Rajkummar Rao

Professions :

I am the same person who came to this city Mumbai a few years ago to act in Hindi films, and I am just continuing doing that. I did not change as a person. All that happens is people change around me.

i-am me change people

I try to bring all my sincerity to the character I play. That way, I am dedicated.

i-am try character way

I don't know how my body would react if I don't eat for 10 days. In order to go through that experience, I almost did not eat or drink water for 15-20 days. I only had one carrot a day, a cup of black coffee, and a few sips of water.

day experience coffee water

If someone comes to me with a script and says, 'Sir, this hero...' I'm like, 'Is there a name, or he is just called a hero?' We are not heroes. Heroes are people fighting for us at the border. We are not heroes; we are just doing our job.

job me hero people

People will invest in you only if they see some kind of return, and that's the dark truth.

you truth dark people

I think God made this very path for me, and he guided me all throughout. And my family has always been very supportive. It's not like one day I sat across the dinner table and told them I want to be an actor. It didn't happen like that.

day me family god

Whatever I am today is mostly because of my training at FTII. It taught me to be disciplined as an actor. People accuse us of being lazy and presume that we smoke up and laze about in the campus, which is not true at all. FTII courses are hard work.

me hard-work work today

It's a one-day story of a guy called Newton Kumar, and the backdrop is election: how the most powerful tool we have as citizens is vote but how we don't utilise it. We really don't give importance to it. It talks about democracy; it's a satire, a black comedy.

election vote democracy black

I chased my dream, worked hard for it, and now I am actually living that dream. This doesn't happen to everyone.

everyone i-am hard dream

I take my work very seriously, but I don't take myself seriously.

seriously myself take work

I have always taken risks. I like doing films which are different.

risks doing like always

I have to finish 'Behen Hogi Terim' and then get right into that zone to seriously start preparing for it. It is a huge responsibility to play Netaji.

seriously start responsibility play

We have to address the safety of women, and that is of utmost importance right now. I would love to work only with people with ethics and the right moral conduct.

women work love people

I knew that I was just one of those actors who came to Mumbai to achieve their dreams. I knew that nobody would welcome me with open arms and auditions were the only way to get a chance.

nobody dreams me welcome

No, nothing much has changed in me as an actor. Since the day I started out, I always wanted to be part of good stories. The only thing that has changed is now I have options of good stories to choose from.

nothing day good me

A film like 'Kai Po Che!', 'Queen', 'Behen Hogi Teri' and 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' are not really independent films.

queen like independent film

I want to work with Darren Aronofsky, Damien Chazelle, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and, of course, Majid Majidi.

course want work

It's very tough for someone who doesn't have a filmi background to get work in Bollywood. It's not a smooth ride unless you are really lucky. But I think one has to be prepared for that.

ride think you work

When I was in Class Four, I wanted to be an astronaut. I am still fascinated with the universe. I decided I wanted to be an actor when I was in Class Eight.

actor i-am universe class

After my schooling, I started theatre. By the time I graduated, I was doing theatre 24x7. Luckily, the FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) acting course started.

doing theatre time television

Ian Mckellen

Adhir Kalyan

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Bert Lahr

Alan Arkin

Alan Alda