Most actors will tell you that playing a double role is challenging. So, one can only imagine how tough it might be to juggle a double role and directorial duties. “It was hard,” says Rajat Kapoor, who has starred in and helmed RK/RKAY. The drama sees Kapoor play a filmmaker who has to convince his leading man Mahboob — also essayed by the actor — to complete his movie.

“Often [while filming a scene], I was playing opposite myself, so there was nobody sitting in the opposite chair. Then, I would shift to the opposite chair and talk to nobody again. Working with another actor gets you a response. Here, it was difficult to gauge if [the scenes] were going well or not,” states the actor-director.

But the triple duty was not the hardest part of making the film, which also stars Ranvir Shorey, Kubbra Sait and Mallika Sherawat. Despite Kapoor being the mind behind compelling movies like Ankhon Dekhi (2014) and Kadakh (2020), producers shied away from backing RK/RKAY. The project was made with the help of crowdfunding. “About 15 per cent [was crowdfunded], and I put in some of my money. Halfway through the crowdfunding, Priyam Srivastava and Harshita Karkare stepped in as co-producers.”

Point out that so many studios are betting on small films, and he cuts in, “So many studios don’t want to do this kind of cinema. It doesn’t upset me; I have accepted my situation. I have made eight films. Every time, in spite of some studio not backing me, I move on. When I look back, I see I have made these films on my terms. If I had to struggle again to raise money for my next, it’s okay because it gives me the freedom to make what I want to.”