Raghu Ram, best known as the creator of the hit reality show MTV Roadies, spoke about the persona that he cultivated on the show. Raghu became synonymous with loud outburts and foul-mouthed rants as a judge on the show, leading his future mother-in-law to become concerned about giving her daughter away to him. In an interview, Raghu said that he has shed that version of himself, which he has named ‘Roadies Raghu’. Comparing his alter-ego to the Incredible Hulk and calling himself Bruce Banner, Raghu said that he would never consider doing Roadies again because he cannot put himself through that turmoil.
Appearing on the Unfiltered with AminJaz podcast, he said, “I know that people have an expectation from me that I get very worked up. That was true. But a lot happened in my life that changed me. I’m not the guy that you’ve seen, at all. I call him Roadies Raghu. He was amazing. There was a reason he was born, and that reason was justified. But later, it became unmanageable. I couldn’t live with it, so I had to let him go.”
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Raghu continued, “In my life, there have been ups and downs. Rock-bottoms a few times. A rock-bottom happened. Now, I’m very different. I live my life very differently. For example, I don’t consume content online. I don’t consume the news, at all. No religion. No politics. All these things really f**k me up. When people say that I should do Roadies auditions again, I say, ‘I would rather nail my d**k to a burning building than put myself through that again.”
Elaborating more about Roadies Raghu, he said, “When he comes out, it’s entertaining for everybody. But you have to understand, he’s Hulk, I’m Bruce Banner. He comes and goes, leaving me to pick up the pieces of the devastation that he’s left behind. I’m talking about him in the third person not because I’m a megalomaniac, but because I’ve had to dissociate myself from him.”
Asked what his relationship with his alter-ego is, Raghu said, “I love that person. The reason he was there is because he protected me. He protected me at a time when I couldn’t. He expressed when I couldn’t. I’m an introvert, and I’m a non-confrontational guy. In my relationship, there is no argument that has ever happened. I don’t do it. This guy is confrontational. He picks fights. He’s like a bull in a china shop. I have to realise that he’s an aspect of my personality that is not me. I have no control over him. I love him because he protects me, but I have to keep my distance from him.”
In the same interview, Raghu Ram also opened up about his experiences on the show, and why he eventually quit. He said that as Roadies became more popular, the channel tried to make him do things that he wasn’t comfortable doing.
