I don’t fear getting typecast. I also do not aim at breaking stereotypes. I just listen to my heart and keep looking forward to my next film. That’s my mantra of success By  Rajkummar Rao

Coming from Delhi’s ARSD College and making a mark in the entertainment world was an uphill journey fraught with hard work and challenges. I started with a theatre group during my graduation days and worked from morning to evening and sometimes at night as well. I joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, to hone my craft for two-and-a-half-years.

life after FTII was full of struggles and rejections. Since I had no plan B, I faced it all headlong. I had faith that I would arrive one day. More than me, my family, especially my mother, had faith in me and would pump me up whenever I would feel low. Unlike other struggling actors, I did not have to worry about survival in an overly expensive city and taking up different jobs. Without my family’s support, I would never be able to reach thus far. I just followed my dream by heart and I kept chasing it till it happened.

From my first film love Sex Aur Dhokha (lSD) till now, a lot has changed. But 2017 has been my lucky year as I got to do amazing films like Trapped, Raabta, Behen Hogi Teri, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Newton, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana and the web series Bose: Dead/Alive. I was lucky to have done these films with wonderful scripts. So, 2017 is the most important year of my career and I hope it continues from here.

When I did Trapped, I knew I had to go through physical transformation in the process of filming because I was playing a character stuck in an apartment without any food or water for weeks. To lose weight I stopped eating and drinking for 17-18 days, and just survived on bare minimum.

For Hansal Mehta’s Bose, we had an image reference for the real life character of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. To match up to that, I had to gain weight and go half bald which many people were not happy about, thinking I might get typecast and not get more roles. But going through that transformation was the only way to approach Netaji and I could tell myself that ‘yes I can play him on screen’.

With Newton, which is the Oscar nomination film from India this year, I had a fantastic experience working with the director Amit whom I am fond of since my first film lSD. While doing Newton, I learnt a lot about sincerity of work. That Newton stood up for his own beliefs even when everything was going against him made me realise that that is what I do as an actor.  I don’t want to compromise my sincerity or my passion for work.

But when you transform for Trapped or Bose or do a film like Omerta, which has garnered a lot of accolades at Toronto, Busan and Miami film festivals it sometimes takes a toll on you mentally and physically. In Omerta, I played a British terrorist of Pakistani origin. The film explores the 1994 kidnappings of Westerners in India.

I am lucky people are now considering me for all kinds of roles and live engaging events like Signature Start Up Master Class season 2, to connect with and inspire my fans by talking about my journey. To make it big, you don’t need a good looking face or a Godfather. You just need commitment, persistence and hard work. The only way is to be better than other actors. I have always had this urge to learn and I am still a hungry actor.

I believe my hard work in my early theatre days has brought me where I am today. The mantra to my success is that I love what I do. I’m genuinely in love with cinema. This is something I’m going to do all my life.

I don’t want it all to die down and just want people to say 2017 was Rajkumar’s year. I want people to say 2018 and 2019 were also Rajkumar’s years. I look forward to my next film and that is what keeps me alive. That is what I’m trying to do with my upcoming films Fanny Khan with Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ek ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa laga with Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, Omerta and an interesting horror comedy with Shradha Kapoor.

— As told to Sangeeta Yadav