“Content has become the king and it’s a very exciting time to be an actor” – Rajkummar Rao : Bollywood News

You are getting rave reviews for your Bareilly Ki Barfi performance? How difficult was it play the repressed character with a dual personality?
It was a tough part to portray. There was a very thin line stopping me from going overboard, especially once my character goes aggressive in the second half. There aren't many shades available in Pritam Vidrohi apart from his personality-change. So it was a challenge for me to make him believable and human and still make people feel for him. I am quite overwhelmed by the reactions I'm getting for this portrayal.

“Content has become the king and it’s a very exciting time to be an actor” – Rajkummar Rao

Pritam Vidrohi is unable to express his feelings. How easy was it for you to win over your girlfriend Patralekha and did you have to work hard to win her affection?
Raj is very different from Pritam and it wasn't this complicated with Patralekhaa. She is a wonderful girl and I was just being myself. Our relationship grew with time and it was a very organic process for us to fall for each other. We took around a year to know each other before we started dating.

Critics seem to feel you are one of the most versatile contemporary actors. How satisfied are you with the progress you've made in your career?
I'm very happy with the way it's going as of now barring one or two films. I've always wanted to do content-driven films and am very happy that now that's what our audience also want to see. Content has become the king.

But the praise this time for Bareilly Ki Barfi is overwhelming?
I am very grateful to all of the critics. I feel very blessed. God's been too kind to me. I'm happy with the way it's going. I've always wanted to do content-driven films and am very happy that now that's what our audiences also want to see. Content has become the king and it's a very exciting time to be an actor in the industry. It's a humble beginning. I still have a long way to go but I just want to be on this journey of self-discovery forever.

Which of your other films do we look forward to?
Hopefully, all of them (laughs). Post Bareilly Ki Barfi, there is Newton releasing on September 22, then there is Bose post that Omerta with Hansal Sir (Mehta) and a film directed by Ratna Sinha co-starring Kriti Kharbanda.