The Paradise: Raghav Juyal Recalls Sitting On A Buffalo For His Look Test, Says “I Have To Get Selected”

Raghav Juyal is set to appear in a very different avatar in Srikanth Odela’s The Paradise. The actor recently opened up about what went on behind his look test for the film. His selection for the film had a weird process, including sitting on a buffalo during his first look test. 

Recalling to experience, Raghav said he thought the look test would be almost like an audition, however, it turned out to be an adventure. He said, “They told me to sit on a buffalo. I came in, and the first time I saw the look… there it was. And I said, ‘Look test?’ It felt like an audition. I thought, ‘I have to get selected.’ I’ve worked so hard for fifteen years. If I don’t sit on this buffalo, then what’s the point? No matter what, leave everything aside — just sit on it!”

The actor also joked about what the buffalo might have made of the situation, saying, “And the buffalo must have been thinking, ‘Are they taking my test?’” [laughs]

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Nani Says Raghav Juyal Looks “Extremely Different” In The Paradise

Talking about his first experience working on The Paradise, he recalled how seriously he approached the character during the look test. He said, “I said, ‘Yeah, Bajrangbali!’ I had seen pictures as well. It was crazy. I changed the slashes and everything.”

Raghav, who has been known for his fun and wit, has surprised audiences with some serious roles lately, and now, for Paradise, he transformed into a different avatar. The new look has also caught the attention of his co-star Nani. The actor said Raghav looked almost unrecognizable when he first saw him in character.

Nani said, “The first time I looked at him normally… I was listening, but at the same time I was trying to see that… he looks different. He looks different. I don’t know this guy. He looks so different. He looks extremely different.”

Nani added, “When people watch the film… they’ll see all our interviews and think, ‘Oh, they must have done something to him, they must have changed him completely.’ Then they’ll watch the film and think, ‘This is not the same person.’ That’s the feeling. It’s like they’ll think we cut you out and did something with somebody else.”

More About The Paradise 

The Paradise is a period action drama set in 1980s Secunderabad. The film follows a marginalized community as they face discrimination and fight for citizenship, with Nani playing the central character, Jadal. The story is set against a gritty social backdrop and explores the community’s struggle for survival and identity.

Directed by Srikanth Odela, the film stars Nani alongside Raghav Juyal, Kayadu Lohar, Mohan Babu, Sonali Kulkarni, Keerthy Suresh, Easwari Rao, Sampoornesh Babu and Tanikella Bharani. Raghav plays Vikram Malik, while Nani plays Jadal.

The Paradise is scheduled to release in theaters on September 24, 2026.

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