Building a character takes time, observation, and a deeper understanding of the person you are portraying, said actor Ramandeep Yadav, reflecting on his character of Rajjo in Prime Video’s investigative thriller Raakh.

“My approach was always to humanise the character, not make him look like a hero or a villain. I also realised that while performing, you have to keep your personal judgement aside and stay truthful to the character’s reality,” added Yadav.

Actor Akash Makhija, who plays Babu in Raakh, said he approached the role like a real person, “someone who exists within society”.

“I was given this very beautiful insight that Babu is a mixture of multiple animals. He can be a snake, a tiger, a fox — it all depends on the situation. I used those instincts in every scene. Another insight that really stayed with me was that it’s Babu’s world and everyone else is living in it. He doesn’t think by society’s rules or morality. In his mind, he’s never wrong. That helped me understand how someone like Babu justifies his actions to himself and commits those crimes without guilt. I didn't want to approach him as a villain. Prosit Sir and I were very clear that he had to feel like a real person,” Makhija said.

Yadav, who comes from a theatre background, noted that the makers gave him the time and creative freedom to build Rajjo layer by layer.

Directed and executive produced by Prosit Roy, Raakh stars Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir, alongside Ramandeep Yadav and Akash Makhija in pivotal roles. Created, written and co-directed by Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket, the series is produced by Endemol Shine India in association with BhaDiPa and is currently streaming on Prime Video.