Arjun Rampal hasn’t been happier. Whether it was ‘Rock On’, ‘Om Shanti Om’ or ‘Housefull’, he did see good appreciation coming his way. In fact he also fetched a National award for himself after ‘Rock On’. However, the acclaim that he has received ever since the release of ‘Raajneeti’ has been, in his own words, unprecedented. No wonder, he truly believes that the month gone by has been akin to a dream, which he doesn’t want to break.

“Really, this is one dream from which I don’t want to wake up. It is still sinking in but honestly, it has not yet sunk in totally. It all seems to be happening all around me and in such a manner that it is almost surreal. I can’t believe the kind of appreciation that is coming in from critics as well as audience”, says Arjun who is not just inundated by congratulatory calls ever since the release of this Prakash Jha directed film but is also keeping a close tab on the collections which are pouring in.

‘Raajneeti’ has touched the 90 crore mark just from India, making it the third in the list of all time biggest grossers in the history of Indian cinema. After ’3 Idiots’ (which crossed 200 crores) and ‘Ghajini’ (100 crores plus), ‘Raajneeti’ is the only film to have touched the 90 crore mark (in four weeks) and is still counting. No wonder, Arjun is also very happy for the man behind it all, Prakash Jha, who entrusted him to do the job well and deliver beyond expectations.

“I am very happy for Prakash. It has taken him six years to get his script bang on and ultimately what he brought on screen did justify the presence of all the characters”, he says fondly, “It was a wonderful experience making the film and now we are enjoying the accolades and appreciation coming in. For that, I have to say a big ‘Thank You’ to the audience for accepting our film with such a big heart.”

Next up for Arjun would be Karan Johar’s remake of ‘Stepmom’ (Kajol, Kareena Kapoor) where he is the only male protagonist. Meanwhile, he also has another ace up his sleeves in the form of Shah Rukh Khan starrer, ‘Ra. 1′ where he is the prime antagonist.

– Joginder Tuteja/Sampurn Wire