Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao are reuniting for Ekta Kapoor’s Mental Hai Kya.
Four years after their maiden collaboration, Queen, Bollywood stars Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao are reuniting for Ekta Kapoor’s Mental Hai Kya, just that this time both of them have come a long way in their respective careers. From being among the many faces of independent cinema to being formidable stars in their own right of Hindi film industry, their growth has been phenomenal. But Rajkummar doesn’t believe the change in their statuses will have any bearing on their equation as co-stars.
While people are speculating about a prospective ego clash between the two stars, as has been the case with many other actors, for Rajkummar, he can’t stain the sanctity of acting by putting ego into it. “Trust me, for me acting is not about ego. It is something very pure, it’s about dealing with pure emotions. (So), how can you put your ego in that?” he said when asked about the expected change in dynamics between him and Kangana.
What made the question pertinent was Kangana’s recent comment that now that Rajkummar has become a star, she will have to stay alert so as to not let him take the film from under her nose. When asked about it, Rajkummar laughed and replied, “That’s very kind of her. But I will focus on making a great film.”
He added that he is excited to get back on the sets with the Simran actor. “We haven’t started shooting yet. But I really like Kangana. We have done a film together, Queen, which is a cult. So, I am obviously looking forward to getting on to the sets now,” Rajkummar told reporters at the red carpet of News18 Reel Awards, which were held to honour independent cinema.
Mental Hai Kya, a quirky thriller, will be directed by National Award-winning Telugu filmmaker Prakash Kovelamudi. As of now, Rajkummar is shooting for horror comedy, Stree, with Shraddha Kapoor. The film’s last schedule has begun. Praising his co-star, Rajkummar said Shraddha is an extremely dedicated actor. “We are getting into the last schedule now. It is shaping up pretty well. I am really excited for the release. It is going very good (shooting with Shraddha). She is a very hardworking and dedicated actor.”
Rajkummar is also gearing up for the release of his next titled Omerta, directed by Hnasal Mehta. The film, based on the life of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British terrorist of Pakistani descent, arrives in theatres on April 20.