After applause and admiration for his smashing performance in Bareilly Ki Barfi, actor Rajkummar Rao reveals how he’s prepping for his next flick, for a role that he considers to be his biggest challenge, as he’ll be playing Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Q: You are getting rave reviews for your Bareilly Ki Barfi performance. How difficult was it to play a repressed character with a dual personality?
Rajkummar Rao: It was a tough part to portray. There was a very thin line stopping me from going overboard, especially once my character goes aggressive in the second half. There aren't many shades available in Pritam Vidrohi, apart from his personality-change. So, it was a challenge for me to make him believable and human and still make people feel for him. I am quite overwhelmed by the reactions I'm getting for this portrayal.
Q: Pritam Vidrohi is unable to express his feelings. How easy was it for you to win over your girlfriend Patralekha ?
Rajkummar Rao: Raj is very different from Pritam and it wasn't this complicated with Patralekhaa. She is a wonderful girl and I was just being myself. Our relationship grew with time and it was a very organic process for us to fall for each other. We took around a year to know each other before we started dating.
Q: Critics seem to feel that you’re one of the most versatile actors today. How satisfied are you with the progress you've made in your career?
Rajkummar Rao: I am very grateful to all the critics. I feel very blessed. God's been too kind to me. I’m very happy with the way it’s going as of now barring one or two films. I’ve always wanted to do content-driven films and am very happy that now that’s what our audience also wants to see.
Content has become the king and it’s a very exciting time to be an actor in the industry. It’s a humble beginning. I still have a long way to go but I just want to be on this journey of self-discovery forever.
Q: Your next role as Subhash Chandra Bose is arguably your most challenging till date. Tell me about your preparation to play Bose?
Rajkummar Rao: Playing Netaji on screen is one of the most fascinating experiences for me. It's not an easy task to portray him on screen. There was a lot of preparation involved. Starting from reading a lot about him through his auto biography and some other available books, watching lot of documentaries and visiting his house in Kolkata, learning a new language.
Gaining 12 kilos of weight, going half bald to try and look as close to him as possible, but more than the look I tried to catch his passion, his unconditional love for his mother land and his drive and vision. For me it’s the emotional journey which is more important than the physical appearance.
Q: How much more difficult is it to portray real life characters like Shahid and Bose as compared to the fictional blokes of Bareilly and Trapped?
Rajkummar Rao: There is a different approach when you play a real-life character. There is so much information already available to start with, and you have real-life references to build the character and also I feel a sense of responsibility towards people who have known them and love them, when I play a part like Shahid or Netaji on screen.
Q: So is playing fictional characters easier?
Rajkummar Rao: In a way, yes. When you play a fictional character, you can mould it the way you want. You can take any approach and put your own elements in that part. But it's equally challenging to portray both fictional and non fictional roles as long as you are sincerely trying.
Q: Actors like you, Nawazuddin and Irrfan have re-defined the parameters of stardom. Do you feel you have made enough headway as an actor?
Rajkummar Rao: I don't really think about that. I am thoroughly enjoying my journey as an actor and I just want to focus on doing exciting work. It's a really big entertainment industry and there is a space for everyone.
Q: Tell me about the quirky looking Newton. What do you play in it and how easy or difficult was it to slip into a part with political resonances?
Rajkummar Rao: I am very excited for Newton. It's a really unique and a very special film. Newton is this idealistic rookie government clerk who's given the duty to conduct fair and honest elections in the jungles of Chhattisgarh, in a particular area which has Naxal presence. It's a black comedy, a one-day story in the life of Newton Kumar. We don't really see characters like Newton these days on screen. It's a very Indian film and an important one.
Q: Which of your other films can we look forward to?
Rajkummar Rao: Hopefully, all of them (laughs). Post Bareilly Ki Barfi, there is Newton releasing on 22nd September. Then there is Bose, post that Omerta with Hansal sir (Hansal Mehta) and a film directed by Ratna Sinha co-starring Kriti Kharbanda.
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