Rajkummar Rao in Mental Hai Kya
From doing workshops to getting his ears pierced, Rajkummar Rao on how he slipped into the quirky character for Mental Hai Kya
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 19, 2018)

Two days into the shoot of Mental Hai Kya, Rajkummar Rao is upbeat about the thriller that sees him reuniting with his Queen (2014) co-star Kangana Ranaut. Though pictures of Ranaut shooting a sequence in pyjamas have made the rounds of the Internet, Rao refuses to divulge details about the Prakash Kovelamudi-directed project — all he is willing to say is that it's "a tough part to play."

Rajkummar Rao, we hear, attended a three-week-long workshop to get into the skin of his character. Interestingly, Kovelamudi insisted on having separate readings for Rao and Ranaut so that the actors could bring their own interpretations to the characters, on the first day of shoot. Talking about how he goes the extra mile for each of his roles, Rao says, "Whenever I get an opportunity, I do my best to undergo extreme transformation — be it going half-bald for Bose: Dead/Alive or losing weight for Trapped (2016). As an actor, I have to do whatever is required for my character. I don't like compromising when it comes to acting."

Rao also got his ears pierced for the Ekta Kapoor production. Probe him on it and he cites his love for method acting as the reason: "We tried clip-on earrings, but I wasn't convinced. I insisted on getting my ears pierced. It helps me connect with the character."