Badshah: Fear of rejection affects each of us

Star rapper Badshah on why he bided his time before making acting debut with Khandaani Shafakhana.

Put him behind a mic and he will dole out a chartbuster. But Badshah confesses that he didn't feel as confident facing a camera until Khandaani Shafakhana came his way. After turning down several promising roles — including the one Vicky Kaushal played in Lust Stories (2018) and Diljit Dosanjh in Good News — the rapper is finally making his acting debut with the Sonakshi Sinha starrer.

Ask him what kept him from the big screen for so long, and he admits, "The fear of rejection affects everyone. The trailer has received a positive response, which has inspired confidence in me. People love me for my music, and I hope they accept this side of me, too."

A still from Khandaani Shafakhana

Before reporting to the set on Day One, Badshah reveals that he sought the advice of good friend and singer-turned-actor Diljit Dosanjh. "His advice to me was 'Just be yourself'. I was like, 'Yeh kya bol raha hai?' But I understood this lesson after a week or so; I realised that you don't need to pretend in front of the camera."

The Shilpi Dasgupta-directed social comedy revolves around a woman who inherits a sex clinic. The rapper-actor says that the film, in a humorous vein, attempts to initiate a dialogue about sex in a society that shies away from the subject. "We have to eradicate the stigma around sex. During my school days, I never got the chance to talk to my parents [about the subject]. We would discuss it among friends, but each of us was as educated or uneducated as the other. It is important that parents talk to their children about the importance of safe sex. With our film, we intend to break the taboo."

On the music front, his latest single, Paagal, has reportedly set a record for being the most-watched video within 24 hours on YouTube by garnering 75 million views. "We wanted to put our music on the global map. It feels nice to have achieved that."

Also read: Badshah's Paagal breaks world record for most viewed video in 24 hours

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