Raghav Juyal’s journey from a small-town dancer to a well-known face across television, films, and digital platforms is a story built on persistence, reinvention, and an unshakable connection with his audience. As he steps into his role as the brand ambassador for HMD mobile phones, he looks back at the road he has traveled—with equal parts nostalgia, humor, and honesty. Talking to us in the presence of CEO & VP India and APAC, HMD Global, Ravi Kunwar, Raghav recounted his earliest memory with a phone from his school days, saying, “School mein mujhe phone diya nahi tha. My parents were totally against it. However my friends got a phone for me! Bathroom ke upar tanki hoti thi, I used to hide it in that and nobody at home knew. It was the 6600 version, and I used to feel rich,” he says, laughing at the memory. For him, it wasn’t just about owning a gadget; it was about the thrill of having something forbidden and special. “I was an affectionate kid… seniors liked me a lot. One time papa made me eat food in school even when I was using a phone,” he adds, recalling the inevitable moment when his secret nearly unraveled.Cut to the present, and that same sense of camaraderie around phones continues on film sets, albeit in a far less secretive way. Talking about his ‘phone buddy,’ Raghav shares, “Lakshya, on the sets of The Ba***ds of Bollywood,” naming the co-star who became his go-to person amid long shooting schedules. It’s a small but telling detail—how even in the midst of professional chaos, these everyday connections help ground him.As he has come a long way, Raghav reflects on his journey, he resists the conventional idea of stardom. “I feel that I am not a star because of my films or my work. I am a star because of the people who have been in my journey throughout. They’ve seen me taking a break, they’ve seen me rebuilding it brick by brick and bouncing back,” he says. It is this shared journey, he believes, that has made him relatable. “They support these unique thoughts… I think that’s why I connect with them,” he adds, emphasizing that his audience has been as much a part of his rise as his own efforts. Recollecting his struggles back in the days, Raghav adds, “My situation became such at one time that I felt like in 5 years I had to make my own films… but luck ran out,” he admits.
