The audience wants to see talent on screen: Rajkumar

Right from receiving critical acclaim for his nuanced performance in Trapped and garnering positive attention for his entertaining act in box-office hit Bareilly Ki Barfi, to his latest film Newton being selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars , Rajkummar Rao has been in the limelight this year. “I am excited about my upcoming films as well, in all of which I am doing something different. Certainly, this is a special year,” he says. Besides movie projects, the actor will be seen in his debut web venture. Ask him if he had to tweak his working style and approach to craft as per the format, and he says, “Not at all. It’s just like how you make a feature film. The amount of money the makers are spending is not less than a feature film. But as an actor my process doesn’t change at all. If the medium is different, my approach won’t change. I have to still deal with emotions, try and deal with them as honestly as I can,” says Rajkummar. He further elaborates on the process or technique one follows. He says, “Every actor has his or her own process. There is no defined rule that this is how it should be done. I can totally understand why actors can’t put it in words, because it is difficult to explain what happens internally. Personally, I have a different process which I can’t verbalise. Of course, my training at FTII, and my theatre background, have helped me in becoming whoever I am today.” Rajkummar advises aspiring actors to “learn acting” and avoid distractions.