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EXCLUSIVE: Rajkummar Rao: I'll be proud of Newton even after 50 years
Rajkummar Rao talks about his movie and the kind of roles which entices him in an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla.
Rajkummar Rao as an honest and quirky Newton is all set to entertain you in the theatres near you today i.e September 22, 2017. The actor has had an interesting year so far with him giving stellar performances in movies like Trapped, Bareilly Ki Barfi among others.
From leaving us 'trapped' with his performance in Trapped to dancing like a boss in BKB, the actor has never failed to surprise us with his versatile choices. With Newton too, he plays a slightly different character. Telling us more about the movie in an exclusive chat, Rajkummar reiterated that he will continue to take up roles which are challenging.
Here's an excerpt from the interview:
Tell us about your character Nutan Kumar aka Newton? What about him intrigued you?
I think we have not seen a character like Newton for a very long time. Somebody who is so idealistic and wants to bring in a change and the way it is being told is different. It is so funny and quirky and humorous and at the same time, it is a black comedy. So, I thought it talks about something very important but in a very light way which is very intriguing
From Trapped to Newton, you have played an array of characters, sometimes intense, sometimes funny and now quirky. How do you prepare for it?
After finishing my films, I try and take off for a couple of days and try to travel and take it out of my system and then prepare for my next. That is what I did with Newton, I finished Trapped then moved on to do this movie. Newton is all about honesty and sincerity of the character and that is what I was trying to imbibe in my personal life too. I tried and live the life with a lot of discipline, sincerity, and honesty in whatever I was doing. Then, of course, there is the physical thing which we thought of, that he will have curly hair and I kept that little blink in my eyes which hopefully work for the character. The script was so beautifully written that there was so much I took from it.
The movie revolves around the election process in a certain region. What do you think of the election system of our country? Did you at any point feel a need to question the process?
I did not really question but I think it is a great administration. I think the way they function is commendable. They spend so many millions of rupees to conduct fair elections. What I realised from the stories that I have heard is that they had a booth for just one voter in the jungle once. I really believe that voting is the most important tool that we have as a democracy and we have to realise the importance of it.
You shot for the movie in Chhattisgarh. Given that there is a heavy presence of Naxals there, did you have any apprehensions? Anything that you faced?
I was a little scared before going there. It was natural to be scared but then once I went there I realised that it is so beautiful and untouched. I remember we were shooting in the jungle with some locals who are also acting in the movie and they are so amazing and wonderful. They were always smiling and had no complaints. There is so much I learnt from these people to just be happy with their lives and not really complain about everything. We didn't face any problem as such though we were aware of the Naxal presence.
Newton premiered and won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival. How does it feel?
It was fantastic. It is one of the most prestigious international festivals and Newton won an award there so it was one of the happiest moments for me. I am very proud of the film. It is something I can be proud of even after 50 years. The contribution of Newton to Hindi cinema will be huge.
Many-a-times, content-driven films fail to bring the audience to the theatres. What are your expectations from the movie?
Expectations are always the same that more and more people come and watch the film but I don't want to only think of that because that is something which is beyond my control. I can't really control that. I can only control what we do with my films, the wave is changing and I am hopeful that the film will be watched by a lot of people.
What is that one character which you would like to play now?
I don't know. I don't have personal favourites till now and I don't want to really find any comfort zone. I want to push myself. I could have never imagined myself playing Netaji onscreen but that has happened. I hope someone offers me a part which I would have never imagined to pull off.
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