Netflix’s hit crime thriller from 2023, Rana Naidu, is set to return with an even grittier and more intense second season on June 13, 2025. This time, renowned Bollywood actor, Arjun Rampal is joining the team with what he calls the most ruthless role of his career. Known for playing intense and layered characters, Arjun Rampal has pushed the boundaries with his portrayal of ‘Rauf’, a new and deadly addition to the gritty and violent world of the Naidus. Ahead of its premiere, the actor talked about his experience stepping into the shoes of ‘Rauf’ in Rana Naidu 2.
Arjun Rampal describes ‘Rauf’ as the most ruthless character of his acting career
During a recent media interaction, Arjun Rampal opened up about his experience working in Rana Naidu 2 and stepping into the character of ‘Rauf’ aka ‘Rauf Bhai’, who is supposed to be the most menacing character of the series. Talking about stepping into ‘Rauf’s’ shoes, the actor said:
“He’s the most ruthless and terrifyingly real character I’ve ever played.”
The character of ‘Rauf’ is that of a notorious man who can be brutally violent and destructive. He has no empathy and is driven by chaos. But beyond this exterior, his only moment of weakness shows when he is with his niece, whom he protects without question. Arjun says the audience will see a sliver of humanity and vulnerability when he interacts with his niece, but these moments of tenderness make ‘Rauf’ a more challenging character to play. Rampal was quoted as saying:
“There’s a sliver of vulnerability, especially in how he loves his niece. She’s the only person he protects without question. It’s the only time you see something human in him.”
Arjun Rampal talks about the innate human qualities of ‘Rauf’, which make him an oddly relatable villain
Even for a versatile actor like Arjun Rampal, ‘Rauf’ was a mentally challenging character to portray, as it was more than just playing a notorious villain. With this unexpected human touch to the character, Arjun had to make sure that he showed the character’s ruthless, dark side, along with the rare glimpses of human emotion, especially the love for his niece. The actor shared that this multi-layered personality is also what makes ‘Rauf’ a terrifying yet oddly relatable figure. Talking about his character, Arjun shared:
“What made playing Rauf so difficult was balancing his moments of tenderness with his total descent into darkness…The fine line between menace and vulnerability is where Rauf lives. That’s what made him so difficult to portray.”
What to expect from Rana Naidu 2
When it was first released in 2023, Rana Naidu received a breakout response from the Hindi audience, although it triggered mixed reactions from Telugu viewers who were used to seeing Venkatesh in family-friendly roles. Now, the much-awaited Season 2 is set to premiere on Netflix on June 13, 2025. Created by Anshuman and directed by Anshuman, Suparn Verma, and Abhay Chopra, Rana Naidu 2 is produced by Locomotive Global Media.
The show will reprise the central roles of Rana Daggubati as ‘Rana Naidu’ and his real-life uncle, Venkatesh Daggubati as Rana’s father, ‘Naga Naidu’. Besides this, Season 2 introduces Arjun Kapoor in a key role, alongside Abhishek Banerjee, Rajat Kapoor, Surveen Chawla, Kriti Kharbanda, Dino Morea, and Tanuj Virwani.
Are you excited to see Arjun Rampal’s rogue character as ‘Rauf’ in Rana Naidu 2? Let us know.
Read Next: ‘Panchayat Season 4’ Cast Fees: Here Is How Much Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta And Others Charged