There is more job security now, says Rajkummar Rao

He awed with his performance first in Love Sex aur Dhokha. Now the 'Queen' actor Rajkummar Rao tells all in this exclusive interview with India Today.

With Love Sex Aur Dhokha (L.S.D), Ragini MMS and Queen, you have aced being the bad boyfriend in Hindi cinema. With each performance you have brought something different to the table. But while doing these roles, did you ever feel you were repeating yourself?

I feel just like we are six billion human beings in the world there are six billion characters to play. When Ragini [MMS] came my way, I felt it was similar. But I took it up as a challenge. In Queen, Vijay is impulsive, he is not a pervert. But yes, like the others, he is not supposed to be likeable. I didn't see it as. 'Is it going to be same as LSD or Ragini MMS'? I was not thinking too much about it. I was just being in the moment.

Is that how you would define your approach towards acting?

I prepare internally. I don't rehearse too much. I try and catch the mental part/psyche of the character. Rest I leave it on the set. I prefer to react in the moment and to the co-actors.

I am a greedy actor: Rajkummar Rao. (Picture courtesy: India Today)

Anurag Kashyap came to me with Gangs of Wasseypur after LSD. Initially, it was supposed to me about my character and Nawaz's [Nawazuddin Siddiqui]. I was excited about it. I even went with Nawaz to Wasseypur to research for the part for two weeks. Kashyap came back to me and said that while writing the character was chopped. He asked, 'Do you still want to do it?' I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to work with Anurag Kashyap. I have immense respect for him as a filmmaker. I said, 'Of course'. I'm glad I did it because that's the reason I got Shahid. Anurag saw my work in Wasseypur and recommended my name. So everything happens for a reason.
I did Talaash because of Aamir [khan] Sir. I am a big fan of his. There were scenes which didn't make the final cut but that's the way it is. Shaitan was more a guest appearance. I had said no to it a couple of times. I was just seeing whatever options I had.

Will you still do such roles now that you have done Kai Po Che! and Shahid?

Now I won't. I am a greedy actor. I want to play protagonists. But again conditions apply. For instance, if I get a script like Satya, I'd want to be Bhiku Mhatre and not Satya. So it depends on the script.

So is work easier to come by now than before?

Yes. There is more job security. Earlier I just had to convince them to give me one chance. Now the challenge is to not get typecast and choose a script carefully. Now I read one or two scripts daily and the idea is go one step ahead. Struggle will be there throughout. People struggle to become stars. Then they struggle to sustain that stardom and then struggle to attain superstardom.

Rajkummar in a still from Queen.

I want to make my own path. I want to have my own individuality. I want people to recognise me as Rajkummar. I want to do one or two films a year later. I can't afford it right now. But I want people to think that if I am doing a film, there is something in it and they should go and watch it. When they write the names of top five actors in India, I want my name in the list. Honestly though I'm working absolutely nothing for that.

Among the contemporaries, you stand out as you don't belong to any camp. You don't have a contract with a big production house or are managed by an agency.

I never thought I should be in a camp. A good script and story should manage me. I'm just happy doing the work I am doing. They are fantastic films which also happen to be commercially successful.

Do you see yourself doing the commercial entertainers or action films?

I haven't done something like that before so people don't see me that way. See the film industry runs on perception. If I will do a so-called masala film, I will also keep in mind what kind of script it is.
I should just be happy with whatever I am doing. If I feel I'm cheating myself, I won't do it. I have to be sure I want to give four months of my life to this script. I feel responsible towards my fans. On social networking platforms, they ask me what I am doing next and say it must be something "sensible".

Who are the actors you admire?

I really admire Aamir Khan, Irrfan Khan, Ranbir, Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin [Siddiqui]. I don't see them as heroes, I see them as actors.