Poet and model turned actor Chintan Rachh (Chintan Rachchh) has come a long way since he started his journey as a performer with Rajkot-based theatre group when he was just 12-year-old. The actor who was last seen in the recently released Netflix web series Class impressed audiences and critics with his performance as a gay drug dealer. As of now, Chintan is gearing up for his next projects in the pipeline. Amidst the talks, we caught up with the actor to know him beyond his acting aspirations, his love for fashion, travel, fitness and much more.
The beginnings
First performed in front of the camera in 2019, the otherwise shy, Chintan expressed himself extensively through poetry. His soulful voice connected with millions of people across the world, making him one of the favourite 'Insta poets' with over a lakh following. It was in 2020 when he got his first role, Faruq Manzoor, a gay drug dealer from Kashmir.
Was playing a gay character and kissing on scene difficult? “It wasn’t. The co-actor Chayan Chopra, who played Dhruv Sanghvi, and I had a long conversation about the scene. It wasn’t very difficult when we performed in front of the camera,” says Chintan, who has a degree in Engineering from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai. “My father wanted me to get a degree first so I completed engineering this year,” says the 23-year-old poet.
Hailing from a conservative Gujarati family, Chintan had his share of struggles before finally starting his career as an actor. For him, apart from theatre, several Hollywood movies were his companions to improve his craft.
Chintan’s on style and fashion: I prefer prints and designs and dressing up according to the mood of the event.
Chintan Rachh | Chintan Rachh
On fitness regime: Cardio, weight lifting and walking at least 5-7 kms.
Dream travel destination: Bhutan because of its culture, heritage and lifestyle.
Best place in India: Delhi because of its heritage sites and I love to see my friends enjoying the food there.
Actors you admire: Brad Pitt in ‘Bullet Train’ and Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal in ‘Nightcrawler’
Takeaways from web series ‘Class’: Helped me to be truly myself and realise my love for the camera.
Bollywood directors you would like to work with: Imtiaz Ali and Vikramaditya Motwane, especially for his film ‘Lootera’ among others.
Favourite Hollywood director: Martin Scorsese.
Genre you think you can perform better: As for now, intense romantic as I feel I could play such roles better.
Any dream character: A psychopath as it allows one to play a lot around that character.
