I don’t take myself too seriously: Rajkummar Rao

By Natalia Ningthoujam

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Rajkummar Rao has been impressing all with his natural acting skills ever since he made his Bollywood debut in 2010. From playing a small role in "Rann" to leading the cast of critically acclaimed films like "Shahid" and "Newton", he has done it all. His talent has also fetched him numerous awards, including the prestigious National Award, but he still does all the normal things. He says the day he stops acting normal, he will take a break and step back.

"I do all the normal things. I am a really normal guy. I don't take myself too seriously. The day I start feeling that I am changing, I think that will be the day I will tell myself, 'Okay, take a break and step back'. The reason to be an actor was never to change myself or for money or fame. I genuinely fell in love with the craft. That's how I see it," Rajkummar told IANS here.

The audience has also showered him with love by making his films like "Stree", "Bareilly Ki Barfi", "Queen" and "Kai po che!" box-office hits. But he is yet to feel like a star.

"I don't understand stardom. I know superstardom. I love all these people... Shah Rukh Khan sir, Salman Khan Sir, Aamir Khan Sir, Hrithik Roshan Sir. I love them. If you talk about me, I just want to work," said the actor.

He isn't sure what he wants to be known as.

"It's a tag that people give you. You can't really try and say 'I am going to be a star now'. That's something people give you. They can make you a star or superstar. You can't decide what you want to be," said the "LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha" actor.

In fact, he and his girlfriend, actress Patralekhaa, recently recreated one of their favourite scenes from Shah Rukh-starrer "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" ("DDLJ").

"That was just fun in London. I don't think we should touch that film. Some classics should not be touched," he said, about the idea of remaking "DDLJ".

A remake of Raj and Simran's epic love story may not be on the cards for Rajkummar, but a look at his filmography clearly indicates he has been busy with a good number of films.

"If I accept whatever comes my way, I would end up doing so many more films in a year, which I don't want to and I can't. I am being picky and choosy. I choose my scripts carefully. Whichever films I am doing - like 'Made In China' or 'Turram Khan' - are the films I really felt excited about," shared the actor, whose film "Judgementall Hai Kya" released last month.

Producer Dinesh Vijan of "Stree" fame is working on a horror comedy universe. How many films is Rajkummar going to be part of?

"I hope all of them. Dinesh is family. We love working with each other," he said.

He has teamed up with directors and producers such as Hansal Mehta, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Ekta Kapoor, but he hopes to work with filmmaker Karan Johar someday.

"I respect him a lot. I think he is a phenomenal filmmaker. I would love to work with him. We keep chatting about things," said Rajkummar.

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)