'My work is my image'

A lot has changed, but a lot remains unchanged too, for actor Rajkummar Rao. He took the road less travelled, and has emerged as one of the most reliable and unconventional actors on the block. “I have always abhorred the word ‘hero’ and never aspired to be one. I am an ‘actor’ — that term has such a beautiful sound to it.

‘Hero’ does not have the charm or gravitas that ‘actor’ carries, and that’s something I aspired to be,” he says. After 13 years in the industry and nearly 40 films to his credit, Rajkummar says he still feels like the 25-year-old who arrived on the sets of Love Sex Aur Dokha in 2010. Proud of the fact that he has the tag of ‘versatility’ attached to his name, post films like Shahid, Stree, and Badhai Do, he is well aware of industry and audience expectations “I never wanted to compartmentalise myself as ‘this is what Raj does’ or ‘this is the kind of character Raj plays’,” he says.

“People anticipate good work from me and that’s something I expect from myself too. I don’t want a herd mentality. I should do well. I work very hard and I don’t want to do the formulaic and run-of-the-mill stuff. I am grateful I get good scripts and characters and work with filmmakers who are passionate about telling good stories; everything else is a by-product.”

There was a time when he promoted his own work, and unlike the rest of his contemporaries,he still does not have a battery of managers and publicists following him. “I still like to have informal chats. There was a time when I didn’t have people; now I have a team taking care of my dates and appearances, since there is a protocol; but I am happy being by myself,” he says with a laugh.Neither is he conscious about projecting an image in an industry so driven with perceptions and making an impression.

“I do good work with conviction — that’s my image. People can see through everything, things are so transparent, you cannot fool anyone. Image is something you build with your work and what you do. We are constantly under scrutiny by the paparazzi, and social media, where every-one has opinion,” he notes. “I try to live simply, without carrying any baggage. My image is my work and that’s the best way to be.”

The actor’s next project is Raj & DK’s gangster drama Guns & Gulaabs, which also stars Dulquer Salmaan. Rajkummar plays Tipu, a mechanic whose life changes after he accidentally kills two people. “Guns & Gulaabs is quintessential Raj & DK. I love working with them because they think so unconventionally, everything they do and conceive is so different. Their work from Go, Goa,Gone to Stree is stellar. I love working with them for that reason,” he says.The film, a tribute to the cultural landscape of the 90’s, makes the actor nostalgic. He reminisces about the lost art of writing letters and reading them. And throws in a joke —“Thank God my wife’s name is Patralekha!” He adds, “I miss those simpler times, when you had a physical group of friends; now we are restricted to Whatsapp and social media.”Does he feel actors will soon meet their match in robots, we ask. “You cannot stop technology, but how we use it is important,” notes Rajkummar. “You can already see the repercussions in the huge strike in Hollywood. Human emotions will always be human emotions. How can you recreate that? You will need actors. I hope AI will help us in telling great stories and not take way our jobs,” he says.

As Bollywood goes through a phase of recalibration, Rajkummar Rao says what is required is conviction on the part of storytellers. He cites the example of SS Rajamouli’s mega hit RRR, to prove his point.“Even now, when you see films which are larger than life, you cannot negate the conviction and intent with which they are made,” he stresses. “RRR is a great example. Ram Charan’s introductory scene was one guy beating up hundreds of people, and we all loved it and lapped it up! It was so convincing. We were with that character, we wanted more. That’s the charm of storytelling — people respond to the intent with which you develop characters and tell stories.”

On the rampant cancel culture, the actor says everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long it is not backed by an agenda. “It is fine to take feedback which is fair, and reject that which is not. It’s always best to have a dialogue. No one makes a movie to hurt anyone. It is a business module. People have invested money,” he points out.

As a busy actor, Rajkummar is constantly shuttling between sets and cities. How does he manage to spend time with his wife Patralekha, we want to know. “There is a lot of love between us;even when physically apart we know we are on each other’s mind,” he says with a broad smile.