I want to go slow and steady, says Rajkummar Rao

Rajkummar Rao has been the proverbial dark horse in the industry. Slowly and surely over the years, the actor has made a space for himself. Confident of his craft, Rajkummar has never been afraid to challenge norms and do cinema that he believes in. And the fabulous camaraderie he shares with director Hansal Mehta has gone a long way in cementing his position in the film industry. Hansal, who in an earlier interview spoke about how he finds it hard to imagine a film without Rajkummar, has once again cast him in a pivotal role in Aligarh that hits theatres later this month.

Speaking of why he took up the film, Rajkummar says, “I was moved by the story of these two people and their journey. Rarely do you come across such a beautiful script. And on top of it of course, Hansal sir was directing it, so there was no reason for me to think twice.” The actor had to speak some Malayalam in the film too. “It was for a few scenes and I have some Mallu friends who helped me through it. Hansal sir was there every step of the way to guide my approach to the part. We had to showcase a contrast between the characters. Deepu is hyper, always on his toes while the professor is a loner and a very soft-spoken man.”

Unlike most of his counterparts, Rajkummar has always maintained a low profile. Is that a conscious approach “I believe that my work should be speaking on my behalf and that I shouldn’t be known for the parties I attend. This was one thing I was very clear about when I became an actor. I fell in love with the craft. I didn’t come to Mumbai just to get fame. I was ready for whatever the life of an actor entailed — the struggle, fame, friends, enemies. When you are gone, you are not remembered by the lovely clothes you wore, but by the work you did. I want to do work that I can be really proud of.”

He has seen the flip side of fame too. Rajkummar was unceremoniously ousted from NH10 but he maintained a dignified silence through it all. “I was shocked because the kind of relationship I share with all these people, this was not something I could have foreseen. But we spoke about it, I met them also. They told me that there was a miscommunication, that someone was to inform me. But it’s all in the past now. I am doing a film with Vikramaditya Motwane. It’s something I am really looking forward to. But yes, at that moment, it had come as a shock.”

Rajkummar is not a person guided by numbers, which is why he chooses films with great care and is very selective about his work. “I have to be choosy because I want to do different work. There’s a new actor coming in every three months, so you have to do something that sets you apart. Otherwise you are just part of the herd,” he says.

So will we ever seem in a hardcore commercial film “Yes, there’s a film I have done with Ramesh Sippy that’s conventionally commercial. I don’t mind doing big-budget films but films like those have not been offered to me yet. And I don’t want to impulsively jump on a high-risk project. People have done it and for some, unfortunately, that hasn’t worked. I want to go slow and steady. I am not running a sprint race here, I’m here for a marathon,” he says.

It’s not too often that the actor likes to talk about his personal life. But we ask him is there a set of dos and don’ts he and his girlfriend, actress Patralekha, have set for themselves, on the work front. “Not at all. Patralekha has done Love Games, which is a bold part. I am glad she did that after City Lights because people were seeing her in that one particular image. And knowing her, I can tell you that she’s very different from the character she played in City Lights. She is a modern girl, a fashionista who is constantly giving me tips on how to dress up. We have set no boundaries. She is an amazing actor and we discuss performances and films. As an actor it helps if your partner is also in the same profession. But being in a relationship doesn’t mean I am going to limit myself — acting is my first love and I cannot cheat on my first love. Patralekha came later,” he says with a smile.