Latest news with #Viraj
News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
‘Before I Die, I'll Say ‘Roll Camera, Action' Again': Filmmaker-Turned-Rapido Rider Shares Story
Last Updated: Viraj Srivastav, a Rapido rider, says he has done all the things a rich man's child might do, but life didn't go as planned for him. Mumbai is often called the city of dreams, and this Rapido rider's story is a powerful reminder of that. Viraj Srivastav, once a filmmaker and trained musician, is now working as a bike taxi rider. His story came to light when content creator Ratnam Kalra took a Rapido ride in the city, expecting just an ordinary trip. During the ride, Viraj noticed Kalra's camera and asked if he was a vlogger. When Kalra replied that he was a filmmaker, Viraj revealed that he used to be one too. He shared that he had once lived a life many would associate with a rich man's child, but things didn't go as planned. Speaking with Kalra, Viraj explained, 'I've spent five years of my life in Mumbai working as an assistant director. Right now, I'm doing this part-time because things at home aren't great; the situation is a bit bad. I know how to play the drums, conga, bongo, ukulele, and I can sing too. I've also learned thumri. Life pulls you in different directions. But before I die, I will definitely fulfil my dream, I'll sit on the director's chair and shout 'Roll camera, action'." 'I've done everything in life that a rich man's son could do, but maybe life doesn't agree with my plans. The place I want to reach doesn't seem to be letting me in. But I'm stubborn and I'm not giving up. So I will reach there. I've already seen the world. I have multiple passports, but who knows where and when destiny will take me," Viraj Srivastav added. Taking to Instagram, the content creator wrote, 'I booked a Rapido, and the captain I met was truly someone special. He noticed the action cam on my shoulder and asked if I was a vlogger. I told him I am a filmmaker, and he said he had been one too. I was stunned, and we started talking. It turned out to be such a special coincidence because I was his first-ever Rapido ride. He was just trying it out as a part-time thing to earn an extra buck on the side. But he was special, stubborn, stern, and so so talented." Soon after Viraj Srivastav's heart-touching story went viral, Rapido in the comments section wrote, 'What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing this moment with us, Ratnam. We are glad Rapido could bring two storytellers together. Wishing both of you the very best on your creative journeys." Internet Cheers for Rapido Rider: Reacting to the post, a user wrote, 'The stubbornness for success is what makes the difference." Another shared, 'Sometimes I feel that art on its own doesn't hold all the value. It's the artist who brings the meaning. Sometimes people admire the work more because of who made it rather than what it is. People are more fascinated with the name rather than the art itself." 'This man is going to make it, he's talented and he's got a deep desire to make it," a comment read. Another mentioned, 'Confused whether he is suffering or he is enjoying, but at the end he is living his life to the fullest with ambition." One more added, 'Men do, Men cry, But men never fail." Viraj Srivastav revealed that he once worked as an assistant director on Qubool Hai, which featured Surbhi Jyoti and Karan Singh Grover in lead roles. About the Author Buzz Staff A team of writers at bring you stories on what's creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture. view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 11:26 IST News viral 'Before I Die, I'll Say 'Roll Camera, Action' Again': Filmmaker-Turned-Rapido Rider Shares Story Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Exclusive – Viraj Kapoor on working with Ronit Roy in Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan; Says, 'I learnt a lot from him'
Viraj Kapoor, who plays the role of Nagarjuna in the show Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, is impressing fans with his performance. In an exclusive chat with TOI TV, he shared his excitement about portraying the character, his bond with Ronit Roy , and much more. Viraj spoke about how he learnt a lot while working with 'a senior actor like Ronit Roy.' He also opened up about his new show, the character he's playing, and his overall experience. Viraj shared, 'In the very start, I don't know if I'd call it being 'nervous', but I was very conscious of everything I was doing because it was Mr. Ronit Roy. However, he himself made me very comfortable and spoke to me. I got comfortable right from the beginning, and when a big actor like Ronit Roy is there, you want to perform as well as you can. It was great working with him as he supported me a lot and I learnt from him.' While talking about his role in the show and what made him say 'yes' to it, he shared, 'When I got to know how powerful this character is and what kind of impact it has on the show every time, I decided to do it. In the 5th episode, fans get to know that he has killed his own brother. In the 10th episode, he wrongs his own dad. Later, he plans to kill Ronit Roy's character. So, there are a lot of things that this character offers. When I got to know about the character, I got very excited and decided to do it. ' Viraj further spoke about his experience playing negative roles. He said, 'I've done many negative roles, so I have never struggled with keeping distinctions. As an actor, it's important to know when to switch on and switch off from the role, which I've personally learnt from doing many negative roles. While shooting, you have to be all in for the character and simply switch on—otherwise, fans won't enjoy what they see. '
News18
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Viraj Kapoor On His Role In Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan: ‘Got Very Excited'
Last Updated: Viraj Kapoor opened up about what drew him to the character and how he mentally prepares to portray a negative role. Television actor Viraj Kapoor has been winning hearts in popular historical drama Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. With his gripping portrayal of the powerful antagonist Nagarjuna, he is bringing plenty of drama, action and unexpected twists in the show. Recently, he sat for an interview with a media portal where he shared his excitement about stepping into this intense role. In an interview with ETimes, Viraj opened up about what drew him to the character and how he mentally prepares to portray a negative role. Moreover, he spoke about working with popular actor Ronit Roy, who was playing a significant role in the show as well. Revealing that the depth of Nagarjuna's character was the main reason he decided to accept the role. 'When I learned how powerful this character is and the kind of impact it leaves on the show every time, I knew I had to do it. In the 5th episode, viewers get to know that he has killed his own brother. By the 10th episode, he betrays his father and later plans to kill Ronit Roy's character. There are a lot of things that this character offers. When I got to know about the character, I got very excited and decided to do it," Viraj stated. Known for his versatile acting, Viraj is not new to playing negative roles. He has stepped into the role of an antagonist in several shows. Sharing his experience, he explained, 'I've played many negative roles before, so I have never struggled with keeping distinctions. As an actor, it's important to know when to switch on and switch off from the role, which personally I know with time. While shooting, you have to immerse yourself completely in the character, otherwise, fans won't enjoy what they see." Viraj also expressed his enthusiasm about working with acclaimed actor Ronit Roy. In a chat with Zoom, the young actor said, 'I've admired Ronit sir since the beginning. I had never worked with him. In the beginning, I was nervous, but not scared. The person whom you've seen since childhood—you like their qualities, but when you work with them, you need to keep that excitement aside. Because if you are in a zone of excitement, you can't perform." As the main villain in Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, Viraj's character plays an important role in shaping the storyline. Nagarjuna's betrayal and power struggles bring a significant twist to the plot, especially with his menacing plans to kill King Someshwar (played by Ronit Roy). Before Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, Viraj Kapoor was seen playing significant roles in shows like Tera Yaar Hoon Main, Kulfi Kumar Bajewala and Nadaan Parindey Ghar Aaja. view comments First Published: July 16, 2025, 17:56 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Exclusive- Viraj Kapoor opens up about his character Nagarjuna in new show Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan; says, 'It's a very powerful role'
Viraj Kapoor, who plays the role of Nagarjuna in the show Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan, shared his excitement about portraying the character. He revealed what exactly made his say 'yes' to the show and how he has prepared for the role. Moreover, he spoke about working with popular actor Ronit Roy , who is playing a significant role in the show as well. Viraj got into an exclusive chat with Times of Times TV, where he opened up about his new show, character that he's playing and much more. He even revealed how he mentally prepared himself to play a 'negative role' and later 'switch off from that. While talking about the same, he shared, "When I got to know how powerful this character is and what kind of impact it leaves on the show every time, I decided to do it. In the 5th episode, fans get to know that he has killed his own brother, in the 10th episode, he wrongs his own dad. Later, he plans to kill Ronit Roy's character. So there's a lot of things that this character offers. When I got to know about the character, I got very excited and decided to do it. " Viraj further talks about his experience playing negative roles. He shared, 'I've done many negative roles, so I have never struggled with keeping distinctions. As an actor, it's important to know when to switch on and switch off from the role, which personally I know since I've done many negative roles. While shooting, you have to be all in for the character and simply switch on; otherwise, fans won't enjoy what they see. " As the main villain in the show, Viraj's character Nagarjuna has plotted King Someshwar's (played by Ronit Roy) death, making his role crucial to the storyline.
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi: K-drama on our plate
It was Viraj Bahl who put it best: The two big rages in India right now, he told me, are wellness and chilli. Chilli crisp is a pantry staple in Korea. (ADOBE STOCK) {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} I am sure Viraj is right about wellness, though I don't know much about the subject. But he is certainly bang on when it comes to the chilli craze. And he has put his money where his mouth is. Veeba, the condiment company he founded, has invested heavily in a new range of hot sauces and they are flying off the shelves. {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} It's a trend that has spread. Maggi, a well-respected brand with no distinctive record of risky innovation in India, is also launching new products, most of which seem to include the word 'spicy' in the name: Spicy Garlic Noodles and Spicy Pepper Noodles are just two examples. Viraj, who also runs a noodle brand, says that the formula for success in today's market is to make it spicy. 'India has fallen in love with chilli all over again,' he explains. 'There is a new generation that just wants spice and chilli.' {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Gochujang is used in many Korean dishes, but less so for Korean food in India. (ADOBE STOCK) {{^usCountry}} The trend is not restricted to India. In the UK, some supermarkets report that sales of hot sauces are up by 20%. At the Tesco chain, Sriracha is selling so well that sales are up by 65% over last year. Ocado, the online UK retailer, says that sales of chilli sauces have increased by 10% and searches for Korean hot sauce are up by an astonishing 850%. The US is experiencing a similar boom with new hotter sauces being launched each year. {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} The trend is not restricted to India. In the UK, some supermarkets report that sales of hot sauces are up by 20%. At the Tesco chain, Sriracha is selling so well that sales are up by 65% over last year. Ocado, the online UK retailer, says that sales of chilli sauces have increased by 10% and searches for Korean hot sauce are up by an astonishing 850%. The US is experiencing a similar boom with new hotter sauces being launched each year. {{/usCountry}} Read More {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} You can tell when a market is red hot (in this case, literally) when celebrities want a piece of the action. Ed Sheeran had the UK press excited when he launched his Tingly Ted's hot sauce in 2023, and now the trend has reached such a level that even Brooklyn Beckham has launched his own sauce. Oprah Winfrey has a sauce that combines spiciness with synthetic truffle flavour, a combination that sounds so disgusting that you can see why Kim Kardashian has invested in the product. The vintage rocker Alice Cooper has a whole range of hot sauces named after his greatest hits, though it is not clear whether these sauces are best enjoyed when you are biting the head off a live chicken as Cooper was once rumoured to have done onstage during a concert. (He now denies the story.) {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Because of K-pop and K-dramas, dishes such as tteokbokki have became all the rage. (ADOBE STOCK) While the global boom has many different origins Viraj is clear where the current Indian craze for spice has come from. 'It's because of the younger generation's fascination with Korea,' he says. 'Because of K-Pop, K-Drama and the rest, young people love anything that tastes like Korean food. And that means lots of spice. That's how this boom took off.' {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} He has a point. McDonald's India has introduced a range of Make It Korean burgers and products with a Korean Spice Mix that you can add to all products. (I have no idea what they would make of the Korean McSpicy Paneer Burger in Seoul, though.) Burger King has its Korean Spicy Fest featuring Korean burgers, and Domino's has a new Cheese Burst range featuring Korean flavours. I would call it a Korean food boom, except that despite the names, none of the flavours is particularly Korean. Hardly anyone uses Korean chillis or gochugaru, the distinctive Korean chilli powder, or gochujang, the fermented red chilli paste that is characteristic of many Korean dishes. This is Korean food for people who have never eaten Korean food but have seen it on TV or the internet, and are in love with the idea of Korean food rather than the cuisine itself. For Indian food companies, that translates as adding lots more mirchi, and it doesn't matter if you use our local chillis for the tang. {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Corn Yuzu Hot Sauce is made with roasted corn and yuzu. (ADOBE STOCK) We have been here before. This is exactly how the Sichuan boom took off 40 years ago. Indians never really took to Mala, the mix of Sichuan pepper and chilli that epitomises Sichuan flavours, or even to Sichuan pepper itself, because it puckered the mouth and made it tingle. {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Even so, we created a make-believe Sichuan flavour of our own with chilli and masala, and it has become a staple of Indian-Chinese restaurants and kiosks. Viraj's Veeba makes Sichuan sauces and stir-fry seasonings, which sell well. But my own sense is that younger consumers see them as flavours that belong to their parents' generation and have no particular affection for so called Sichuan. The truth is that in today's world, flavour trends move swiftly. Take the example of Huy Fong's Sriracha, the American take on the Thai sauce, which became a global rage over a decade ago. It was hailed as the beginning of a new era of hot sauces that would transform the American palate. It is still around and still sells very well, but it has lost its trendy cachet and is now routinely described as being very mild compared to today's hot sauces. {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} Brands such as Maggi have launched new products with the word 'spicy' in the name. (ADOBE STOCK) Sriracha damaged the market for Tabasco (a far superior sauce with a great heritage ) that had to survive by launching product variants and even making its own Sriracha. (The name is generic; it's not a brand, so anyone can make Sriracha.) And something similar is now happening to Sriracha itself as newer sauces take over. At the top end of the market, there are excellent small-production sauces that put the industrial hot sauces to shame. The one I use at home is the Corn Yuzu Hot Sauce, a blend of habanero chillis with roasted corn and yuzu, made by Noma Projects (available on the net) that demonstrates how good a hot sauce can be if you put care and precision into its making. Even in India there are small production condiments that are outstanding. Varun Tuli of Yum Yum Cha makes an excellent chilli crisp and I have written before about the Pickle Shickle brand whose chilli products have been a staple of my kitchen for three years now. But regardless of which hot sauce you use, the chilli trend is here to stay. And ironically enough the impetus to add more chilli and call everything 'spicy' comes not from our own gastronomic heritage as the home of spice but from Korean popular culture. From HT Brunch, July 05, 2025 Follow us on SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
