Riding high on both critical and commercial success, actor Rajkumar Rao is busy like never before. He has just finished Fanne Khan, Stree and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga and is ready to say Mental Hai Kya with Kangana Ranaut. From drama to horror to comedy, there is nothing that is not Rajkumar’s plate. And right now, Rajkumar is busy taking his mentor Hansal Mehta's Omerta to public. Based on the life of terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh, the film is making all the right noises. In Delhi for the poster launch, the Gurugram boy opened up on navigating a dark mind.
Excerpts:
What was your first reaction when Hansal Mehta told you about Omerta?
He first told me about the story when we were shooting for Shahid. Obviously, he had some other actor in mind but told me that the story is very close to him. I was very intrigued and felt that it is a very pertinent story of our times.
How difficult was it to enter inside the mind of a terrorist?
It was not a familiar world for me. I had to start from scratch. I went to London to get the accent, to know the culture and issues which lead to his decision. I did not know the facts regarding his personal life though I used to follow news stories about him. I did not know about his background which was crucial in understanding the character's inherent instincts.
Did it affect you mentally?
It was very disturbing for me. I had to cultivate a lot of anger and hatred inside me. For that I started watching disturbing videos, documentaries and all those hate speeches which actually radicalise a person. As a character, I can't love him and that is not an enjoyable process as an actor. And at times it did show up in my expressions!
Does your training in acting help you in keeping a line between you and the character, thus saving you from mental trauma?
Definitely, my training in acting actually made me a more sensible person. As Raj, I can never connect to Omar Sheikh. I condemn what he does and I do not believe in his ideology but when I have been given a responsibility to play a character, I have to believe in his conviction. The details, finer nuances of my characters are something which I pick up over the years through films, personal experiences and use where I feel like.
Do you have a method to it?
Method acting is a term which we have started using very casually. It is not that simple a approach which we can use so easily. One has to go through a rigorous course and develop his own method. But I do go very close to the character before my first shot and post that, the layers start to unravel.
These days you are doing a healthy mix of masala and serious films. Do you believe in the commercial and art film binary?
There are some films which have a lot of songs and dances and some films which do not have any song. To me, the number of songs define its commercial nature (laughs). I am still a fan of cinema of the ‘90s which gave new meaning to romance and how we tell our stories. That is the reason I do not want to restrict myself and this is why you see me in Bareilly Ki Barfi or Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana. But I also feel strongly for films like Shahid and City Lights because this kind of cinema is very necessary for the times we live in and so is Omerta, which is a very engaging, fast-paced thriller.
How do you define an actor-director relationship?
It is one the most important relationships in the world. You have to be in sync with the director and sooner you find your process to it, sooner things start happening easily on the set. There is no other way that you can make a film. Though filmmaking is a collaborative effort, it is the director’s vision that we all come together to achieve. That is why it is more important to be a director’s actor than an actor with independent thoughts.
The characters should always outperform the image of an actor…
Absolutely. I hate getting tagged to images and I do not want to carry any one of them. I want to remain an actor who is known by the characters he plays. I do not want people to put me in a bracket and say Rajkumar only does this and has this image particular image. That is very boring.
But most of your characters recently were set in smaller cities…
This is reflective of our cinema which is going more rooted as we are telling stories which are much more middle class and real in a sense. The films are being set in small towns because the majority of population lives there. When they cast for such films and think I fit the part, it always comes as a new challenge to me.
Do you think that multiplex culture has homogenised the audience of such stories?
I always say that niche is the new mass. Films which were earlier called art films are actually becoming the massy films now. Yes, the multiplex culture has brought an audience which has similar sensibilities, but a film like Newton touches every individual and everyone can relate to it. A film should not be directed towards a set of audience, it should rather find its own.
Your win at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards can boost your international presence...
I think international audiences are definitely taking notice of the changing face of Indian cinema. It is not only about song and dance now. They know that we tell stories as well. Given a chance, I would love to be the international icon from India and take Indian cinema outside of the country. There are a couple of things happening in that direction but nothing has materialised as of now.
