‘Marriage will happen’

Hailing from a small town, Rajkummar Rao has come a long way, what with his movie Newton being nominated to go to the Oscars. And it seems like 2017 belongs to the unconventional actor thoroughly, after delivering back-to-back successful movies including Trapped, Bareilly ki Barfi and Newton.

Now that the actor is gearing up for Bose Dead/Alive, his web series on the life of Subhash Chandra Bose, a source reveals that Rajkummar has hiked his fees. Quiz him on it, and the actor dodges the question, subtly.

“I have no idea about this. You have to ask my team,” he says. “I don’t work for money anyway, so I don’t know where this is coming from.”

His girlfriend, actress Patralekha, will also be seen with the actor in the web series again, after CityLights. She’ll be seen portraying the role of Nandini in the ALTBalaji show, a charming woman belonging to the elite section of society, who idolised Bose’s passion for the freedom struggle.

Rajkummar says  Patralekha has grown as an actress. “If she asks for my guidance, I’m always there,” he says. “But as an actor, you have to choose from whatever is available. Sometimes you can go wrong, but it’s okay. Now she’s doing well, and choosing the right content.”

He adds, “We are thorough professionals. We did CityLights together, and she was amazing. I was happy about the fact that she’s a part of Bose. She’s also grown as an actor. You will see a different avatar when you see her in the web series.”

The duo makes for a great couple on and off screen. So, is marriage on the cards? “Not right now,” he grins. “We both of us want to focus on our respective careers, and we’re not thinking about it. Marriage will happen for sure — it’ll happen eventually. But I don’t know when.”

Talking about his web series, which will trace the journey of Netaji Bose from an introverted 14-year-old to a brave 48-year-old  nationalist, Rajkummar says, “I was thrilled when they offered me this part. I feel glad they thought of me to play this character. To live his life and make everyone believe I was him was a huge challenge. I also feel that digital is the future. It’s gaining momentum and there will be a parallel industry, running with digital shows.”