Rajkummar Rao on his Bollywood journey: Don't want to get into rut of repeating myself

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Actor Rajkummar Rao says he wants to stay away from the comfort zone of playing to the gallery despite knowing that some of his "gestures" might impress the audience. In his decade-long Bollywood journey, Rao has emerged as a performer known for capturing the essence of his characters -- be it his National Award-winning turn as the righteous lawyer in "Shahid" or the menacing terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh in "Omerta".

The 36-year-old actor said even though his attempt is to play regular, relatable men on screen, he avoids getting "trapped" in a certain image.

"There are times when I try and be conscious that I can't repeat certain gestures and avoid that. I know it might work beautifully for the audience and perhaps even the scene, but I restrain myself.

"I don't want to get into the rut of doing the same thing, repeatedly. I don't want to be trapped," Rao told PTI in an interview.

To distinguish between his roles, the actor said he prefers to dive deep into brainstorming sessions with his directors.

Citing the examples of Vikramaditya Motwane''s "Trapped", Hansal Mehta''s "Shahid" and the upcoming "Badhaai Do", helmed by Harshavardhan Kulkarni, the actor said the depth of the character decides the amount of time he dedicates to the preparation.

But if it's a comedy film, like his latest "Roohi", his process is more "organic."

"When you do a comedy, it's spontaneous, you can't force it. It's about being there and having fun with your lines. I don't plan anything when it comes to comedies. The trick is to surrender."

Rao returns to the horror-comedy universe, three years after the blockbuster "Stree".