A successful 25-year career is built on several elements. For Arjun Rampal, who completed 25 years in Hindi cinema in 2026, it comes down to two things — the willingness to embrace different characters, and making choices that will stand the test of time. The actor reflected, “I am grateful for the work I’ve been given and how seriously people take me as an actor now. To do that over 25 years, it was important to stay in the game, be relevant, and enjoy what you do. Hopefully, at least 10 or 15 of my films will age well.”

This year alone, Rampal was part of two markedly different offerings — a mainstream entertainer in Dhurandhar: The Revenge and a hard-hitting story in Satluj. According to the actor, with them, the idea was to resist being boxed into a particular image. “My approach is that you have to stay open to being removed from a particular zone. The industry is fantastic at stereotyping you; you can be successful doing just those, but then there is little surprise [left].”