Destiny works in mysterious ways. Just ask actor Ramandeep Yadav, who is earning praise for playing Rajjo in Prime Video’s Raakh, a character inspired by notorious criminal Ranga of the infamous Ranga-Billa case. Ironically, the actor says the role came to him after another opportunity slipped away. Yadav had auditioned for the same character in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Black Warrant (2025), but he now believes missing out on it was for the best. “Some projects don’t happen and you should be thankful for that. Maybe I was meant to meet Rajjo. I trust that whatever is meant for me will come to me,” says the actor.
Although Rajjo draws inspiration from Kuljeet Singh, alias Ranga, Yadav deliberately avoided digging too deeply into the criminal’s past. “The moment you start researching too much, you start finding justifications. I didn’t want to know what led him there because I wasn’t making a documentary on him.”
Prosit Roy
Instead, the actor relied on multiple script drafts and workshops to build a fictionalised backstory. He credits director Prosit Roy for giving him creative freedom. “Prosit never put pressure. Everything is prepared and detailed, but he gives you the space to improvise and discover things on your own,” he says.
What fascinated him most was the character’s vulnerability. “Rajjo doesn’t begin as a criminal. He’s innocent in many ways and slowly becomes one,” notes Yadav.
What is the Ranga-Billa case?
It refers to the 1978 kidnapping and murder case of Delhi siblings Geeta and Sanjay Chopra by Kuljeet Singh (Ranga) and Jasbir Singh (Billa). The duo was executed in 1982
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