Aditya Rawal Reveals Anil Kapoor's "Tu Tension Mat Le" Advice on 'Subedaar' Set

Directed by Suresh Triveni and produced by Vikram Malhotra, Anil Kapoor, and Suresh Triveni, 'Subedaar' is written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi and Prajwal Chandrashekar. In the film, Kapoor plays Subedaar Arjun Maurya, and Rawal will be seen as Prince.

Speaking to ANI, Rawal said Anil Kapoor is one of the most professional, hungriest, involved, collaborative, and disciplined actors that he has ever worked with.

"His involvement and collaboration on set are unmatched, even compared to younger actors. His professionalism and dedication is unmatched, which everyone in the industry knows."

Aditya recounted an experience during an action sequence with Kapoor. Hesitant to perform a move in front of the Bollywood icon, he said, "There was an action scene, and I have to kind of like raise my hand (on him) and I was a bit hesitant because it is Anil Kapoor in front of me. Sir sensed my hesitation and simply put his arm around me and said, 'Tu tension mat le zara bhi tu kar jo tujhe sahi lagta hai..hum ek baar karenge sahi se karenge ek dam'...That liberated me completely and gave me the confidence to perform the scene. That could only happen because of his experience and generosity."

He added that working alongside Kapoor was a tremendous learning experience, highlighting the veteran actor's ability to maintain focus and humility despite decades of success in the industry. "You spend a day with him on set and you will learn 10,000 things whether it's the stories he has to tell, whether it is how he is functioning in front of the camera or how he is functioning before action and after cut. It was just a phenomenal experience working with him," Rawal said.

He also recalled what his father, veteran actor Paresh Rawal told him while he was going to share screen space with Kapoor. "He(Paresh Rawal) just said that 'you're going to have the time of your life working with Mr. Anil Kapoor, because the passion that he has will motivate you and you will get to learn so much from him. I'm sure you are going to come back with a smile on your face'," shared Aditya.

Aditya, who plays an antagonist in 'Subedaar', also spoke about the uniqueness of his character and the film's overall vision, praising the director for creating a space that allows actors to explore and experiment while keeping the story grounded.

"It's a character that is so no-holds-barred, so colourful in every way, so dangerous in every way. And to be able to, you know, even the whole look of the character is something unlike something I've done. I feel this role is truly a testament to the faith the makers have in my ability, especially because roles like this aren't typically offered early in one's career. To be entrusted to hold my own as a strong antagonist alongside legendary actors like Anil sir is humbling, and I'm incredibly grateful. Playing a character so different from myself is challenging, but having done it before, there's also a sense of freedom. Once we found who Prince is, working closely with Suresh sir, it became a matter of letting go and fully inhabiting the character," said the actor while talking about his character.

Aditya feels that as an actor, he is fortunate to get an opportunity to play distinct roles in different projects. He portrayed Chota Babban, a character based on Chhota Rajan in the web series, 'Bambai Meri Jaan'

On talking about the challenges of playing an antagonist, he said, "As an actor, I try to ensure that every role I take on is different from what I've done before. It's a way to constantly challenge myself, and it also gives audiences something fresh to experience with each project. I'm just glad to be that I'm getting the opportunities to play all these roles. Even stuff that's coming out after 'Subedaar' is very, very different from anything I've done."

Besides Anil Kapoor and Radhikka Madan, the film also features Saurabh Shukla, Mona Singh, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar in pivotal roles.

'Subedaar' is set to premiere on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu across India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide on March 5, 2026.

Apart from acting, Rawal is also passionate about writing, as he mentioned, "When I'm not shooting, I'm writing....I have two plays that are currently running. I am writing another play also. So currently caught up with all my dramatic work. But perhaps in the future, I will also be doing prose."

- ANI