Playing Shahid Azmi was very difficult: Rajkumar Rao
Rajkumar Rao, who won the best actor National award for his role in Hansal Mehta`s `Shahid`, says portraying the slain lawyer-activist`s life was challenging but inspiring.
New Delhi: Rajkumar Rao, who won the best actor National award for his role in Hansal Mehta`s `Shahid`, says portraying the slain lawyer-activist`s life was challenging but inspiring.
The 29-year-old actor`s performance as the titular character in the Hansal Mehta directed film saw him sharing the National award with Malayalam actor Suraj Venjaramoodu.
"It has been an exciting year. I am proud of Shahid. His family is really proud of him for what he stood for. I feel bad for his unfortunate and tragic death. But I was very inspired and moved by his story. This will forever stay in my heart as he stood for what he believed in," Rao said.
However, playing Shahid in the biopic was not an easy task for the actor, who started his Bollywood journey with Dibakar Banerjee`s `Love, Sex Aur Dhoka`.
"It was quite challenging and difficult. There was not enough material on him on the internet. My only source of information was his family. There was so much that I had to put through my imagination which I think has worked," he said.
After the huge success of his last movie `Queen`, the actor is reuniting with Mehta for `City Lights`.
In the film, the actor plays a small town trader from a village in Rajasthan, who migrates to Mumbai in search of better livelihood. The movie follows his struggle in adjusting to the metropolitan city.
Rajkumar had to shed 7-8kgs for the role.
"This role has taken so much out of me as an actor. I think this character is really high on emotions and has drained me. I had to lose 7-8 kgs in the film," he said.
The film produced by Mahesh Bhatt, is expected to hit theatres on May 1. It stars newcomer Patraleka opposite Rajkumar.
The actor would be next seen opposite Sonam Kapoor in `Dolly Ki Doli`.
"I am shooting for `Dolly Ki Doli` right now. That`s a light and funny film. It`s like a breather for me after my last few films," he said.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.