It’s been 10 years since he started his Bollywood career with Love Sex Aur Dhokha. Now, Rajkummar Rao has created a niche for himself but says “there surely were weak moments” in his decade-long journey.

“But I knew eventually, things will work out. More than me, I think my (late) mother was confident about my success as she would always say, ‘It’ll work out for you. Don’t worry’,” says the actor, who moved to Film and Television Institute of India, Pune after passing out of Delhi University. “I just kept at it by being positive and working even harder,” adds Rao.

The Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) star recalls it took him “two years to get my foot in”, after landing in Mumbai. “All along, I knew giving up wasn’t an option. I look at those (struggling days) very fondly. I feel every actor, especially during their struggling period, must keep their love for art going and not focus only on their physical appearance,” says the 36-year-old from Gurugram, adding he kept busy with some acting practice or performance pieces with his friends. Rao admits that would make him and his friends “extremely content”.

“As an artiste, you have to keep yourself constantly motivated, and that was the only way I kept myself going,” says the actor, who has been a part of films such as Shahid (2013), Newton (2017) and Omerta (2018).

Rao also outlines that unlike in the past, there are “professional casting directors” now. “Imagine how, earlier people would make rounds of director’s or producer’s offices for that one meeting,” says the actor, who will next start work on Second Innings alongside Kriti Sanon and a Chupke Chupke (1975) remake.

At a time when the insider-outsider debate is raging, he feels it all boils down to “one’s sheer passion”. “Trust me, if you are really passionate and know your job well, there will be barriers but nothing can stop you. Audiences are going to lap you up, and that’s critical for everyone, right?” he says, adding: “So, my only suggestion to newcomers would be to focus on honing your art and skills.”