{"id":56024,"date":"2025-08-09T03:18:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T03:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/56024\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T03:18:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T03:18:08","slug":"interview-rajkummar-rao-says-not-having-a-film-background-gave-him-freedom-to-find-his-own-voice-bollywood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/56024\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview || Rajkummar Rao says \u2018not having a film background’ gave him freedom to find his own voice | Bollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Actor Rajkummar Rao<\/a> has showcased his versatility by taking on a wide range of roles across different genres, from supernatural and comedy to thriller to gangster drama and rom-com, all within the span of a year. He credits his outsider status in Bollywood <\/a>for allowing him the creative freedom to experiment and find his unique voice as an actor.<\/p>\n

\"Rajkummar Rajkummar Rao was last seen in Maalik. On being an outsider<\/p>\n

Rajkummar made his debut with the anthology film Love Sex Aur Dhokha, going on to take supporting parts in films such as Gangs of Wasseypur <\/a>\u2013 Part 2 and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within. He received acclaim with his roles in Kai Po Che, CityLights and Shahid.<\/p>\n

Looking back at his roots, Rajkummar feels his outsider status has worked in his favour.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot having a film background gave me the freedom to find my own voice. There were no expectations to follow a path. I am very proud of my journey and would not trade it for anything else. And it definitely helped me stay grounded,\u201d Rajkummar tells us.<\/p>\n

Lately, he has featured in projects such as Stree<\/a>, Maalik, Bhool Chuk Maaf and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video. We ask him whether experimenting with diverse films is a conscious effort to escape stereotypes, and he is quick to note, \u201cYes, very much so.”<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to explore as many kinds of stories and characters as possible. Whether it\u2019s something serious or something lighthearted, I want to keep discovering new parts of myself as an actor. It keeps the work exciting and real,\u201d adds the actor, who will soon embrace fatherhood.<\/p>\n

On staying true to the artistic vision<\/p>\n

Talking about striking a balance between staying true to the artistic vision with the commercial realities, Rajkummar shares, \u201cIt\u2019s a balancing act, but I don\u2019t think they always have to clash.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the most meaningful films I\u2019ve done have also done well commercially. I think if your choices come from an honest place, they connect with people. That\u2019s always been my approach- Do the work that matters to me and trust that it will find its audience,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

On the responsibility that comes with star status<\/p>\n

Rajkummar acknowledges the responsibility that comes with his growing star status, recognising that many people look up to him, and is mindful of the impact his actions and choices may have. That\u2019s why he is very selective about the brands that he endorses.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, endorsing a brand isn\u2019t just a business decision. It reflects who I am and what I stand for. People, especially younger audiences, pay attention to these choices. So, I take that responsibility extremely seriously,\u201d says Rajkummar, who recently became the face of home improvement and lifestyle retailers MR. DIY.<\/p>\n

He explains, \u201cLike this one comes with a no-fuss approach, which I relate to. It\u2019s not trying to be flashy or over-the-top. It\u2019s about being useful and accessible, and I think that\u2019s something that matches how I see myself too\u2026 Whether it\u2019s a product or a message, I look for something that adds value or speaks to people in a genuine way. I stay away from anything that feels superficial or isn\u2019t in line with how I live my life. If I don\u2019t connect with it personally, I won\u2019t promote it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rajkummar goes on to give an example, saying, \u201cYes, there have been a few. One in particular was very tempting in terms of exposure and money, but the message didn\u2019t sit right with me. It didn\u2019t feel like something I could stand behind, so I passed\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day, I have to be okay with my choices, even off screen,\u201d he wraps up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Actor Rajkummar Rao has showcased his versatility by taking on a wide range of roles across different genres,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56025,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[4073,49,48,37242,75,337,37241,11887,37243,37240],"class_list":["post-56024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-bollywood","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-commercial-realities","tag-entertainment","tag-movies","tag-outsider-status","tag-rajkummar-rao","tag-rajkummar-rao-outisder","tag-versatility"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}