Rajeev Pillai: There’s no need to glorify actors for building their physique. It’s their job

Actor-model Rajeev Pillai made being fit and rocking a six-pack cool when most actors in the Malayalam film industry thought it would stereotype them. It’s probably because of that mindset and discipline that the lockdown has had zero effect as far as his fitness is concerned.
“Workouts are part of my lifestyle,” says Rajeev. “I have also been practising martial arts and playing all the games.So, fitness never gets interrupted, even if I am not acting or modeling. There’s a small gym near my house and during the lockdown, I brought the weights from there and used to work out at home. Plus, 80% of keeping yourself fit is taking care of what you eat; 20% is workout.”
Ask him about several actors now being inclined to bodybuilding to get in shape for their roles and Rajeev says, “I don’t have respect for people who build their body for a role and maintain it for just 15 days, after which they get back to their pot-bellied self. When actors, including me, are sculpting their physiques for films, you don’t have to glorify that because that’s their job and they are getting paid in lakhs and crores for that. They are being offered a dream role that will make them more popular. I admire normal people who maintain a strict diet and follow a workout regimen for years together to maintain their physique. They might not have a six pack but they have embraced that lifestyle.”
On the work front, Rajeev was working on two movies before the lockdown. “I play a prominent role in the 3D Tamil horror-thriller titled Salmon, which has Vijay Yesudas as the hero. I have about eight days of shoot for the film still left,” he says.
He is also part of Prathimukham, which is directed by Siddhartha Siva’s brother Vishnu. “It’s a beautifully-drafted, festival-oriented movie dealing with a relevant subject. It’s a performance-driven role for me and I think it’s one of the best roles of Siddhartha so far. Marathi actress Tanvi plays the female protagonist in it. Siddhartha, Vishnu and I are from Thiruvalla and we shot the film near our village, so that was a memorable experience,” says the actor.
While Prathimukham has only 10 days of shoot left, Rajeev says that the team has not planned on when to resume filming. “The heroine and some other actors are from outside Kerala and before they join the sets, they would have to go into a 14-day quarantine. So, we are waiting till the pandemic situation gets better,” he says.
With movies now being made for OTT platforms, does Rajeev have a preference for those? “The whole idea of making a movie is to give a larger-than-life experience to the audience, through the story-telling, cinematography and sound design. You can’t get all of that if you are watching the film on a 5 inch phone screen or even a TV,” he says. “I’m all for OTT now because it’s providing bread and butter to many in the industry when there are people struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic. However, the value of the creative effort while making a feature film isn’t entirely appreciated when you watch them on OTT platforms.”