The current lockdown due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has pushed back the theatrical release dates of every single movie we were excited for. Thankfully, many others were in the pipeline for a digital release and they’re breathing life in the lives of film fans, with Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction being right at the top of the list. The trailer for the Sam Hargrave directed action thriller dropped on 7th April. It featured blood, sweat, guns, bombs, car chases, and a kid named Ovi Mahajan being the center of attention. Well, guess what? We’ve got in touch with the actor playing him i.e. Rudhraksh Jaiswal.
Rudhraksh broke into the entertainment industry as the younger version of Sahadeva in the 2013 iteration of Mahabharat. He made an appearance in the Sonakshi Sinha starrer Noor. He made headlines when he asked the God of Thunder to utter Shah Rukh Khan’s famous dialogue from Dilwale Dulhaniya Lee Jayenge: “bade bade deshon mein, choti choti baatein hoti rehti hain”. And now he’s smack in the middle of one of the most action-packed and star-studded movies that are coming out in 2020. So, it was interesting to know about the experience he has had so far.
What was it like seeing yourself in the trailer of Extraction?
"It was a dream come true, felt on cloud nine! It was an incredible experience. It made my mom, very happy! My mom is everything to me. The journey throughout was wonderful, got a lot to take back with the beautiful memories and the teachings that I received from Chris sir. The movie’s action scenes are breathtaking and I bet you haven’t seen this kind of action anywhere else!"
How much of the stunts have you done? And is there any particular stunt that you wanted to do but was deemed too dangerous?
"I have done all my stunts and I had received a lot the support from the stunt team! Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Chris sir and Sam sir have guided me through the journey! They have always told me, how could I enhance my performance my stunts! Actually I do a lot of gymnastics and MMA and that was beneficial for doing all the stunts. Being agile was immensely important."
The trailer also reveals you have some emotional scenes because after all, you're playing a kid who has been kidnapped. Which is easier to do, shed a tear or jump from one building to another?
"I feel that this movie was very emotionally and physically challenging but I tried to leave no stone unturned and always give my 100%. I feel that maintaining the balance of the emotional scene working alongside Chris sir, it was hard in the sense that I did not want to make any mistakes in front of Chris sir. As you have seen the trailer, my favourite scene in the trailer is when I hug Chris sir. The support that I received from Chris sir and Sam sir, made me get the scenes right. I always wanted to be in the skin of my character."
How was your experience of working with acting juggernauts like Chris Hemsworth and Randeep Hooda?
"Chris sir is a gem of a person. He has groomed me to be the best and working with him was such a memorable experience. His sense of humour is flawless. He calls me the little legend as he likes my acting. We (Chris, Sam Hargrave and Rudhraksh) did script reading sessions before we started shooting and Chris sir taught me dialogue delivery, voice modulation and the significance of pauses. Randeep sir is a very joyful person and we used to crack a lot of jokes. I love his acting and I feel that in India there is no one like (him)!"
What's Sam Hargrave like? Does it feel safe to do an action-heavy movie when you know that the director has been a stunt person?
"Sam Sir is a very very funny guy. His sense of humour is amazing! He is hilarious and very entertaining. He is also a daredevil, he was always strapped to the car’s bonnet and recording all the stuff. It was very dangerous. But it is incredibly fun to work with him. He gave me some tips on improving my action sequences and my gymnastics skills."
This is your first big release and it is, unfortunately, coming out during this lockdown period. How're you coping with that? Are you catching up on your study material or are you catching up on your movie and TV knowledge?
"I have my online classes going on, I have been working out at home and I have been watching T.V shows. I am also developing my acting skills with my mom. She is my rehearsal partner. She is very supportive and I practice all my action sequences, all my scenes with her before I start shooting."
What’s your go-to genre in movies and TV shows? And name 5 of your favourite movies or TV shows, preferably underrated, that you want people to watch ASAP!
"I love a lot of action movies, sci-fi, bio-pics, and comedy movies! I have been watching the series 'Just Add Magic', 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood', 'The accountant', 'Inception', 'Interstellar', and 'Geostorm'! I have also started watching all the Avengers movies i.e. MCU films from the start! Huge fan of the Avengers!"
What are some of the future projects that are lined up in your roster that you can tell us about?
"I have recently done a movie called 'The Tenant' which has been selected in the Dallas and the Newport Film Festival. There are some TV serials lined up too and I would love to work in Hollywood after this and I want to keep continue working with Joe Russo sir."
Given how you’ve starred alongside the God of Thunder and met the Russo brothers, have you asked them to get you into a Marvel movie? And what superhero do you want to play if you’re given the choice?
"The day I met Joe Russo sir in Mumbai for the promotions of Endgame, he had assured me that he will surely cast me for another role also and I would love to be Iron man, Spider-Man, Black Panther, or Captain America."
There are a lot of action movies out there that rely on bombastic set-pieces to awe the audience. I am not a fan of that. I always gravitate towards the smaller more grounded stories that care about the humans involved in the action and the emotions that are driving them. And I can see a lot of that in Extraction via the bond between Rudhraksh’s Ovi and Hemsworth’s Tyler and the gritty action sequences they’re powering through. Here’s to hoping that it turns out to be as good as the trailer and Rudhraksh claim.
SEE ALSO: 7 Action Sequences That Prove Stuntman-Turned-Director Sam Hargrave Will Kill It In Extraction
Cover artwork by Bhavya Poonia/Mashable India
