Now I can choose from good stories:

MUMBAI: National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao, who made his Bollywood debut with the 2010 film Love Sex Aur Dhokha, says that earlier it was just about looking for his next movie, and now it is about choosing the best story.

Apart from winning hearts of the masses and receiving honours from the Indian government, his movies have travelled to international film festivals as well. His latest film Newton had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year.

Asked if anything has changed in him after achieving so much at a young age, the 33-year-old Rajkummar told in an interview: “No, nothing much has changed in me as an actor. Since the day I started out, I always wanted to be part of good stories. The only thing that has changed is, now I have options of good stories to choose from .... ”

“Earlier, it was just to get an opportunity to get there. Earlier, it was more of looking for my next film, now it is about choosing the best,” added the actor.

Thanks to films like Shahid, Aligarh and Trapped, he has earned the label of ‘poster boy of independent cinema’ in India.

But during the current year, it seems like he has managed to balance out between mainstream Hindi cinema (Bareilly Ki Barfi) and a festival delight – Newton.

“I have never compartmentalised all these. For me, they are about stories. A film like Kai Po Che!, Queen, Behen hogi Teri and Bareilly Ki Barfi are not really independent films. Can you call them one? Especially at the phase where the