Indian exchange student turned Kapuso heartthrob is in it for the long haul

Addy Raj

Addy Raj, a newbie Indian model-actor trying his luck in Philippine show biz, has already lost count of the number of times he had been told that he bears a striking resemblance to Ryan Agoncillo. So, once and for all, he said, he would like to meet the television host so he could see it for himself.

“Everyone has been saying that since I first visited here two years ago! It would be nice to finally get to know him. Who knows, maybe we can even do a show together someday, just to compare!” said the 21-year-old from New Delhi, whose facial similarities with Ryan becomes even more apparent when he grins.

But while he finds such comments flattering, he hopes that, as he continues to work his way through the local entertainment industry, he becomes known for more than just being someone’s look-alike. He’s in this for the long haul, he stressed.

“I plan to settle down and bring my family here eventually. But for me to do that, I would need to have a good career. Acting is the path I have chosen,” Addy told the Inquirer in an interview for GMA 7’s “Meant to Be”—his first television series.

Addy, who used to be a competitive sprinter, lived in Manila for two months in 2014, as an exchange student at the Ateneo de Manila University. Even then, many of his friends had already been urging him to get into modeling and acting. He did get booked for a commercial, but didn’t think much of it until he went back to India and finished his studies.

“I started thinking about what to do next. I could continue being a sprinter, pursue a career as a graphic designer, or go back to the Philippines and do something related to show biz—I chose the last option. Luckily, my parents are very supportive,” he related.

Upon his return to the Philippines, he landed a spot in “I Love OPM,” a 2016 singing contest for foreigners. The exposure he received from his time in the show helped him snag more modeling stints. Now, he’s with the Kapuso network, doing what he really intends to do.

“Things have been happening so fast—what a journey so far! I barely have the time to adjust and learn the culture properly,” Addy said. “But it’s exciting, because everything I’ve been experiencing is new to me.”

For someone with no Filipino blood and who has only been here in the Philippines intermittently for the past two years, Addy’s Tagalog is surprisingly quite good. He said he is determined to get fluent in the language, because he wants to be able to do serious acting roles in the future.

When he doesn’t have Tagalog lessons—which he used to take every day before he got into the teleserye grind—Addy practices by immersing himself in the local pop culture. Addy watches local movies and listens to Pinoy music. He mimics the words and phrases—at times, to amusing results.

“One time I told a taxi driver, ‘Andito lamang ako, naghihintay para sa ’yo,’” he recalled, laughing.