Gajraj Rao on podcast debut Chitthiyan, why he felt he wouldn't stand in front of co-stars: 'Their voice was better'

Gajraj Rao has been a man of many talents. The actor has dabbled in theatre, television, and films for over 30 years now. And despite such a lengthy and diverse workography, he has managed to find a new avenue at 52. The actor recently made his audio debut, appearing on the audio fiction podcast series Chitthiyaan on IVM Podcasts. The actor speaks to DNA about this new adventure and how different was it to his work so far.

Gajraj Rao calls himself an ‘avid podcast listener’ and says he was familiar with the medium, which made him more open to the idea of appearing in one himself. “My interest in podcasts actually grew during the Covid-19 pandemic. Among my favorites, Cyrus Broacha's podcast Cyrus Says stands out, and I've listened to almost all of his episodes. This medium has become essential because our screen time has increased significantly, and instead of being glued to a screen, podcasts allow us to multitask. For instance, I often listen to podcasts while taking my daily walks.”

The actor admits he was a bit unsure about approaching the medium when he was first offered Chitthiyan. “When I was first approached for the podcast, I must admit I was a bit unsure about how it would all come together. Despite being a passionate podcast listener myself, the idea of creating one was entirely uncharted territory for me. It felt like stepping into a new realm. However, as I had the opportunity to sit down with Amit Doshi and the show's director, my curiosity was piqued as they shared their vision for the project. I thought, ‘Why not be a part of this exciting journey?’,” says the actor.

Gajraj Rao says that he found working in the audio medium just as challenging as others. “I had read that in Britain, people who do theatre, cinema, or radio, they all get the same respect. In our country, audio content hasn’t gotten that space yet. It will take some time. But I feel different performance formats should get its due. I don’t think audio is easy. A friend of mine told me it must be easy because there is no makeup, lighting, or camera. I explained that the hardwork and research is the same here. It is just as challenging,” he says.

In fact, the actor felt that his co-stars, who were more familiar with the format, did a better job than him. He recounts, “Sheetal, who plays my wife in the series, is an expert in audio content. The other performers are also well adept. When I was watching them, I felt their voice was better than what I was doing. I wondered if I would be able to stand anywhere in front of them. But by the final product, I was able to do a decent job.”

Conceived and directed by Safura Ubaid, Chitthiyaan is IVM Podcasts first ever audio fiction anthology. The series sees Gajraj Rao play Prasad Joshi, a retired postmaster, who stumbles upon a treasure trove of undelivered letters from the past.