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Raj Kumar Gupta on Casting Riteish Deshmukh as the Antagonist in Raid 2: ‘He is a Fantastic Performer’

Posted on 21 Apr, 2025

Post by Elfa World - Team

Raj Kumar Gupta on Casting Riteish Deshmukh as the Antagonist in Raid 2: ‘He is a Fantastic Performer’
What makes a film truly unforgettable? It’s the synergy of a compelling story, a powerful cast, and a director who knows exactly how to bring the vision to life. Director Raj Kumar Gupta, who delivered a taut, edge-of-the-seat experience with Raid, returns with its much-anticipated sequel, Raid 2 and this time, the intensity is dialled up several notches.

Reprising his role as the resolute IRS officer Amay Patnaik, Ajay Devgn now finds himself pitted against Riteish Deshmukh, who steps into the shoes of a sharp and sinister politician, an avatar audiences haven’t seen him in before.

Opening up about his decision to cast Riteish as the antagonist, Gupta said, "I have liked Riteish's work for some time. We know he is a fabulous actor in comic roles, in Marathi films as the protagonist, and even in villainous roles. He truly is a fantastic performer. Last year I worked with him on a series where he played the lead, since then he was on my mind, I had decided I will work with him in future again.”

He added, “Once the script of Raid 2 was done, and once I was clear who and how the antagonist is and what his journey looks like, I met him and narrated the script.”

Sharing how Riteish reacted to the narration, the filmmaker revealed, “He loved the script, he loved his character and that's how he came on board and I am so glad that he is the antagonist in the film.”

Raid 2 is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak, and Krishan Kumar. Presented by Gulshan Kumar and T-Series, and backed by Panorama Studios, the film is directed by Raj Kumar Gupta and is scheduled for a theatrical release on 1st May 2025.

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