MAY 25 2017

ACTOR Sushant Singh Rajput, who played the role of former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the big screen, says he does not want to play himself in films because it wouldn’t be exciting for him.

He will be seen playing two characters in his forthcoming film Raabta. Asked if any of the characters were close to his personality, Rajput said: “No, none of them are similar to my character. In fact, I will not play myself on screen. That is not exciting for me as a performer.

“I started acting because I wanted to play or act like someone else. I am acting myself all the time, in life. That was getting a little boring so, I started acting like someone else – and getting paid for it. That… I found interesting.”

The film, with a reincarnation story, revolves around a couple played by Rajput and Kriti Sanon.

Giving an insight into his character, Rajput said: “The story has captured two eras. In one, I am playing a happy-go-lucky boy who falls in love with a girl. And in the other part, I am playing the character of a warrior. The story is quite different and the characters don’t have a reference point.”

However, he doesn’t believe in reincarnation.

“When I sleep for six to eight hours a day, I don’t know who I am during that time. How can I recall who I was in my previous birth?”

Rajput became popular after featuring in the TV show Pavitra Rishta, which went on air in 2009. He made his Bollywood debut with Kai Po Che! in 2013 and moved up the career ladder with the 2016 film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.

“There was a time when I used to go to shopping malls so that people would recognise me and ask for photographs. You look for a little attention as a television actor, but now that seduction for money and fame has gone.

“Now I am used to it. Obviously, when you are living in a small room sharing with six other boys, you want a proper house for yourself, a car so that you can get rid of the crowd on public transport. Now, I have them all, so all I want is good work.”

The Patna-born actor was a good student and cricketer just like one of his sisters Mitu Singh, who is a state-level cricketer.

He grew up with four sisters and his parents treated all of them equally. There was no gender discrimination, Rajput said.

Asked why he had never talked about gender equality on public platforms, he said: “That’s the moment you spoil the power of it. When you are saying that girls are equally powerful or gender equality should be there, you are demeaning girls. It is contradictory.

“Let me not tell you again that girls are equal and I respect men and women equally, both the genders deserve everything in equality.” – IANS