It was hunger that led award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao to Hamari Adhuri Kahani (Our Incomplete Story), the romantic film starring Vidya Balan and Emraan Hashmi. Hunger for more variety in roles.
Despite the length of his role, Rao says he accepted it because he wanted to challenge himself as an actor.
“As an actor today, you want to do different kinds of films. Otherwise it’s a really boring job and I don’t want to do that to myself. I’m an actor and I want to live different lives on film,” he tells tabloid!.
Rao won the Indian National Award for his role in the biopic, Shahid (2013), in which he played assassinated Indian lawyer and activist Shahid Azmi. He’s known for roles in off-beat films, including his debut Love, Sex Aur Dhokha (Love, Sex and Betrayal) in 2010, Kai Po Che! (2013) and the multi award–winning Queen (2014).
The other reason he took HAK on, was for a chance to work with Balan, who plays his wife, and director Mohit Suri.
“Vidya is such an amazing actress who’s passionate about her work. There are very few actresses who are as dedicated as her to the craft. And she’s also a beautiful human being who makes everyone around her like her.”
His Hari in HAK is completely different from Vijay in Queen, who ditches his fiancee two days before the wedding.
“Vijay was a city boy, young and carefree. Hari is a matured guy who is way too obsessed about his wife,” he explains.
But just five years in and already with a rich body of work, Rao says he still has a long way to go.
“Yes, I do get a lot of offers and the kind of work that I get to do, I am happy in a way. God has been kind,” he says. “But I’m not satisfied. I need to do more. I need work more.”
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Hamari Adhuri Kahani releases in the UAE on June 11.