Did you watch ‘Love Sex Aur Dhoka’ (LSD)? Do you remember Rajkummar Rao having a proper introduction scene? Or even Shahid? What do I mean by a ‘proper’ introduction scene? It is when the camera doesn’t show the actor’s face, giving them the time to first let the character build. Mostly the scene starts with the actor’s legs or back and slowly we are shown the face. In case of the bigger/ blockbuster stars, the audience starts whistling the moment his shoestring comes into view. By the time the actor has been introduced, you cannot hear anything; you are deafened by the resonating whistles around you. As I sat there watching Stree, and I couldn’t hear anything that was being said while I watched Rajkummar Rao jogging across the village Chanderi… realisation dawned: Yes, the man finally managed to get that resounding introduction. The narrative was lost in the thundering whistles, and I said to myself — the star is here. How did he go about changing the game? Well, here are a few observations…
Play by your own rules
For a long time, one associated Rao with dependability. He was best described as that boy from LSD or the National Award winner from ‘Shahid’. While no one really spent any time describing his regular looks, the moment his name appeared in the credits, you could sit assured that it would be one of the better films in the theatres. He is cursed with the penchant of bringing credibility. For the first half of these eight years of his career, he was entrusted with roles either for his dependability or his ability to make the stars look good! You don’t know what I mean? Well, just being in the same frame as Rajkummar makes the lesser-actor-but-bigger-stars appear like they are acting better, which inadvertently ensures the stars suddenly look like they are doing good!
But somehow between ‘Shahid’ and ‘Stree’, ‘Mr Credible’ has gone ahead and turned the game around. Why be ‘Mr Credible’, when you are Mr Incredible? What’s amazing is how he has managed the fete without showing off any 12-pack abs and killer dance moves. His insistence on being a square peg in a round hole makes him a success.
Know your strength
It is obvious that he doesn’t want to be sporting blonde highlights and wearing sunglasses unless the role demands it. He has the knack of making up for the lack of Greek God looks with style that makes him a winner! So does one think Rajkummar Rao will do well on a fashion page? Well, perhaps not yet — but the man can ooze style on whim. If in doubt, watch Bareilly Ki Barfi. He can be a star, but he chooses to be an actor! His thirst for excellence in his work is obvious to even the common man, and his hard work pays. Rao has taken over the box office; his latest release Stree has made Rs 112 crore at the box office, beating Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra and Tiger Shroff hollow! That too in the horror genre which has hardly ever had a great standing at the box office.
Expect the worst
Rajkummar Rao has made a mark for himself not only in offbeat cinema but also in the mainstream and he got there without a sugar daddy. If you ask him how he did it, he simply smiles and says, he was prepared to struggle. Till today, the man doesn’t take his stardom for granted. He has not only starved himself in prep but has also tucked in kilos for his roles. Be it web-series or a feature film, Rao has 100% given it his best and nothing but his best.
With no thought to the length of his role or the essence of his character, Rajkummar has dived into projects and resurrected them. Be it his tiny role in ‘Talaash’ or his single character film – ‘Trapped’. Rao has managed to keep the focus on him no matter what! Did he think it would be so? NO! He came into the industry willing to do two-bit roles and instead is now ruling the roost.
Likewise ol’ Aamir Khan once said, “Kabil bano, kamiyaabi jhak marke peeche aayegi!” — here’s the curious case of Rajkummar Rao, proving that saying right!
