Rajkummar Rao: I never forget where I came from and I'll never forget

Actors also keep the journalists waiting comforts Rajkummar Rao as I apologise for being late courtesy Mumbai traffic With his fractured bandaged feet resting on the chair he smilingly says Its much better now Accompanying him was his best friend Patralekha As we prepare to start the teteetete about their upcoming web series Bose DeadAlive on the life of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose the duo patiently answers all the questions which also reflects their lovely relationship Humble downtoearth thats the kind of simplicity the Newtons bright star carries along while shining brightRajkummar RaoExcerpts from the interviewWhat kind of response is pouring in for the trailer of Bose DeadAlivePeople are loving the trailer they are excited to watch it We Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha are happy to be a part of BosePatralekha theres a lot of mystery surrounding it Can you elaborate the roleIm playing an important character Its a Bengali character her name is Nandini She is as rebellious as Bose and she believes in his ideologies Thats how Bose and Nandini connect Its been a really fun and grateful experience for me I feel like it was just a homecoming with Hansal Mehta sir Raj Rajkummar Rao Its just so much fun being back with these guysDid the political atmosphere around Bose affect you in any way to play his character Did it mentally affect youI dont think about all these things while Im performing because when Im living his life it also means Im living as Bose So I cant think about what people thinkSo there were no apprehensions before taking up this web seriesOf course not I believe in his ideologies and wisdom and thats how I startedThe reason behind asking this question was because of the growing intolerant nature and the political interference in the filmmaking arenaI cant work under pressure I cant think about what other people are thinking and thenhellipHave you done any kind of research on your part in playing Bose or you gave in to the directors view and the storyThe script in itself was a big research There was a lot of reading involved and lots of videos on Bose that I watched Like the weight gain and all the physical parts that I had to do in order to look like himYou also had to put fillers in your cheeks So how was it like talking or eatingIt was a lot of fuss I had to practise it a lot In a couple of scenes we have used denturesHas the way in which you get perceived now changedI dont know honestly I just happily work here I dont know if the perception is changed Its just that Im getting exciting and different kind of workYoud once told in your interview that earlier you would look for your next project now you get to choose So how is that feelingIts different from when I started Ive done all kinds of films and now I get to choose the bestPatralekha all this while you have stood rock solid beside Rajkummar So how does it feel to see him climb the ladder of successhellipAnd she cuts me inAnd he supported me all this while we are best friends Im so happy for his hard work to be paid off because hes a really hardworking man For him acting is not a job its a part of his living I dont know what Rajkummar would do if he wasnt acting Also Im not surprised where he is because the kind of passion and love that he has is incredibleHow has your equation with Hansal Mehta developed over time given your history of working on many projects togetherI think we are farlike brothers or relatives earlier and now we decide to make one big family together We understand each other very well Like Shahid our first film together has given us a lot of things I think it has made me who I am and probably him also who he is It has got us a lot of respect as an actor and producer And we share this mutual understanding also as in the way we want to tell a story Its more family thats more personal than professional nowAre there any future collaborations between you and Hansal Any other historical character youll would like to explore togetherNot thinking about anything else right now If theres anything that is really exciting and we are passionate about then well make itWeb series are in major trend these days and a lot of actors have opted for the medium Did you give your nod for it in one goThe story of Bose in itself was so exciting and just to get an opportunity to play Netajis character I think I feel very blessed that people thought of me to play Netaji Because any actor most of them would jump to do this partPatralekha shoots a question to Rajkummar Rao Is it a film based on which you will choose a character or a web series What is the line or is there a line at allTheres no line at all Especially now that web series arehellip and just the fact that its going to be there on the platform Theres no pressure or comparison that your film is coming with some other film I think its a much more peaceful environmentWe see you socialising a lot these days Does it come along with stardomThat I think is promotions laughs Aamir sir Khan I really share a great rapport with him Hes really admirable I love him So when he invited us for the Diwali party we went therePatralekha But actually we are not seen in any filmy partyRajkummar Not reallyHow hard are you trying to not let success get into your headIm not trying anything at all because thats how I am I never forget where I came from and Ill never forgetPatralekha Actually I wonder and I keep asking him Do you even realise whats going around youRajkummar I really dont think about it Im just the same as I wasAre your moves strategized Or they are just based on instinctsIts very impulsive Im not futuristic when it comes to work I cant answer the question How do you see yourself after five years I have no idea where I will beBut therell be someone guiding you at leastYes of course shes Patralekha is always there when Im confusedPatralekha I am not guiding himRaj Whenever Im confused I go up to her and ask and vice versa otherwise I deal with everything that comes my way and decide whats best for mePatralekha I think hes also very instinctive He just knows at a go what he should doHow is it shooting with Anil Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai for Fanney KhanIts going good but I am not supposed to talk about it right nowPatralekha when are we seeing you nextIm doing a film Nanu Ki Jaanu with Abhay Deol Its a quirky dark comedy film which Ive not done in the past It was a new space and I had a lot of funBose DeadAlive is coming out on November 20 on ALTBalaji Its a nineepisode series It will be a bingewatch assures Rajkummar Rao It can be a benchmark Ive seen the episodes and Im loving it the way our director has handled it and Hansal sirs contribution has been immense We are very happy and hoping for the best