Ayush Shrivastava: Playing Rudra in Jagadhatri takes a toll on me emotionally, but that's also the kick

Ayush Shrivastava, who plays Rudra in Jagadhatri, shared that playing a character with so many layers is not easy, but he is enjoying it.

He said, "Playing Rudra is a challenge every single day. He’s a very dark character for television, with multiple layers, vulnerabilities, and emotional complexities. Honestly, it does take a toll on me emotionally, but that’s also the kick of playing such a high-intensity, flawed character. I don’t have a different preparation process—I almost switch it on the moment I step onto the set. That said, it’s definitely hard to switch him off once I’m back home, though I’m consciously trying."

"It’s honestly been quite hard. The show is at a stage where the characters have deeply sunk in with the audience. Dealing with Rudra’s emotional highs and lows every day isn’t easy. I try to chant, meditate more, and take calmer breaks whenever possible," he added.

Asked which scene from the current track was the most challenging for him, he said, "The one where Rudra is high. He goes into a musical trance and plays the piano without actually playing it while strategizing how to remove JD from the house. He becomes extremely psychotic in his own zone. That scene was challenging because it required tapping into an unknown darkness—something I don’t consciously know where to bring from, but somehow, it just happens."

Ayush revealed that initially, Rudra was shown as a bratty, spoiled, immoral son, but gradually, the layers started unfolding. "It was later shown why he is the way he is: the parental trauma, the soft child within him, and the love he never received. There is also a softer side to him, especially in his scenes with Tapasya. So yes, the character has evolved into someone a little more responsible—if not fully there yet—definitely less reckless at times."

He is grateful to his fans and said, "They have always been absolutely amazing and phenomenal from day one. Receiving so much love for a dark character like Rudra on television was a little unexpected for me, and I’m nothing but grateful."

"I just hope the story and the character continue to keep the audience hooked, and keep me, as an actor, equally passionate about acting. That’s what I’m really looking forward to," he concluded.