'No competition, no jealousy' : Rajkummar Rao

Mumbai: After being talked about for his performance in Queen, Rajkumar Rao is now gearing up to play the lead role opposite Sonam Kapoor in Dolly Ki Doli and Vidya Balan in Mohit Suri’s next. 

 

“I’m very excited about the other films that I’m doing. The pairing in those films might look a bit odd, but sometimes the odd bit ends up being the USP of the film,” he says. 

 

Despite his unconventional looks, Rajkumar is being touted as the next big hero in the industry. From Mahesh Bhatt to Raj Kumar Hirani, every filmmaker seems to have placed his bets on Rao. Is that unnerving? “Right now it isn’t,” he says adding, “A few years from now if I do become a big name, I might feel the pressure to hold on to my popularity and retain the faith people have shown in me.”

 

Rajkumar admits that in an industry ruled by the Khans and Kapoors, it is not easy to get noticed or carve a niche. “Having said that, it’s not impossible either. Big stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan had to struggle and patiently wait before they became ‘big’ names. It’s a combination of luck and talent that does the trick,” he says optimistically. 

 

Does he feel threatened by rivals such as Sushant Singh Rajput and Ranveer Singh, we prod. “SSR’s Shuddh Desi Romance did well and I’m very happy for him. But there is not an iota of jealousy or competitiveness in me. Shahid got me the recognition that every actor years for. Commercial success too is around the corner.”