MillenniumPost
Entertainment

'To work in Omerta was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'

After exploring almost every genre, Rajkummar Rao will next be seen in Hansal Mehta’s directorial Omerta, where he will be portraying a completely dark character of Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British-Pakistani terrorist

Known for ease with which he slips under the skin of the character he plays, Rajkummar is back yet again in a distinctive role. The Newton actor will next be seen in Hansal Mehta's much talked about directorial Omerta, which is based on the life of British-Pakistani terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh. Rao calls it once in a life time opportunity which would add a feather to his cap.
"Whenever I sign a movie I look for a unique storyline. The character needs to excite me. With Omerta, I got a chance to perform a unique role. Moreover, I don't think we have ever made a film which is only about the villain. It's a character which is completely black. It does not have shades of white or grey to it. I thought it to be an opportunity to explore a very different arena that I could have never explored otherwise. And of course because Hansal sir was making it, I could never say no to it", stated Rajkummar.
Rao has given some of the most remarkable performances of his career in Hansal Mehta's films. From Shahid to Aligarh, this director-actor duo knows how to utilize each other's potential and bring the best out of a mediocre script. "I think our style of working is still the same as it was when we started with Shahid. Our work culture is very pure. It does not have a speck of corruption. We don't follow the mentality that believes in making 'what is selling in the market'. We are very committed to our stories and characters and that is what drives both of us," mentioned the actor who prefers doing method acting.
Rajkummar has always believed in paving a less traveled path. The kind of movies he opted for demanded a great deal of mental and physical preparation. Speaking of the process he underwent to portray the character of Omar Sheikh, Rajkummar said, "It took a lot of time. I read a couple of book on terrorism, as well as philosophies of terrorist group leaders. Also, I watched hate videos and public speeches. It was an amalgamation of so many other things apart from learning the British accent. I had to be in a particular shape for this film but ofcourse mental preparation was more important. I had to explore that dark world so that ' when you see Omar Sheikh, uske ek look me bhi bahaut kuch hona chaiye kyuki uske andar hi bahaut kuch hai."
But were there any inhibitions while working in a film based on a real-life story?
"I just followed my director's vision and did my part. I really can't work under pressure. I hardly pay any attention to how people will react to a specific situation, scene, or dialogue. I can't relate to my character like that. I have to be very prepared before I get into a film. I need to make sure that I am doing a specific film for myself before anybody else", clarifies Rao.
After portraying a whole range of diverse character, Rao, who is also a trained martial artist wishes to do an action movie with a story attached to it.

Next Story
Share it