Getting to know 'Class' actor Chintan Rachchh

Class actor Chintan Rachchh talks to Cosmo India about how he landed Faruq’s role, the movies that have deeply influenced him, and how his life changed post the success of the show. 

Cosmo: What were you doing right before the interview?

Chintan Rachchh: “I was reading a script while working out on a treadmill. The reason why I am doing these things simultaneously is because my daily schedule has not been on track. After Class released on Netflix, I haven’t been able to maintain a healthy routine and sleep cycle...”

C: What does a regular day in your life look like?

CR: “I moved houses recently, and now I wake up early because of the ample sunlight that enters my bedroom. To kick-start my day, I like to work out. Later in the day, I attend several meetings as I need to attend a lot of events related to the show’s publicity—most of my time goes into attending events, and doing interviews and podcasts.”

C: How has life changed after the release of Class [2023]?

CR: “A day before the show launched on the OTT platform, I was out for a stroll with my friend. While walking, she said that everything is going to change, starting tomorrow. At first, I didn’t pay heed to her statement, and said, ‘A lot of shows release every month. I don’t think Class will change much in my life’. But, here I am...feeling great about being proven wrong by my friend [laughs]. The response to Class has been overwhelming, to say the least. People recognise me, the kind of projects I am offered are way better...and everyone wants to take a selfie with me now!”

C: How did you land your role as Faruq in Class?

CR: “I auditioned for the same role for six months at a stretch. I began auditioning amidst the lockdown in February 2020. Later, the agency asked me if I was open to auditioning for other male characters in the show. I prepared thoroughly and sent my videos to them. It was a messy process, but I tried to make the best of it. Finally, I got shortlisted for the role of Faruq in August, 2020.”

C: Is Faruq similar to you in real life?

CR: “This is a complex question to answer... In the show, Faruq was from Kashmir and his character used to smoke weed. I am nothing like the character I portrayed... But, having said that, I realised that there are certain nuances that are quite similar. Like, in terms of how people perceived Faruq...even when he tried to express who he really was, nobody understood him. I think even I had a similar pattern in expressing myself.”

C: Was it easy playing a queer role for the show?

CR: “When I started preparing for the role, I didn’t want to focus on Faruq’s sexuality. He was more than just a queer person. He was also a Kashmiri-Muslim who lives in Delhi and peddles drugs. He is one of the most complex characters on the show, and my energies were focused on representing his character in the best way possible. I tried sticking to Faruq’s attributes to understand his persona better, and I was in touch with several people who represented the various facets of his personality as finding a single person with all those attributes combined, like Faruq has, was difficult.”

C: Did you always want to be an actor?

CR: “I believe, deep down, I always wanted to be an actor, but growing up, I was pulled in different directions. I was interested in music as well as chartered accountancy. In fact, I wanted to be a writer, too. However, out of all the career paths that piqued my curiosity, theatre was the only constant. I have been practising theatre since ninth grade and now when I share this, it feels like an epiphany... because I have always been doing what I love and wanted to make a career out of it, which is acting.”

C: Finally, who has been the biggest influence in your life?

CR: “I don’t think there is a specific person who has influenced me, but I have always been inspired and influenced by fictional characters—such as Tyler Durden from Fight Club (1999)—he taught me the art of letting go in life. There’s also Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), who made me realise the importance of being an observer. I’d also say Shah Rukh Khan, to some extent, as the characters he has essayed allowed romantic in me to blossom. You can see I have been very eclectic in my approach towards developing my personality [laughs]!”