Rajkummar Rao at India Today Conclave East 2022: Don't want to be part of Rs 100 crore film but good cinema

On Day 2 of India Today Conclave East 2022, actor Rajkummar Rao opened up about his Bollywood journey, box-office successes and why he'd rather be a part of good cinema and not one that makes Rs 100 crore. The actor will soon be seen in the film HIT - The First Case, opposite Sanya Malhotra.

Rajkummar Rao is set to impress cinephiles with his powerful performance in the Hindi remake of the Telugu film, HIT (Homicide Intervention Team). Ahead of the film's release, the actor enthralled audiences on Day 2 of India Today Conclave East 2022. The Gurgaon boy, who graduated from FTII in 2008, has come a long way in the Hindi film industry ever since he made his debut in Love, Sex Aur Dhokha (2010). Rajkummar was last seen in Badhaai Do. His performance in Hansal Mehta's Shahid, where he played the role of the late lawyer Shahid Azmi, can be termed as his breakthrough performance of all time. It also earned him a National Award.

Rajkummar Rao was speaking in a session titled The Rule Breakers: Content, Craft and Box Office Success on Day 2 of India Today Conclave East 2022, held in Kolkata. During the session, the actor talked about his struggling years in Mumbai, always finding inspiration in the littlest of things, and why he'd rather be part of good cinema instead of one that makes Rs 100 crore.

Excerpts from the conversation:

I think it started at school. I used to be a backbencher and eat lunch before the lunch break. But, now I get rewarded for breaking rules. I like to do things that are unconventional. Conventional is boring. There is no point if you don't stand out. Only then will people notice you. You have to make your mark by doing things differently.

It was difficult being an outsider. I grew up in a joint family in Gurgaon and at that time, it was just a small town. I fell in love with cinema as a kid and knew this is what I wanted to do. I used to ride a bicycle 70 km up and down to Delhi when I was doing theatre. It was like going to meet your girlfriend. I worked really hard at FTII. I wanted to learn as much as I could.

Eventually, I moved to Mumbai, but that was tough. There were times when I lived on one Parle G ka packet a day with just Rs 18 in my bank account. Luckily, I had friends from film school who helped. But I never had a Plan B. I always wanted to become an actor.

No one knows the formula of a hit film, you have to keep trying and then leave it to destiny. I haven't really thought about why South films are doing well, maybe because they are good films, the hard work shows. But I believe cinema goes through phases, at one point we were shooting songs in Switzerland, then we started telling small-town stories, and now it is time for larger-than-life cinema that the South offers. But, as an actor, I rather do films I can be proud of not, not necessarily something that is working. As long as my producers don't lose money, I can keep telling stories. I would rather do films I will be proud of. I don't want to be part of a herd. It is okay if my films don't make Rs 100 crore at the box office.