The extra ‘M’ in my name is for my Ma: Rajkummar Rao

RajkummarRao, 29, is emotional, mature, secure and loyal. He is married to acting and most attached to his niece Jhanavi, who he has brought up like his own daughter. Ahead of his upcoming film City Lights, the National award-winning actor speaks to Bombay Times about the reasons for adding the extra ‘M’ in his name, his silent connection with God and why he considers Irrfan Khan the best actor.Excerpts:
You have an extra ‘M’ in your name. How did that come about?
The extra ‘M’ is Ma ka addition. My mother believes in a lot of things and she would tell me wear this, do that and I told her I can’t do all that, but I will add an extra ‘M’. I did it for her sake and it made her happy. My original name was Raj Kumar, but in films they always want to give a person a surname, be it Rajkumar Hirani or Rajkumar Santoshi, so they started calling me Raj Kumar Yadav, which is also my original name, but I preferred Rajkummar Rao. Rao is something that I really wanted. While I don’t believe in these things much, I added the extra M after 'Shahid' and to come to think of it, it may have helped. Except for adding this extra ‘M’, she has never asked me for anything.
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When I was giving my 12th standard Board exams, my friends would be studying 15 hours a day and I remember I would go and watch a film. She would never complain and gave me all the freedom and I think, she is the coolest mother. Whenever I bunked school with my friends, I would tell my mother, ‘You think I am wearing my uniform and going to school, but in reality, I will be bunking it.’ She would never scold and only say okay. My father, too, is a very simple person and did not interfere in my life too much. My family has always been very supportive. My mother and brother were always confident that one day, I would become an actor and never put any kind of pressure on me. I am very lucky. Even when I was looking out for a role in Mumbai, I never felt that I would not get a role. My family did not let me feel that way. They never let me feel let down as they were confident that I would become an actor. They were there throughout supporting me.
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What does winning a National award mean to you? I am really happy, but I didn’t expect it. I wanted the National award and want all the awards, but honestly I don’t think too much about what is going to happen to a film. I enjoy the process of filmmaking. For me, when I go on set, live a character, that gives me some kind of high. I love acting the most.
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How did you become an actor?
I was born and brought up in a joint family in Gurgaon and my father has recently retired from the revenue department. I had no connection with films, but every Saturday, all of us as a family would sit up all night and watch three back-to-back films on a VCR. I started doing martial arts when I was in Class V and participated in several national level championships, winning lots of gold medals. By Class XI, I was a black belter in Taekwondo. I also started learning dance in Class VI and that gave me a lot of confidence, as I loved being on stage and performing in front of people. I did my first play in Class X and I knew for sure that that was my calling. After that, it was a really smooth journey for me. I started doing serious theatre at Shri Ram Centre at Mandi House. Meanwhile, I finished my graduation and got through FTII in my first attempt itself and worked on my craft there. In 2008, I came to Mumbai and went through the usual struggle to look out for work. After a year-and-a-half, I got my first film, LSD. I had read an article in Pune Times that Dibakar Banerjee was looking out for a newcomer. So I came to Mumbai, I went to his office and met his casting director Atul Mongia. I auditioned for it and got the role. I then did a small role in Gangs Of Wasseypur as I just wanted to work with Anurag Kashyap and then did Ragini MMS. Anurag Kashyap referred me to Hansal Mehta and that is how I got Shahid. I am grateful to Hansal sir for having believed in me for 'Shahid' even though I know many actors would have loved to play this part.
You have not yet had a chance to display your martial art and dance on screen. Do you aspire to display that on screen?
I don’t mind showing my hidden talents on screen but that script should make sense to me. I can’t just suddenly start dancing. It should excite me as an actor. And I do aspire to do a film based on marital arts, but I don’t plan too much. I just want to take my craft to another level. I want to go global. I am here in this industry for a marathon and I’m not here for the sprint race. I want to go really far and really long. I want to die here.
Are you in a relationship?
I am in a committed relationship for the past four years. She is from Mumbai and wants to be an actor. I have no plans to get married as of now and am married only to acting at the moment.
Whose acting do you like?
Irrfan is the best actor we have now. Whatever he does, I believe in his character. I also have a lot of respect for Aamir Khan as an actor. I want to work with Irrfan and do a full-fledged role with Aamir. I also want to work with Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.
What are you like?
I am too emotional and want to help everyone. If I see somebody who needs help, I want to help even if I know that he or she is lying. I find it the right thing but people around me find me too kind. I like that I am honest both as a person and in my craft. I want to put my point very clearly but am a simple and easy guy and connect easily with people. I am very clean and feel that I have a special connection with God. My heart is really soft. I am very strong about myself but when it comes to others, I am very weak.
Talk about your connection with God?
I have very strong faith in God. Whatever has happened in my life, he has shown me signs in advance. Once, I was in Class VIII and went to Delhi to collect costumes for a dance thing I was doing. I went from Gurgaon to Delhi in a bus as I didn’t have too much money to travel. I got off some place and did not know how to get where I wanted to. Suddenly from nowhere, this old aunty came in an auto and asked me for the same address. I told her how I too was looking for that address. She said, ‘Come, I will drop you.’ It was really far from that place and I could have neither walked nor taken an auto to that place as I did not have enough money. She dropped me there and just disappeared. I offered to pay her money even though I had none and she said, ‘No, you go and do your work.’ For me, she was God. Three months back, I wanted to buy a bigger car and was saving money for it and thought that I couldn’t as I did not have enough money for it. Suddenly, filmmakers started calling me and from the time I last visited the showroom to now when I bought it, I had the money. Whatever I have asked for in life has come to me.
Watch: Shahid Official trailer