at the editing desk. “It was a huge setback for me as I had changed my appearance by shaving my head and growing a moustache, refusing every offer that came while the shoot was on. Had it not been for Ramu ji, I would have been out of the industry by now.
Ajay insists that he plays a man called Ashish and not Neeraj in NALS. “I wouldn’t want to discuss my process as an actor. One would know what I am talking about once they see the film,” he says.