‘I STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT MY AUDIENCE BASE IS’
Not one to give in to pressure, actor Rajkummar Rao tries to do films that people can resonate with
He’s undoubtedly one of the biggest breakout actors in Bollywood. And Rajkummar Rao, despite being a rank newcomer with no Bollywood connections, has managed to strengthen his grip in the industry with each of his films. But there’s one thing that still puzzles the actor. “I still don’t know what my audience base is,” he shares with a smile.
So after reaching this point in his career, is he more careful about the choices he makes? “I don’t connect the dots too much,” says the 35-yearold, “The only thing that matters is what kind of script I want to associate myself with. That’s a process I have and I’d continue to follow it. I want to do work that pleases me, and not ponder upon what is expected of me.”
However, that in no way means that Rajkummar doesn’t consider what kind of films his fans want to watch him do.
“I try and be a part of films that people can resonate with. Out of ten, may be one will not be liked by them. I also make mistakes but you learn from the mistakes. I don’t want to take any pressure with my choices. I’m pleased that my films such as Newton (2017) and Stree (2018) would turn out to be such big successes,” says the actor, who will next be seen in Made in China alongside Mouni Roy.
And it was a long and difficult journey for him to reach where
he is today. “When I started, I played a lead role in two films — Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010) and Ragini MMS (2011). But then, the next two years, I was only doing smaller parts in good films.”
On why he did not stick to doing just lead parts, he explains, “I just wanted to work and not sit at home doing nothing. I really love being on a film set, and be a part of films such as Shahid, Kai Po Che! (2013), Queen, CityLights (2014). So, I could see my career going on the right track.”