Rajkummar Rao : I'm Just An Actor Not A Star

With chhalaang, rajkummar rao takes the great leap forward, writes Suman Sharma

- Suman Sharma

From Mandi House in Delhi to the FTII in Pune and finally to Mumbai… Rajkummar Rao had a winding commute to filmdom. The year 2010, found him at the threshold of changing cinema. Rajkummar’s ordinariness gave him extraordinary leverage in playing the hero, who could be both grave and goofy, sinister and simple... The experimental Love Sex Aur Dhokha was juxtaposed with the drama Kai Po Che! The disturbing Shahid was followed by the gender-bender Queen. The angsty CityLights and the nerve-wracking Trapped were balanced by the light-hearted Bareilly Ki Barfi and the black comedy Newton. Finally, the horror comedy Stree slalomed him into the 100-crore club, with Rajkummar walking shoulder to shoulder with mainstream magnets. Coming up is an eclectic palette from him – Anurag Kashyap’s crime comedy Ludo, the Chupke Chupke remake, Dinesh Vijan’s horror comedy Roohi Afzana and The White Tiger adaptation with Priyanka Chopra. But what’s making the biggest noise right now is his upcoming release, Hansal Mehta’s social comedy Chhalaang. The film spotlighting the conflict between sports and studies, could be a wake-up call for a slumbering system…

What’s your state of mind right now?

I’m happy. I’m passionate about what I’m doing. I never had a plan B. Acting is the only thing I wanted to do all my life.

Is this a ‘dream phase’ in your career then?

My dream began in 2010 when my first film, Love Sex Aur Dhoka, released. My only dream was to be a film actor. But I’m living my dream. Yes, I feel good that my films are working. Success means to be able to do what makes you happy and to do that every day.

How does stardom feel?