rajkummar rao

The actor says that Junglee Pictures’ Badhaai Do– which is now in theatres – is one of the best films of his career and hopes that it brings some change
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; February 15, 2022)

What drew you to Badhaai Do?
Harsh (Harshavardhan Kulkarni, the director) and I are from the same film institute (FTII, Pune). I knew him as he was my senior there. I loved the story of Badhaai Do, the moment he narrated it to me. It’s brilliant. It’s one of the finest scripts that I have read. I can say that this is one of the best films of my career. Be it Bhumi Pednekar and I doing our readings together or everyone on set, we all were in sync. It was so much fun making this film. We had the time of our lives. People may say it’s just one film but Harsh, Bhumi and I; we are going to be friends for life.

Apart from telling a great story, what is it that you hope the film will achieve?
The film tells an important story in a fun, interesting way. It matters how a story is told. The humour’s clever. Along with being entertaining, the latter half of the movie is extremely moving. I can vouch for the fact that people will remember this film for a long time. Though we have come a long way, there’s still a lot of stigma and prejudice against gay people. We are hopeful that this film will bring about some change. I am not saying things will change overnight but if even some people think differently because of our film, it’s great.

As a straight man playing a gay character, how did you approach the role of Shardul?
As an actor I want to do everything. That’s my job. I am devoted to my characters. I don’t want to restrict myself. I have so many friends who are gay so I had had reference points. I tried to understand what they expect from society and their experience of coming out or being closeted. Also as an actor, you borrow a lot from your own perspective on things and people. I ensured my character Shardul is not caricaturish. He is a strong, macho guy, who is gay. There are so many gay men out there who are like Shardul.

There’s more to Shardul than his sexual orientation, isn’t there?
What happens to Shardul happens to so many of us. We want to become something but due to family and societal pressure, we don’t end up doing that and we are not happy. Shardul dreams of becoming Mr India and works towards it but due to family circumstances, ends up taking a government job. He does it with sincerity but deep down he has that regret of not being able to pursue his dreams.

What makes the movie a family entertainer, according to you?
It embodies the spirit of a typical middle class Indian family. One from Shardul’s side, the other, Sumi’s. I didn’t face this but most Indian families start putting pressure on their kids to ‘settle down’ once they cross 30. Sumi and Shardul are stuck in the same situation and that’s what makes it interesting. Both are raised a certain way. Shardul comes from a joint family. He is pampered and protected because he is the only son in the family. Both are conditioned to follow the middle class values and situational humour stems from that.

What’s your take on the film’s portrayal of a middle class family?
We have tried to be as realistic as possible. Be it mannerisms or values. Most of the dialogues are taken from real life. Akshat Ghildiyal our writer, has borrowed lines that he overheard in his own family. Raised in a joint family, I have seen this world closely but no one pressurised me to get married. My chachiji and buajis were different in that sense but this was definitely relatable.

What was it like to work with Bhumi?
Bhumi is a rockstar. I admire her for the way she is. Other than being a phenomenal actor, she is kind and supportive. We just finished shooting another film together (Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed) and working with her is like getting to spend time with a close friend. Our bond is only getting stronger with every film. She is someone who I can talk to about anything, not just work related. We do shit talk and that’s the best form of friendship. You don’t need a topic to talk about. We are constantly laughing when together. The same rapport you will see in the film, where we are more like friends so that helped. The readings and rehearsals also broke the ice. I figured she is so chilled out that shooting with her would be a breeze.

What is the chemistry between your characters?
It starts with an arrangement. Then they become roommates and eventually become good friends. They come from a similar background so they understand each other better. They also share the same problem (living closeted lives). They are always there for each other. What they have for each other is love, just not the romantic kind. If you are sad when someone is hurting, that is love and Shardul and Sumi share that equation. Sumi is worried for Shardul because he has always been in his shell.

This new wave of commercial Hindi cinema is courageous enough to tell stories that are deeply personal yet universal, isn’t it?
I think the credit goes to the makers for being so brave. It is they who are backing these stories. This change was needed. Cinema is a powerful art form. We cannot keep telling the same stories year after year. We need to push the boundaries. Also these stories aren’t preachy. They are humourous and entertaining. Stories that weren’t told earlier or even discussed publicly are coming to the forefront now. This was needed. Our film will inspire individuals who are afraid to come out and families, who aren’t ready to accept them. Our film talks about acceptance – of self and others. Someone’s sexual orientation doesn’t define them. There’s more to an individual than that. While people have become more understanding now, we have a long way to go. Our film tries to push the envelope.

OTT vs cinemas, is the new raging debate. What’s your take on it?
As an actor I want people to watch my films, be it on OTT or at theatres. The power of OTT is only rising with every passing day. A theatrical experience however, cannot be replaced or recreated. I am so glad that Badhaai Do, a film that I am so proud of, is in theatres. With COVID cases going down, people are also waiting to watch a good movie in theatres. It’s our job to serve you good content and Badhaai Do is just the right film for it.