Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; February 16, 2019)

Around two years ago, it was announced that Sushant Singh Rajput would star in Chandamama Door Ke, a sci-fi space film. But the movie failed to take off and several reports claimed that an exorbitant budget was the reason. Although that project has been put on the backburner, Sushant had already taken a month-long training at NASA in the US to gear up for his role as an astronaut. Since then, space has become an important part of the actor’s life. In fact, he has an entire room dedicated to astronomy in his Khar apartment. Sushant says, “I have been intrigued by the idea of space, since I was a kid. At one point, I wanted to become an astronaut. I got the telescope and I travel with it wherever I go or shoot. I’m extremely interested in the solar system, the stars and the moon.”

SSR’s room has several spatial elements that cover it. There are facts and quotes, including his trainee certificate from NASA on the walls. Not just that, he also has an entire virtual reality set-up installed where he and his friends can travel to space. And now, he has taken his love for the subject to another level, as he has announced a project that he will finance himself. “I have lived with this dream for years. I am so passionate about this topic that I have decided to make a film on my own. We have made the announcement and we are currently working on it.”

Sushant adds, “When I say yes to a project, I see the script, the character and who I will be working with. If I have three movies that I can do in eight months and I have to pick two of them, money isn’t the bigger parameter or differentiator for me. I look at what my contribution to them would be. These skills happen to be my liking. I rig my life with films and vice versa whenever I can. Of course, if it’s astrophysics or cosmology, I’d definitely be interested in being part of a space film. I do it because I like it or I want to like it more.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; February 9, 2019)

Earlier, Sushant Singh Rajput would be perturbed about the success and failure of his movies. When we had met him after Raabta’s (2017) release, he was upset as the reincarnation romance hadn’t lived up to expectations.

However, when we caught up with the 33-year-old recently, we noticed that now he is unfazed by the fate of his movies. He tells us, “There’s so much to do and you have one life. We all need to stop overthinking about things and just concentrate and put in our energies on the next thing that interests us.” While the Gen-Y star has as many as four films lined up this year with Sonchiriya being the first release, he doesn’t want to be called just ‘an actor’.In a candid chat, Sushant reflects about his personal and professional choices. Excerpts…

You seem to be in a different space in life right now...
I’m in the right space because I love to live in the present and do what I like to do without harming anyone else. To me, that’s life. Thankfully, I have managed to be at a place where I decide for myself. I have plenty of things that I like already, so I allot my time to them in order to be happy. If I’m joyful, I can make people feel that way.

You don’t conform to the industry prototype for actors. You aren’t really out there as much as your peers…
(Cuts in) I don’t define myself with norms at all. We start conversations with assumptions that we are talking to an actor. That’s also partly true because I’m selling my film. But I’m not just an actor. Acting is a part of my life. It’s necessary to see where we are heading in terms of career and life, but if you are successful and you don’t have the time to enjoy the benefits of being so, then what’s the point?

Is it a conscious move on your part to not fit in?
I’m competitive in my own way. I don’t believe in working hard. If you work hard, you will be hired to do just that all your life. I have plenty of things I like doing and acting happens to be one of them. I’m grateful for that because I have always loved performing. It never means that I don’t take it seriously. I pay attention and my intention is right but it’s just my liking, nothing else. I also believe all of us are terribly similar but remarkably unique at the same time.

In most of your films, you have played complex characters. Why do you veer towards such conflicted roles?
If I’m paying attention and I observe, I get to see the conflicts and that gives me enough material to portray a particular character. But in real life, I’m not conflicted at all. I’m clear in my thoughts and my choices. I’m mostly peaceful — sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m loving it. It’s always positive, so I miss those emotions and acting is a great way to revisit them. Also, my job as an actor is to get people together. If I don’t remind you of somebody, then I’m doing my job well.

You are part of Sonchiriya which is a dacoit drama, a genre that hasn’t been explored of late...
It comes from the fact that I’m thinking about a human being more than an actor. I feel while these films are important where we revisit our past and remake something that we have already liked in a new way, all we want to do is to have a good time and take away something from the movie. For cinema to be aspirational or entertaining, we need to know where we are, at that point, in terms of what’s happening around the world. While the world has become a smaller place, thanks to the internet and social media, we are still losing our sense of identity. That’s why local stories have become so important and people want to hold on to them. The best way to do that is through entertainment. So, Sonchiriya is set in Chambal, which hasn’t lost its identity. Whatever evolution has come in the form of technology, that place has remained unaffected by it. So the interesting point is — why is it so untouched and what’s so unique about Chambal? That gives you the reason to make a film like this. Plus, you have a writer-director like Abhishek Chaubey who has layered it with multiple contexts, so that everyone can have at least one thing they like or connect to. Then, you have great actors to put his vision to celluloid and I don’t see a reason why people should be disinterested in a film like this.

The dialogues are in a particular dialect. Was that ever a point of concern when you shot the film?
This was discussed a lot. It wasn’t in terms of what should we do, but to get that clarity while we speak. It was never debated whether or not we will use the Bundelkhandi dialect because it’s a director’s prerogative. While the producers are thinking about making a connection with the audience, I believe that no matter how much we love the audience, we don’t know them individually. This film drives home the point that people want to hold on to their local culture and they are most definitely not like us which is why we are bringing their story. That’s why, it has to be authentic.

So, all the actors haven’t redubbed it in Hindi?
I was not a good enough actor to make all my dialogues clear. This film has been shot on sync sound, so, probably where I’m saying a line during an action sequence, it’s getting mixed. That’s why there are a few that I had to dub.

There was a time when you would get affected by the failure of your films. Does it still bother you?
Nothing stays, not even success. Somebody will tell you whether you are good or bad in a film. But you don’t need to allocate time for that or feel anything about it. Even if you’re a good performer, you need to think about the acting you have to do in your next film. Even if there are few moments here and there when we think about it, it’s merely course correction (smiles).

Sushant Singh Rajput claims he’s spoilt for choice and is just waiting to see how his next film fares before deciding which of these projects to roll with next
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 8, 2019)

An unsaid rule of the industry that early morning interviews seldom start on time was hit for a six when Sushant Singh Rajput, sporting a black Tee which read ‘Psycho Billi’, walked into a suburban hotel well before the scheduled time of 11 am. He kicked off the tete-e-tete by explaining his choice of films, from the justreleased Kedarnath to the upcoming Sonchiriya, Kizie Aur Manny and Chhichhore. “The choice is usually between being an actor or a star, but I’ve figured a third option, which is just do good films without being described as an actor, a star or an engineering dropout. These are but small nouns that stop me from looking at the big picture,” he points out.

He goes on to pontificate further on the subject saying that there can be multiple reasons for doing a film, from name and fame to money and a message. “But everything in filmmaking is inter-related so when a social message is misplaced, it becomes a comedy, and when you misplace the character the audience is rooting for, it becomes a tragedy. Also, if there is no truth, it becomes fiction. So, it is an actor’s job to understand the script and work towards creating a good film,” he lectures sounding like he’s back in school, this time as a professor.

The once-upon-a-chocolate boy has jumped into the intense zone. He is quick to disagree, insisting with grave seriousness that we will see him laugh a lot in Chhichhore. “But honestly, I don’t contemplate genres when signing a film, that’s for the audience to figure out. Nor do I believe in establishing a connect with the audience which in time translates into a loyal fan base. That’s how an efficient salesman would think, not an actor. That’s not our core competence,” he maintains, adding that for him it’s all about interesting characters and exciting stories.

Abhishek Chaubey’s daku drama, Sonchiriya, set in the Chambal, is one such film for which he actually learnt the local language as major chunk of film requires him to interact in Bundeli. “Everyone was focused on creating an authentic character that retains the local flavour. For me, it was equivalent to a kid learning English,” he smiles. We move on to Mukesh Chhabra’s directorial debut and Sushant informs that their film is an adaptation of the bestselling novel, The Fault In Our Stars, and has got nothing to do with the Hollywood film. “We are not remaking the film, just adapting the book,” he reiterates, hours before he flies off to Paris for the film’s final seven-day schedule.

Bring up Nitesh Tiwari’s campus drama and he turns mum saying they will not be successful in building a campaign if he talks about the film at this point in time.

He will next be seen in Drive with Jacqueline Fernandez. The action-thriller has been in the making for a while but unfazed by the delay, Sushant promises that there is hardly a dull moment in the film. “And that’s quite an achievement,” he beams.

Meanwhile, the space drama, Chandamama Door Ke, and the biopic on paralympain Murlikant Petkar are in a limbo which perhaps means his date diary after these three films is clear? “I’m in talks for 12 films, I don’t know which of them will begin first, but the two films you mentioned are still in the pipeline. It’s for me to decide what to do next and that would depend on how my next film fares. There is no film that I want to do that I can’t do,” he says with supreme confidence.

His last release, Kedarnath, which launched Sara Ali Khan met with a mixed response from both the critics and the audience, but for its leading man, it was a success. “The film has done extremely well and I am talking from a global perspective because I don’t want to differentiate viewers based on boundaries created by wars,” he maintains.

Point out that he’s often criticised for being too vocal, even obtuse, in his thoughts and with a dismissive shrug he says criticism doesn’t bother him. “The human species would become extinct if everybody said the same thing. I am okay with criticism if it doesn’t stop me from doing the stuff I want to do. If you give me more money and fame, I will keep it because I am smart, but if I don’t get it, I won’t worry because I have enough already,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Sushant’s ex-girlfriend, Ankita Lokhande, is making her film debut in the period drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi which opens this Republic Day weekend. Prod him on the film and he says, “It looks great and if I am not wrong it is tracking really well. I have known Ankita for a long time and she is a brilliant, effortless actor. I hope the film does justice to her capabilities and does well for everyone involved,” he concludes. 

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 2, 2018)

Ever since Kedarnath was announced, it has been in the news for more reasons than one. Apart from the fact that it marks Sara Ali Khan’s debut, the film has had a tough journey what with it being embroiled in litigation over monetary issues, another producer taking over and the release date being juggled. But Sushant Singh Rajput, who plays the male lead, is unperturbed. When I meet him, he looks fresh and relaxed. Though he has already done a few interviews, there is no sign of fatigue or boredom. On the contrary, he answers every question animatedly. Here, the actor talks about his outing as a pithoo (porter, who carries pilgrims on his back), getting caught in the #MeToo Movement and why his co-star, Sara, deserves the spotlight...

How challenging was it for you to play a pithoo?
For me, as an actor specifically, it was not a challenge at all. When I perform in a film or on stage, if I connect with it, the last thing I think is, is it challenging? Of course, here the character had to lift someone and walk on a 45-60 degree steep plain. That, too, at a place where oxygen is less. You not only carry weight, but also say the dialogues. When it would rain, it would become slippery. Pithoos are generally of two kinds, one holding the horse and the other with the basket-seat that I am carrying. But in most of the scenes I have both, which is rare. Now, I think, it is not that difficult.

What kind of prep did you have to do for it?
I did two-three things before the shoot began. First, I sent my team, my friends to Kedarnath because I was shooting for something else. They stayed there for a week and talked to the pithoos.

They befriended them, walked with them up and down the hill, interviewed them and documented the entire thing. When they came back and I saw the videos, I created Mansoor’s (his character) room in my house in Mumbai. That’s what I do with all the characters I play in films. It’s a fun thing, nothing to be taken seriously. So in Mansoor’s room I had a gas cylinder, a stove, a khatiya and ghaas-phus. After that, I went to Kedarnath and interacted with the pithoos. I wanted to know their mindset, whatever I could gather from talking to them in broad strokes. Then there was the script, which was detailed enough, and the director who had caught the nuances. I incorporated all that into the character. There were a few things here and there that I had to do and develop some skills which wasn’t difficult given the time I had. I was paying attention to the nuances, some of which I understood but could not feel and wanted to feel them. That was the challenge and I think that part goes beyond films. As a group, we don’t tend to acknowledge nuances.

The film has grabbed attention as Sara Ali Khan’s launch vehicle. Did you feel a little left out?
Not at all. I can justify why I’m not getting affected. First, I know where it (the curiosity) is coming from, and why people are interested. I understand. I also understand that no matter what kind of reputation you have before you step in films, over a period of time it’s not so important. Your talent will speak. Second, will there be such curiosity for somebody who is not a starkid? Absolutely not. But the great thing about Sara is — what she was when I met her for the first time and all the hard work she did for the things she performed in the film before she started it — she is so sharp — she deserves that buzz and curiosity. Is it more than what it should be? Yes, but as I said, she deserves it. You will know when you watch the film. That’s my opinion, I could be wrong, but mostly I am right (smiles). Five years ago, I made my debut. I have done five-six films so far, but a debut film feels good, right? It is a very special thing. It is her time to shine, I have no problems at all.

The film sees you reuniting with director Abhishek Kapoor after a fallout...
There was no fallout. The only thing is such negative stories have a virality. They are remembered. People like to talk about that. If you google, that will pop up first. Google is a popular marker but not the right marker. Also, if there is a negative story and I’m not asked, I don’t deny it. People think if he is not denying, it is true. So, let me assure you, there was no fallout. Yes, we were working on Fitoor together and everything was right. And then suddenly there were so many things to manage, technical, dates and other things. I couldn’t manage the circumstances, something came up. He also couldn’t manage it, but at that point only, we decided to collaborate again.

Kedarnath also got embroiled in controversy and shooting was stalled..
That didn’t matter because those chunk of dates, (when it was stalled) I was shooting for some other film. It was not as a consequence of what had happened to Kedarnath, but it was already planned that way. So, even if the film’s shooting would have been underway I would be busy with the other movie. In any case, whatever happened, good or bad, the film has turned out exactly what we wished it to be.

Recently, you got caught in the #MeToo movement when there were reports of Sanjana Sanghi accusing you of misbehaviour...
(Cuts in) She didn’t accuse, it’s an assumption and that’s the problem — it’s not a fact. Five per cent stories said that the actress accused me, but you remember that. As I said that’s what happens with negative stories. However, the first time she spoke, she told the truth (denying any misbehaviour). If you ask me about the #MeToo movement, it’s a good thing, it’s important and should absolutely happen. There were casualties and I was one of them, which is unfortunate. Casualty in terms of being misunderstood. Was it a rumour? Yes. But the more we talk about it, the more I get harmed, so we should not (smiles).

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 2, 2018)

Sushant Singh Rajput relishes the company of a good book and enjoys having discussions on topics like behavioural economics, cognitive psychology and astronomy, as much as he loves being on a movie set. For someone who often finds himself surrounded by negative press and controversies, the actor has picked up the art of selective distortion. “It’s easier to be happy than to make you believe that I am happy. If you expect me to be a certain way, you will only believe that, no matter how hard I try to make you believe that the reality is something else,” says Sushant, who chatted with BT recently, while promoting his next, Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath. Excerpts from our conversation...

Were you, at any point, apprehensive about taking up Kedarnath? It’s an unconventional story and yours was a physically challenging role. Eventually, the film also ran into a financial and legal mess...
I will stand by a film no matter what the consequences are. As an actor and a student of several disciplines, I have a perspective on what I do. This film talks about faith and love and being united by it, in a nuanced way, which is something that I also believe in. Also, I’m trained to deal with problems; it’s one of the first things that I learnt in life and I thank my mother for that. Of course, it’s not like I had many problems while growing up, but I was brought up in a manner that I could deal with any situation.

To think that you will never have a sticky situation in life, is a problematic idea in itself. Thankfully, I was taught to anticipate trouble, which makes it a little easier to sail through. Now, you could be in a situation because of yourself or someone else. The best way to deal with it is to just do things that make sense to you and the rest falls into place like the pieces in a puzzle. A film involves a big number of people and everyone should benefit from it in as many ways as possible. It needs to be entertaining, with a message or without it. So, as long as it makes sense to me and I like what is being offered, I have a lot of courage to take on any piece of work that comes my way.

The trade, however, weighs an actor in terms of his last release, and the probable implications of casting him in a project after his film hasn’t work. Your last film, Raabta (2017), didn’t fare well at the box office. Did you also face that?
I wouldn’t say that trade people are not important enough to pay attention to. If you are a producer and you want your film to do well, you must pay heed to them. You should also get affected by what they say and there is nothing wrong with that, but I have strong reasons to do what I do. What you will see in Kedarnath is a distilled version of what I went through to play a pitthoo. I had become a pitthoo even before I started shooting. I could never have imagined that there will be a 50-60 degree incline to climb, while mouthing dialogues and carrying people on my back in an airzone that has less oxygen. And we weren’t canning single takes. For technical reasons, we were doing things repeatedly. So, my training came in handy. I worked smartly, so it wasn’t as much hard work on the set. Everyone, who has seen the film, feels that we have pulled it off well, but they could be biased.

I really hope no one goes home disappointed after watching this film. Honestly, I don’t think about what’s going to happen at the end of it all. In the past, one of my films worked, and I was the usual me on the Monday after the release. I didn’t have four wings and neither did I behave differently. Will a bad weekend (at the movies) affect me? Of course it can, to a point that I might end up acting in another medium, like theatre, which I haven’t done in a long while. There are repercussions to everything, but it doesn’t change anything inside me. Still, I want Kedarnath to do well because there are 200 other people involved in it.

Moving on from movies, your personal interests also lie on a different plane — you’re passionate about science, technology and math…
I can discuss numbers as a mathematician, not as an actor. As an actor, I can talk about many other things. I talk to kids for six hours some times and they listen with rapt attention. It’s hard to hold their attention even for a few minutes. I tell them stories and they enjoy.

Nowadays, you’re also not spotted at too many parties.
If someone calls me, I will go. Do I miss attending them? No, I don’t, because I have many other things to do. I love partying and will go to a party if someone is a friend. I will go even if the person is not a friend, but if someone needs me to be there. I will do it even if I don’t feel like going and I won’t feel uncomfortable about it.

What’s the status on Kizie Aur Manny? Has the recent spate of events altered anything between director Mukesh Chhabra and you?
Look, the matter was addressed by the studio. It was internally as well as externally investigated. I was never a part of those meetings, but we are all intelligent enough to see through a big cover-up, if there is one. If there is something that I don’t know and if it suddenly comes out in the course of the investigation, I might react differently to Mukesh.

You recently announced that you want to back films as a producer and also wish to direct. With acting assignments, how do you plan to do that?
I was misquoted that I want to direct. I just want to be associated with any form of story-telling, because stories will remain an important element of our lives. Cinema is a powerful tool to narrate stories and it’s gratifying to help someone narrate a story. I want to use films to connect with people and it saddens me when I can’t. I don’t have much money, but I have enough that I don’t have to think about it for the rest of my life. So, I want to do things that I like doing and being a catalyst for someone’s story is one of them.

You were in a committed relationship a while ago; do you feel you’re ready for another one? Are you in a relationship today?
I am in a relationship with thousands of people! You have no idea how much I love them (laughs). Okay, even I would think the way you are thinking right now. Every time an actor has said that, I used to think they are faking it, but that’s not how it always is. Today, I don’t say it to fake it. I have nothing to gain, so why should I? I have films for that. I fake and earn a lot as an actor. So, girlfriend toh nahi hai, but I talk to 200 people on Instagram for two hours every day and bada mazaa aata hai. I am so busy being happy that I don’t think or plan anything for the future.

Sushant Singh Rajput does not want to get attached to immaterial things and spends a good part of the week fishing, swimming and star-gazing when he is not shooting
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 1, 2018)

Even though he is juggling between the shooting of Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore and promotion of Abhishek Kapoor’s upcoming Kedarnath, Sushant Singh Rajput admits that he tries to visit his second home in Pavana for three days once every week. “The sky is clear there and I can gaze at the stars through my telescope or go boating on the lake close to my place which is like a session of cardio in itself. I also enjoy fishing and swimming. On the terrace, I have a 5 x 5 golf carpet to practise my driver shot,” smiles the 32-year-old actor, quick to inform that his homes in Bandra and Pavana are both rented properties because he doesn’t want to get attached to immaterial things. “The only property that I own is on the moon, besides the Maserati which was a childhood dream.”

Interestingly, Sushant extends the same philosophy to acting. “I act because it fascinates me, there is literally nothing more to it. If you give me extra money, I’ll keep it. If you give me extra fame, I’ll use it wisely. But these are just by-products of my profession and not the reason I took it up,” he asserts, adding that his interests also lie in astronomy, artificial intelligence, exponential technologies and sustainable energy. “I am closely working with someone to create a knowledge structure for students and bring back the Vedic technologies. Sixty-five per cent of the kids entering kindergarten this year, if they work 20 years later, they will be dealing with technologies that have yet to be invented. So, we plan to enable them in things that will equip them for such challenges in the future. The idea is not to add or edit subjects or conduct tests but create a knowledge structure. I am also collaborating with NITI Aayog (the policy think-tank of the Indian government) and few globally renowned institutions to make things happen,” informs the actor.

Of late, Sushant is rarely spotted at B-town’s social dos and in B-town but is quite active on the social media, intriguing with his self-musings which range from science and life to everything in between. “It wasn’t intentional, it just happened. The change started while I was shooting for Kedarnath in the temple town and now I know exactly why I am doing what I am. It’s as simple as looking at the same thing differently through history, science or any other tool and making it far more exciting,” he reasons.

Speaking of Kedarnath and his long-time association with the director, the actor informs that after he quit television and in 2012 was working in theatre while toying with the idea of going abroad to learn filmmaking, Kai Po Che! happened. “TV actors are often conditioned to think that they are not as good as those working in films, but Abhishek was always very sure of me and his appreciation of my first shot gave me a lot of confidence. It helped me understand the importance of protecting and nurturing someone. I will always hold him in high regards,” says a grateful Sushant.

Kedarnath, like Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat in the recent times, has been targeted by fringe groups on grounds of love jihad and “hurting Hindi sentiments”. The film’s leading man argues that there is an informed and acknowledged government body, the Central Board of Film Certification, to look into these matters. “If there is a problem, it’s for them to demand that it be edited. Like Titanic, Kedarnath too is complete fiction with a real incident from a few years ago as the backdrop,” Sushant maintains.

Talking of controversies, his name cropped up in wave of Bollywood’s very own #MeToo movement when reports had suggested that he had behaved inappropriately with his Kizie Aur Manny co-star, debutante Sanjana Sanghi. The actress on her return to the country from the US, denied these allegations and cleared her co-star. “I felt I was misunderstood at the time. At the same time, the #MeToo movement is much needed and should be discussed. Of course, when such things happen at such a big scale there are bound to be casualties. I was the unfortunate one but I still believe that the more we discuss the subject, the better it is,” he rationalises.

Next year, Sushant has four releases — Abhishek Chaubey’s Son Chiriya, Tarun Mansukhani’s Drive, Mukesh Chhabra’s Kizie Aur Manny and Chhichhore. “Drive is set to release soon, and I hope the teaser of Son Chiriya comes out with Kedarnath in theatres. Chhichhore, which I am presently shooting for inside the IIT campus in Powai, has taken me back to my engineering days and helped me play the part well,” Sushant signs off.

Gearing up for Kedarnath’s release, Sushant on how he makes his characters distinct
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; November 30, 2018) 

Even as several reports chronicle the toil put in by him to play the part of a pithoo in Kedarnath, Sushant Singh Rajput brushes off questions about his physical preparation with a pithy, “That was the easy stuff.” Insisting that the challenge lies in understanding the mindspace of the character instead, the actor talks about approaching his roles by paying attention to nuances. “Physicality and nuances are factors that can get actors to go beyond what is offered to them [in the script]. I focus on nuances for every role. [I concentrate on the details] to such an extent that should I play a similar character again, you will not mind watching me do so, because I will make the two look distinct. You’ll look at me and say, ‘He also took care of the small things,’” explains Rajput.

It is probably this quest for perfection that has seen him greenlight only seven films in his five years in the industry. His upcoming love story with debutant Sara Ali Khan, helmed by Abhishek Kapoor, marks a homecoming of sorts — after all, it was Kapoor who had given him his big Bollywood break with Kai Po Che ( 2013). In the years that followed, Rajput has displayed his acting prowess in his outings, most notable being M S Dhoni - The Untold Story (2016).

The key, he believes, is to remain honest to his character, regardless of whether he is playing a real- life hero — as he did in the M S Dhoni biopic — or is breathing life into a fictional one. “When doing a movie, I am possessed to a point of avoiding analysis. When I see people [on whom my characters are based], I know that picking up their mannerisms is important. Then, I only have to spend time [with them]. [At the end of the day], a film’s narrative and an actor’s honesty are the two superpowers of the film,” says the actor.

Sushant Singh Rajput on coming to terms with the rumour mills and why he is building a base for himself which is a few hours’ drive from Mumbai
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 29, 2018)

It was a working birthday for Sushant Singh Rajput, who turned 32 on January 21, and that’s just the way he had planned it. “The idea of having a great birthday is to do what you like and I like acting. So, this year, I gifted myself the opportunity to shoot with a director I’ve always wanted to work with,” exults the actor, who is currently in Chambal filming Abhishek Chaubey’s untitled dacoit drama.

Prod him on whether he is concerned for his safety in the dreaded ravines and Sushant informs that he is far from apprehensive. “According to a recent survey, a man on his way to office in a busy city can die from at least 1000 different reasons. That’s reason enough for me to take one big risk for a great script,” he says with a laugh.

Okay, so he’s one fearless hero but what if he was abducted? What would, according to him, the reallife dakus demand as ransom? “My job probably, but they won’t get it. It’s taken a lot of effort to reach where I am today from where I was and I’m not going to let it go,” Sushant says fiercely.

Abhishek Chaubey, who has previously made films like Dedh Ishqiya and Udta Punjab, is known to be a perfectionist. While his leading man will not be drawn into discussing his prep as he’s yet to see if it is effective as is or needs more work, Sushant shares that according to him the most important job of an actor is to first convince himself that he is the character. And that’s one of the things he likes about Bhumi Pedneker, his co-star and fellow dacoit in the film. According to Sushant, Bhumi is a terrific actor who works incessantly on character-building. No wonder, then, that he is quite gung-ho about sharing screen space with her. “I’m a fan of anyone who works this way. We discuss many things, I observe and learn from how she does what she does,” he explains.

Before this, Sushant was shooting with another Abhishek— Abhishek Kapoor—for Kedarnath, which reportedly revolves around a Hindu-Muslim couple caught in a crisis in the temple town. In the time of love jihad, isn’t he afraid the film might run into controversy closer to its release for its communal undertones? “Most of our films emphasise on unity rather than divisiveness, ditto Kedarnath. Yes, today, we have come to fear many things, but these fears should not come in the way of us doing what we like,” Sushant asserts.

After two schedules, shooting on the film has come to an abrupt halt and if rumours are to be believed, Abhishek Kapoor is making changes to the script. True? “Absolutely not!” he retorts. “Most of the film is complete, only a small but very important chunk remains to be shot for which extensive preparation is required, hence the break.”

Next up is the adaptation of John Green’s 2012 bestselling novel The Fault In Our Stars that revolvs around a cancer patient who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she meets and falls in love with another cancer patient. The male protagonist is wheelchair-bound. Recently, Kalki Koechlin had revealed that for Margarita With A Straw she had roamed in a wheelchair for a month as part of her prep. What kind of efforts will he put in given his dedication to the craft? “There are degrees to which an actor can dig into a character but the bottom line is convincing yourself that you’re the character which is the first major step in convincing the audience,” he reiterates.

Many names, including that of Varun Dhawan and Aditya Roy Kapur, were doing the rounds to play the leading man. Did he worry about them landing the coveted part? “My life is very close to Alice In Wonderland. I’m curious about a lot of things but since acting is the most exciting, I invest all my time in finding a good script with a good director. After that there’s no time to think about anything else,” he smiles.

Meanwhile, he’s raced to the finish with Tarun Mansukhani’s action-thriller Drive. What’s delaying the release of the Karan Johar production? “We recently shot a scene and a song, the special effects are in the works. Post production takes time,” he explains, leaving the release date to the makers. However, you have to ask if, given his love for cars and the training he underwent, he would like to drive on the racing circuit someday? “Not as a professional but yes, whenever I get time, I do race with my friends in the circuit. My next goal is to get a flying license and I’ve already started working towards it,” he beams proudly.

Sushant has also been running an education programme and recently sponsored a trip to the US Space Camp Center for two school-going students. What other plans does he have to make it beneficial to students across the country? “A recent survey found that over 60 per cent of kindergarten kids will work for and with technologies that are still not invented. So, just educating kids is not enough, what we teach them is equally important. I’m working with a handful of extremely intelligent futurists/behavioural economists on the knowledge structure of education systems,” he says proudly.

It’s been a while since he bought a new apartment. When does he plan to shift in? “I am building a place which is a few hours’ drive from Mumbai and offers me more space. I’ll have a telescope room, a gaming VR room, a library, my own park… Money cannot buy you such luxuries in the city,” he points out.

While both he and Kriti Sanon have repeatedly denied being in a relationship, they fuelled speculations by bringing in the New Year together with their Raabta producer- director Dinesh Vijan in Switzerland. “I insulate myself from the daily news and have a Teflon coating on me for the times I get to hear about them. I’m largely unaffected by any kind of news, good or bad,” he says.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 22, 2018)

While Twitter was abuzz with birthday wishes for Sushant Singh Rajput yesterday, the actor spent his big day in the remote location of Chambal, doing what he loves most — acting. Shooting for Abhishek Chaubey’s yet-untitled dacoit drama, he says he couldn’t have asked for a better birthday.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Abhishek and Manoj Bajpayee, so it was a happy birthday for me in the truest sense. I am opposed to working on birthdays and if you ask me, I wouldn’t say I worked yesterday. I genuinely believe that if it feels like work, it’s not worth doing it. Acting in films is an absolute celebration,” muses Rajput.

Over a year after the success of M S Dhoni - The Untold Story, his detractors point out how he hasn’t been able to capitalise on the biopic’s success. While his last release Raabta (2017) failed to set the cash registers ringing, his space odyssey Chandamama Door Ke did not kick off. That, however, hasn’t deterred him from giving his nod to an offbeat movie like the dacoit drama opposite Bhumi Pednekar. “If there is no risk, there is no fear. And if there is no fear, there’s no desire. So I like risks. When I was given the narration, I thought I wouldn’t be able to pull off this character. That was reason enough to do it.”

Admitting that he is picky when it comes to his films, he reasons, “I don’t believe I have to do a certain number of films. I like to maintain a balance between my acting and free time, so that I can indulge in other exciting things. This way, I’m able to give my best to any experience. My idea of success is not dependent on others’ opinion of me. I’m free of that burden.”

Besides Chaubey’s film, Rajput also has Kedarnath, which sees him opposite debutant Sara Ali Khan. What makes the film all the more special is that it reunites him with Abhishek Kapoor, who launched him in Bollywood with Kai Po Che (2013). “Gattu [Kapoor] guides all of us on set. It’s almost like reliving the experience of my first film.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 21, 2018)

Sushant Singh Rajput, who made his film debut five years ago with Kai Po Che! (2013), has had an interesting journey. On his birthday today, we quiz him about the various aspects of his life. Here are the secrets that he revealed...

What do you know today that you weren’t aware of last year?
That I will definitely survive 32 years.

What has changed after you turned 30?
The chance of getting a delayed engineering degree from my college is completely gone (I’m a college dropout).

The word you are never tired of hearing.
Action, in any context (laughs).

You can’t live without...
Dreams.

One thing which you would give your right arm for?
A stronger right arm.

What would you like to change about yourself?
I want to learn to say, no.

One thing you’d like to change about women...
Men’s general perception towards them.

A change you would like to see in the film industry...
A bit more fearlessness and unity.

What is that you love about the film industry?
It goes on...

A constant fear.
Fear of impermanence of everything.

Which phrase do you use often?
WTF.

A person outside your family that you trust implicitly.
Shekhar Kapur.

If you could turn back time, what would you like to relive?
Any moment spent with my mother.

The most cherished item in your wardrobe is...
My underwear.

An actor in the industry that you admire.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

If you need advice, whose number would you dial?
My publicist.

Name the one thing you have that Varun Dhawan doesn’t?
A flop.

A director you wish would offer you a film.
Anand Gandhi.

You want to see yourself paired with...
Tabu.

Which film of a contemporary did you truly enjoy last year?
Newton.

What’s that one thing you wish you had?
A time machine.

Which destination is on your travel wish list right now?
Norway.

You are protective about...
Any newcomer.

You are possessive about...
My nephew, Nirvanh.

A constant need...
The need to be understood.

The person you miss all the time...
My mother.

Which Hollywood actress would you love to hook up with?
Jennifer Lawrence.

The Hollywood actor whose life you would love to lead...
James Dean.

If not India, where would you want to live?
New Zealand.

What’s a prized possession that you have?
None.

Which artist do you admire the most?
Vincent Van Gogh.

Finally, what’s the one thing you want to do before you turn 33?
Get a flying license.

In an in- depth chat, held before a live audience at IFFI, Goa, the actor dives deep to reveal his fundas, on life and films
Mayank Shekar (MID-DAY; December 3, 2017)

AS we entered the Bioscope Village, a tent- pole cinema, temporarily created for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, the collective chants across the venue made it seem like we were at a political rally. If you heard closely, the audiences weren’t screaming, “Modi, Modi, Modi.” They were in fact yelling something sounding similar — “Dhoni, Dhoni, Dhoni” — looking at actor Sushant Singh Rajput, whose performance as India’s top cricketer M S Dhoni on screen, remains his best known work yet. Also the crowd, a lot of them kids, had returned from a show of Neeraj Pandey’s M S Dhoni - The Untold Story, held right before.

Rajput calmed the audience down a bit, repeating his favourite moment/line from the film, which is Dhoni’s mother telling herself that her son won’t be satisfied with little — he’ll always aim for more. That sort of set the tone for this interview, which appeared as much a psychologist’s take on life/films, as a motivational speech for the young. Excerpts from the conversation:

Here’s what you often confess in your conversations — that you’re an introvert, not much of a talker, suffer from stage fright (or at least did). Now, these are exactly the reasons why someone may not turn into an actor. In your case, you’ve mentioned, that was exactly why you did. What does that mean?
Genuinely, this is essentially the problem I have with the education system globally. We’re taught that there is one right, definite answer to a question. As a result, we are increasingly become good at thinking, and convincing ourselves, about the only one correct answer. Normally, what’s missing is the skill of asking questions. And that can come with the understanding of the fact that no matter how good or passionate you are about a job, you can create something new, only when you’re aware that you’re standing on an assumption. You have to question that assumption. If that question is engaging enough, you don’t think about results, or acknowledgements. Of course, you’ll like it if there is acknowledgement for your work. But that is not why you do it. Having a personal question, and moving in that direction, is important enough.

There is a thought I’d read once, which I didn’t understand then, is about how experts have the most informed answers. But they’re not experts at asking questions. The kids have the best questions. The pattern one notices about creative people, who do something new, is they’re a combination of someone who asks questions like a child, and attempts to answer employing the method of an expert.

Now to answer your question, we are all story-tellers, and we’re acting all the time. The issue I always had was over how I should pretend to not show what I’m feeling. This went on for many years. And then I learnt a little about acting. Since I had learnt some acting, then I thought I may as well become an actor, and earn from it. But that shyness, and the hunger to find a great way to tell a story, hasn’t left me yet.

You’ve in fact said that since you were shy, it seemed easier to hide behind other people, or characters.
Exactly. When you know you’re standing on assumptions, you don’t take yourself seriously. And when that happens, it becomes dramatically easier to play other people.

Your first brush with performance art was actually through dance; is that how you began to feel most comfortable, expressing yourself publicly?
Absolutely, I was never good at expressing myself. I would think something, but when I would say it, it would seem like there’s something amiss. And I didn’t think of it as an issue, because I was happy being a science student, studying engineering. Around the time I joined dance school, and when I was on stage, performing, I felt that I could actually communicate, even without words. I could see the audience getting affected by what I was doing on stage. That was a start for sure; and then I thought, let’s use the help of words also. I began doing theatre.

Let’s look at your journey: you were academically bright, worked with (theatre director) Barry John, moved from theatre, television, to films, and also moved from Delhi to Mumbai. That’s totally Shah Rukh Khan, isn’t it?
There’s also a line in Shah Rukh Khan’s film (Om Shanti Om), “Kabhi kisi cheez ko shiddat se chaho, toh saari kaynaat… (If you will it; it happens).” I was a little stupid, and so I took it rather seriously. But I can tell you one thing — that it works. Of course, we may all love the fame and the riches, but importantly, if something interests you a whole lot, it’s fine to aim for it, and dream big.

There’s a term in psychology that you quote often: Impact bias. By which you mean that when you actually achieve what you dream for, it doesn’t seem all that significant after all.
It’s a popular subject in behavioural economics, and it’s revolutionary, because it’s counter-intuitive to how we usually think. There was an experiment done with two groups. One had an extremely bright set of CEOs in their early 20s and 30s. The other group comprised people below the poverty line. Now the first group, for some reason, had become disabled — paraplegics. The second group had just won a million dollar lottery. There was a downward mental spike recorded in the case of the first group, and equally upward, in the second.

Now, I’m not talking about months or years, but after just 10 to 12 weeks, when the same two groups were tested, their mental spikes had stabilised to exactly the same levels already. This tells you something — successes or failures actually don’t affect us in the same way that we imagine they would. If you enjoy a process itself though, you get so good at the skill, that it automatically places you in the top percentile of people on the (happiness) index.

This ‘impact bias’ realisation, I’m told, happened to you once when you’d begun hanging out at malls. You’d become famous, thanks to television. You loved being recognised. Soon enough you stopped enjoying the attention. Is that true?
No, what I’m trying to say is that public acknowledgement is a good feeling, and one can’t be immune to it. But when we are actually at work — there is no one around, the pay cheque isn’t staring at you, neither is there fear or exhilaration at how people will perceive your work.

The work being good is all you care about. Sunil Gavaskar once said that if God gave him a super power, he would really want to get inside M S Dhoni’s head, and examine how and what he thinks. And Dhoni told me just this: As much as he loves this nation, and his team, when he’s actually there in the middle (in a match), he doesn’t think about those things. He can only see the ball. It’s the same in the Mahabharat, with Arjun only being able to see the fish’s eye.

Back to movies. Every few years, there’s often one film, quite out of the blue, that spawns a mini-industry of talents. Kundan Shah’s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983), with an almost all-new cast and crew (Sudhir Mishra as a young writer, Satish Kaushik as writer-actor, Vidhu Vinod Chopra as production controller) was one. Or Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya (1998, with Anurag Kashyap as writer, Saurabh Shukla as actor-writer, Vishal Bharadwaj as music composer, among others) was another. Of late, do you think Kai Po Che (2013) falls into that category? You debuted with it. Rajkumar Rao had his first big role in it. He’s had a great run. Amit Sadh’s popular, the film picked up top screenwriting awards…
Again, here I’d like to highlight that we have a tendency to sense a design, when something works out well. And I’m not just speaking about Kai Po Che. The same sense of design isn’t as strong, when we have to predict the future. Often, it happens, that we put together all the diggaj (veteran) talents with a great story to tell, and it doesn’t work out. There is a reason for that. When Rajkummar, Amit and I were working on Kai Po Che, with (director) Abhishek Kapoor, we were absolutely certain on what we must not do, given a strong understanding of the script. But none of us were sure on exactly what we must do, including the director, who was flexible enough to trust us, and let us be. It’s not that something great came out of every shot. We tried various ways. And this is important to understand — we derive security from prediction, which is evolutionary. But preparation is only essential to know what not to do. No one can be in control, when you’re creating something new — you have to cut yourself loose.

Looking ahead, now that you’re a star, what’s becoming far more essential for that job, unlike as much back in the day, is an incredible script sense. How are you honing that craft?
I just have to able to personally react to a script — without looking at other factors, like its possible resonance among the public, or its commercially viability. If there is something I want to understand about a character and I’m unable to, I know that would be engaging enough for me to spend five to six months on it. It’s like, when I was studying for engineering, I would get an hour and half of play- time. I would wait for that moment, and when I’d go out, I would be so engaged — that time would seemingly get over in five minutes! Now my instincts are very likely to go wrong. But this is absolutely the time to encourage failure, rather than success. To give you an example, according to research, 65 per cent of the school kids right now will eventually take up jobs that don’t currently exist. The disruptive technology to enable those jobs is yet to happen. We’re at the stage of deception, since we’re unaware. What can you teach those kids then? That it’s okay to fail, because the rate of change is such. Bearing that in mind, it’s important to stress on emotional intelligence, and lack of stress.

Don’t want to take names, still, if you do a film like Raabta, do you sense a disconnect between what was the script, and what became the film?
Absolutely, I’ve never done a play, TV show, or film, where what I’d thought in my head is exactly how it turned out to be — for better or worse. Because you have no idea the choices the director, the music composer, or the editor, will take. It’s too collaborative a process for anyone to know, no matter what our intentions, which are inevitably good. I’m absolutely fine with the idea of knowing that I’m wrong, nine out of ten times.

Speaking of the three media you’ve been part of, how important is the size of the screen for you as an actor anymore, given that theatrical footfalls are dropping, and the web is probably where the best of the world’s stories are being told?
There is in fact an even bigger thing on its way, on which I’d like to take a chance, while it’s foolish to predict. Let’s go back in time, for instance, and look at when the talkies came in, and all the actors (who were part of silent cinema) assumed nothing would happen. A whole lot did. The most important aspect of a visual medium is to create an illusion, and convince you, that what’s happening is for real. Along with visuals, sound took it to another level. But the one thing that’ll change everything, virtual reality (VR), is already here, and it’s not a small transition. Within five to six seconds in VR, you lose your objectivity on the fact that you’re viewing something.
You become part of an actual experience. This is going to disrupt cinema, like how! I’m not saying story-telling will die. But films, as we know them, will drastically change. Everyone should think about it.

Surely you’re looking at virtual reality closely, but your next big step apart from films, I’m told, is going back to theatre!
Well I’ve been planning a play for a year now. I have to look at too many small things on that front. Unless we are totally enjoying ourselves with every aspect, we won’t step out with it. When we learn acting — or think that we’re learning — we’re taught about the fourth wall, which can be a live audience, or a TV camera, or a film camera, depending on the medium. In every case, you’re taught to forget the fourth wall anyway. So the idea of theatre to TV to film, as natural progression or graduation, is wrong. It doesn’t matter.

DNA (October 12, 2017)

From theatre to television to films, Sushant Singh Rajput has dabbled in a diverse array of mediums, straddling the worlds of the art and entertainment. The actor talks about being an “outsider” in Bollywood and getting bored of “fame and money”, in the October issue of Elle Man. Here are some excerpts...

FAME FACTS
He was prime time’s reigning heartthrob and the star of Pavitra Rishta. To test the early draft of fame, Rajput made splashy purchases and popped into malls just to be pursued by adoring fans. Then came the sobering realisation that the thrill of driving a luxury sports car lasts about as long as finding your iced latte perfectly chilled. “I felt cheated. I thought fame and money would change everything, but I didn’t know you get used to both pretty quickly. It started to get really boring and I thought: now what?”

MEDIUM DOESN’T MATTER
At the peak of his TV stardom, Rajput slipped out to join a film-making course at UCLA. That was interrupted by his breakout debut, Kai Po Che (2013), with a less-than-ideal three-hero setup. After playing leading man in Shuddh Desi Romance (2013), Rajput opted for a cameo in Rajkumar Hirani’s PK (2014), for a rumoured fee of Rs 20. During a three-month lull after MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), Rajput decided to adapt Alberto Moravia’s novel The Two Of Us (HarperCollins, 1974), about a screenwriter’s relationship with his penis, for the stage. “I don’t discriminate between mediums. I don’t think you graduate from theatre to TV to films. I can do a nukkad natak and be just as excited. Or do a short film that never goes to a festival. I don’t care.”

CHANGING THE GAME
Rajput says that being a Bollywood outsider is no longer shadowed by anxieties — to be better networked, to fear the unforgivable box-office dud, to be permanently disarming off-camera. If anything, he reckons it’s the effort of a small pack of outsiders, paddling hard to stay afloat, that rids the industry of lazy, complacent cinema. “Us outsiders are upping our game, and now (good work) is out there for everyone to see. As a result, insiders have to up their game too,” he says.

As told to Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 9, 2017)

I was in my first year of studying Mechanical Engineering at the Delhi College of Engineering (now known as the Delhi Technological University) and really wanted to buy myself a swanky sports bike. I had also enrolled for Shiamak Davar’s dance classes and wanted more money for advanced lessons. At the time, Shiamak had also wanted me to pursue theatre and asked me to train at Barry John’s acting academy, and for that too, I needed more money. So I started tutoring 12th standard students from my university and even though I was only a year senior I managed to get a bunch of students. Some of them wanted coaching for the higher secondary board examination, while others wanted guidance for their medical and engineering entrance exams. And it wasn’t a scam at all, this was serious tutoring, one-on-one long sessions, and, though I say this myself, I was a pretty good teacher!

I’d won the National Physics Olympiad and cleared around 11 engineering entrance exams. I mostly took physics and math classes. Eventually, I got a lot of students and made quite a lot of money to live out all my dreams.

In hindsight, I realise that even though I knew how to make my students understand differential equations, I was clueless about where to apply them in real life. It’s a redundant way of teaching, to tell students “how to think”. By 2005, I was fed up of studying engineering altogether. Around the same time, I was also picked up as one of the background dancers for the Filmfare Awards. I also performed in the cultural programme of the opening ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia. And this opened new doors for me.

I always remember this one thing my mother told me — no matter what you choose to do in life, it’s important to complete your education. (Sushant’s mother passed away in 2002, when the actor was 15 years old). I would have liked to follow her advice but couldn’t. I didn’t wait to get my engineering degree and dropped out in the final year to pursue dancing and eventually, television and acting against everyone’s wishes.

It was not the safest decision to take but in retrospect, I can say that it was the right one for me. I am happy with my choice of vocation. Because of my personal journey, I believe that teaching students how to realise what they want to do, showing them “how to think” over “what to think” should be a crucial part of our education system. But some day, I’d also like to go back and get my degree.

Last year, during the promotional tour of M S Dhoni - The Untold Story, I was invited to IIT Bombay to give a motivational speech. That was a high! Years ago, I’d aspired to join IIT Delhi or Mumbai but didn’t score enough to get in. And yet, there I was speaking to the students. So I guess, life works in strange ways.

Today, I am an established actor, but I am continuing to take small steps in my own way with the ‘Sushant 4 Education’ programme for students. I hope to activate a strong sense of learning in young minds as I believe in the power of education. We have already provided round-the-clock counsellors to some schools to help students make the right career choice based on their strengths and aptitude. These sessions have begun in two city schools — St Elias High School and S S Sahney High School. In one school, we’ve also provided projectors so that teachers can use films and documentaries instead of only archaic textbooks.

Majority of the kids I want to cater to are first-generation learners. So the next step is to start a scholarship for students to travel overseas for a semester at an international school so that they get some much-needed exposure early on.

I’ve now moved from being the tutor who told students “what to think” to the actor who wants young minds to be free, to think and question. I want to inspire the kind of teaching they follow in a few medical schools in America. In some places, for example, a student will be asked what he or she enjoys studying about the most. If the answer is dinosaurs, everything from maths to chemistry will be taught using examples and theories related to the extinct species. These students don’t follow exam patterns like ours, and yet in their final grade 10 exams, 90 per cent are among the top 10 per cent rankers in the US. That’s exactly the kind of learning I want to inspire in our country too.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 7, 2017)

Sushant Singh Rajput is currently shooting for Kedarnath. It is learnt that he will zip off to Israel to shoot a song with leading lady Jacqueline Fernandez. The film will release next Holi. Here, SSR talks about his nude scene in the film, and why his film is nothing like the Hollywood movie by the same name...

Jackie plays a street racer in the film, tell me about your role...
I’m playing exactly what Jacqueline is playing. When the film releases, you’ll get to know why I’m saying this. Whatever she says she’s playing, it has got to do with what I play in the film. Wait for it. The film is all about ‘what’s gonna happen next’.

The film seems to be about street racing, cars and speed...
It’s really fast-paced. But even if you don’t find it that fast throughout, the thrill element of what’s going to happen right after, will keep you hooked. I always wanted to do this kind of a stylish and slick action film. There are too many chase sequences, which are all required and not there for the heck of it.

Is it a remake of the Hollywood film, Drive?
Absolutely not. It’s not a remake at all. Trust me, if it was a remake of the Hollywood movie, they wouldn’t want me because then, they would have rather cast a better-looking actor. There would be Ryan Gosling, not me! (Laughs)

There’s a scene which you claim isn’t full monty but still not quite. Comment.
I don’t have inhibitions; because I need to convince you that I’m the part. And if I have to do something to make sure you are convinced, I would do it. I’m getting paid for it! (Laughs)

Were you comfortable filming that scene?
Why wouldn’t it be comfortable? Why should I be thinking about this? If I have to cry in a scene, I’m actually crying. Now, that’s not a comfortable thing to do. Because I, normally, am emotionally detached. So, I don’t cry. But when I cry in a film, I have to come up with something exactly similar to feel what I have to at that point. I feel that and cry. That’s exactly what I do. Actors are not supposed to feel comfortable most of the times, if his character isn’t comfortable.

What if it gets censored in the film?
I don’t even think about it. Do I think of whether people would come to watch that? Or my film? No, I’m not obsessed with that. If they watch it, I’ll feel good. But that happens on that Friday and that’s about it.

Sushant Singh Rajput, the face of the campaign took questions from DNA readers
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 15, 2017)

This Independence Day, DNA is doing a campaign titled India’s DNA. The thought is to educate millienials about India’s struggle for freedom through pictures via the Instagram handle indias_dna. Sushant Singh Rajput, the face of the campaign took questions from DNA readers. Read on to find out how it panned out

Rutwi Mistry: What does independence mean to you in today’s times?
Sushant: In today’s context, I feel we are connected to each other through the Internet. When an event happens anywhere in the world, it resonates everywhere. We have become more sensitive to each other. And we have become interdependent, we need to change the definition of independence. Because of freedom — in terms of what you want to do, what you want to say, how you want to say it, freedom of speech and the non-linear complex system, the butterfly effect happens more. And we are more interdependent so everything that we do or say will be heard more and will effect the entire system. We need to be more careful now.

Ananya Ishwar: If you were to play a freedom fighter in a biopic (apart from Bhagat Singh), who would it be and why?
S: It has to be Subhas Chandra Bose. Because he had his own way of thinking. In 1939, he was almost becoming President of Congress but he could not because as far as I know, Sita Ramaiya was there and they had different ideologies. I am more with the ideology that Subhas Chandra Bose had, when I read now. Of course, I don’t know what was happening then. But right now, if I look back, I am more with his way of thinking. So I would love to play him and know why the Forward Block, the Indian National Army was formed. It’s also a very interesting character to play and understand.

Smriti Chawla: Which decade of the freedom struggle would you have loved to be part of, if given a time machine?
S: It would be 1857 when it all started. The entire generation, at that point of time, was thinking about something... I think what happened with Mangal Pandey and others was the tipping point. It triggered everything and the set-up was all there. For a second, Britishers were actually thinking what to do back then. The first thing is always fresh and new and to experience that, is always fascinating.

Raunak Narula: What do you think is the most striking thing/event of our struggle for independence?
S: I have always believed that where you arrive at is not the only thing that’s important. Of course, the Independence of India was extremely important and at that point of time, it was something that everyone wanted. But without taking away much of that feeling, I feel the path that you take to reach there it is also equally important. Whether it is the right way or the wrong way is very contextual, it’s your perspective of looking at things. When Mahatma Gandhi came to India and the Khilafat movement happened, around 1920-21-22, there was non-cooperation movement and for a second, the Britishers were clueless again. Then, Chauri Chaura happened and Gandhiji backed out. He knew the Independence of India was inevitable and it will come, but at the same time, he had to make a point that the way we get it will be a big differentiator in the kind of India we will create post-Independence. That’s a very striking event.

Tapan Mishra: Did you find history boring too, as a student?
S: I don’t find history boring. I only find those history books boring, which want to make a point and are not just giving facts as they are, but carefully picking and punctuating facts so that they underline the opinion of theirs. Even the same series of events are carefully put together, you will realise that it’s because of this cause, that was the effect. And something else gets emphasised.

Lalitya: Why should Independence Day matter even after 70 years?
S: It only reminds us again and again that we should not take it lightly. With Independence, it’s not just the freedom that you experience but there’s also a responsibility that you need to take. Because this is again a very different set-up. Any democracy with this much population is a first time phenomenon. There’s no reference point to it. There aren’t any guidelines for anyone to function. We’re still figuring out. And thanks to the Internet, we are all interconnected and the more connected we are, the more interdependent we are. It’s just not a reflection of what the majority thinks but it’s only seven per cent of what the public opinion is. Only seven per cent. All the trending topics you see, trying to make a point, are just fractions of those seven per cent. But you somehow get lured by it and get biased. So, it forms opinion rather than just reflecting opinion. We need to be extremely responsible and learn the importance of the struggle of Independence. By knowing the struggle, you will appreciate it more.

Pertash Kaul: What are your plans for this Independence Day?
It’s a ritual I do every August 15th. I wake up and listen to the Prime Minister talking about the country. I get jalebis also to go along with it. (Smiles) At the same time, I think there will be the Jai Jawaan show where you can see me trying few things that I really liked. I spent some time with the soldiers and it was an extremely liberating experience. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I even performed all the drills that the soldiers perform. Although I felt I won’t be able to finish it, I actually did. So with the show, I also want to relive those moments. I will be calling a few friends over to show them that I can also make absolutely circular rotis which I did, finish all those obstacle courses and play cricket with the jawaans.


Sushant Singh Rajput with jawaans in Manipur

'Fearless' Sushant Singh Rajput takes rumours about his professional and personal life head-on
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 14, 2017)

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 14, 2017)

When Sushant Singh Rajput takes up a film, he does a lot of research to understand the nuances of his character. He lives and breathes the part till he’s done with the film. It is rare for him to work on two films simultaneously. However, his space adventure film Chandamama Door Ke and his romantic saga Kedarnath, will go on floors in quick succession. The actor has started his prep and workshops for both the films together.

Two different worlds
At Sushant’s Bandra house, the actor has created two different worlds. One room has a poster of Sushant wearing a spacesuit, pasted on the door, while the other has a huge poster of the Kedarnath temple on the door. The actor keeps shuttling between the two rooms, much like he will be doing on the sets of the two films in the coming months.

My work space
Talking about creating the two work spaces, Sushant says, “This was completely my idea. There’s a team helping me out with it. These kinds of set-ups help in the complete and continuous immersion into that world, which will allow you to believe that you are that character. This happened because I have never worked on two-three characters at the same time. With newer problems, you have to come up with new solutions. It’s helping till now, so let’s see!”

Balancing act!
The shoot of Kedarnath begins on August 25. Mid-way through the filming, Sushant begins work on Chandamama..., too. “We start shooting Kedarnath this month and then we take a break when I begin Chandamama. The schedules of both films will intertwine,” reveals Sushant. The process of his prep is very different from what other actors follow.

He says, “People only talk about how much weight an actor has gained or dropped, or how much hair he’s grown or shaved for a film. That’s how they gauge a great actor (laughs), but I think those are the simplest things that an actor does. There are other more intricate things like changing the way you think.”

Teerth yatra-ready
As I step into the Kedarnath room. I notice that this room has an austere decor. There is a charpai, some old wooden furniture, and a lot of other elements of a pilgrimage which is essentially the underlying theme of the film. Sushant continues, “If I have to read a script of Chandamama, I will sit in the other room. Even if I’m not looking at the script and I’m looking around, I will still be seeing the things that I am supposed to see. Probably something will catch my attention and I will Google it. Maybe, something like the lunar module which is right there (points to the module which is stuck on the wall). Or I might just watch all the animation videos of the lunar module that I have. It’s just like being in that space and thinking about it again and again. That’s the intent.”

Space travel
The other room has been designed with a lot of pictures of space and moon — all collected from NASA — carefully positioned on the walls. Along with that, there is a huge poster of Sushant in a spacesuit and a lot of other mementos and pictures that Sushant clicked during his recent trip to NASA. He shows me an ice-cream that astronauts have in space, and books that he’s reading to understand the modules and the logistics behind how a space aircraft works. But the best element in the room has to be the Virtual Reality system that he has installed. The room has a VR box that can transcend you to space in no time. “Once you wear these VR boxes, you can actually walk on the moon,” he says.

The actor, who loves long drives, is set to close a deal on a house three-four hours away from the city
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 8, 2017)

As he waits for the delivery of a high-end telescope that he had placed an order for recently, Sushant Singh Rajput admits that they are not usually interior designer-approved. “Mine is distractingly large,” he explains, quickly adding, “It’s one of the most-advanced telescopes in the world and I’m going to be able to see Saturn’s rings through it.” He points towards a sea-facing window in his Bandra apartment, where he plans to place his new prized possession.

However, Sushant’s telescope may not remain stationary for too long. The 30-year-old actor is in the final stages of locking a deal on a new house. “It’s two-three hours away from the city and I will go to live there along with my telescope. I love driving so the plan is to stay there and drive into the city. When something needs my immediate attention, I’ll take the chopper service,” he says matter-of-factly, adding tongue-in-cheek, “I love my ‘space’ so much that I’m doing a film about it.”

The actor recently returned from an extensive prep session at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), where he trained for Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan’s upcoming space odyssey, Chandamama Door Ke. While Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan have shot at NASA earlier for Jaan-Emann and Swades respectively, Sushant is the first Indian actor to film inside NASA’s workshops in authentic space suits.

“It’s an incomparable experience. For 20 years, I’ve lived with formulae and theories in my head. During the training sessions, I could actually feel zero gravity; I sat in a centrifuge, experienced what it’s like to tumble in space. Everything I had read about became real. I was like a kid in a candy store. At times, I forgot that I was at NASA to shoot a film,” Sushant recalls who was studying to be an engineer, adding that he was keen on doing everything over and over again, like the astronauts. “The crew had to pull me out of there because they thought I’d never leave.”

Apart from the telescope, Sushant has also become the proud owner of a 125-book stash that includes a six-volume series on theoretical physics and a dozen books on the black hole and wormhole theories. The actor spent Monday numbering and sorting them for his already overcrowded bookshelf. “It’s not for the film,” he clarifies, “I didn’t enjoy reading certain subjects for a long time but now I’m in love with cognitive science, behavioural economics, evolutionary psychology. I jump from one genre to another and have acquired a taste for these subjects over the last two years. It’s what makes viewing (Christopher Nolan’s) Interstellar so much more interesting!” Sushant signs off excitedly.

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; July 15, 2017)

In 2006, Sushant Singh Rajput attended the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Dubai as a background dancer, a part of Shiamak Davar’s troupe. Over a decade later, he is set to take centrestage at IIFA 2017 in New York. He will perform with rumoured ladylove and Raabta co-star Kriti Sanon to a medley of chartbusters.

Rajput dropped out of engineering college in his third year in 2006 to pursue a career in acting and dancing. In his initial years, before he bagged his claim-to-fame TV show Pavitra Rishta in 2009, he would travel with Davar’s troupe.

After his Bollywood debut in Kai Po Che! (2013), Rajput has been attending the film awards gala, but this year is special. Life has come full circle for the actor, as he now takes to the stage at the MetLife stadium in New York. Sushant will dazzle the audience with his performance at the same awards event that marked his humble beginning.

Sushant says, “I was studying engineering, but dropped out in my third year. I joined Shiamak’s group and performed at IIFA with them in 2006 as a background dancer. So it feels great to step on the stage again as a performer now.”

He has been nominated in a category alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan.

Harshada Rege (DNA; June 28, 2017)

The Raabta boy is keeping a low profile after the film’s unmitigated debacle at the box-office. The actor is known to disappear after a film release, for some much-needed ‘me’ time. Usually, he escapes the daily grind by leaving for an undisclosed destination. The actor enjoys being a solo traveller. Over to the man who longs for his bi-annual getaways...

On a scale of 1 to 10, how social are you? Are you more likely to go out or stay indoors?
Stay indoors 100 per cent. I will not step out for anything — except for work, meeting people who matter, and going to places that I have never been to. Travelling is something that I really like, but all alone.

You go on holidays alone?
Yes, I do and I really want to do it twice every year.

Do you know which places you want to go to?
To new places. I really want to go to Jerusalem and Mecca. I like the energies there.

So what’s the next destination?
There is this place in Australia and Scotland.

Which place in Australia?
Some desert because there are people who will help you set up a camp. I just bought a really nice telescope and from there, you can see the entire galaxy with your naked eyes. So, imagine if I have a telescope and I am listening to Pink Floyd and smoking, that is bliss.