Injury won’t bog Rajkummar Rao down

Actor Rajkumar Rao has always been a delight for the critics. It helps that this year has been especially kind to the actor. From his cutting-edge performance in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Trapped, to his portrayal of an upstanding polling officer in Newton, which got selected for the Academy Awards, it’s safe to say that his plate has been full. Despite breaking his leg during the shoot of a reality show recently, the actor feels blessed. In a chat, he speaks about his upcoming film, the year gone by and more…

What losses have your broken ankle caused?
I lost three days when I was in the hospital; otherwise, everything is on track. I have been dubbing and also promoting Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana. The only unfortunate part is that we had to push Fanney Khan’s shoot. I feel bad for my team but they have been so supportive. I’ll be back in action within four to five weeks max.

You seem to be going through an exceptionally prolific year…
It’s certainly one of the best years of my career, but I never planned it like this. I was just shooting for all these films last year. They released this year. I feel very blessed that I’m part of all these wonderful films. I know that every year is not going to be the same. But I’ll try and keep doing different films and push myself with every film.

It looks like Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana is another small town rom-com like  Bareilly Ki Barfi. Isn’t that becoming a bit of a problem?
Yes, it is set in a small town, but it’s not your usual small town rom-com. As an actor, I try to keep it as versatile as possible. About 70 to 80 per cent our country lives in small towns and they definitely feel a connect to these stories and these characters. I feel that small town rom-coms have a charm. It’s fun to explore these characters.

What was it like working with the Shaadi Mein... team?
I had a really good time shooting with our team. Ratna  ma’am (director Ratna Sinha) has done a marvellous job as a debutant director and Kriti Kharbanda, my co-star, had my back during every scene. We lived like one big family in Lucknow for about 40-45 days.

Your other film, Hansal Mehta’s Omerta, has been received warmly at the Mumbai Film Festival, Busan and Toronto Film Festival…
Omerta is a powerful film. As an actor, it took a toll on my mental health. It wasn’t an easy character to portray, but Hansal sir pushed me to my limits. We made the film with a lot of honesty and passion. It’s the story of an antagonist, so that way it was a first for us. Toronto, MAMI and Busan are all major festivals and I’m really happy that we had such an overwhelming response.