Why Rajkummar Rao 'could not relate' to his character in Omerta
Ranbir Kapoor has Ayan Mukerji. Ranveer Singh has Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Rajkummar Rao has Hansal Mehta to count on to give him strong and challenging roles. The National Award-winning actor collaborates with the director for the fourth time in Omerta, which releases on April 20. “I look back and he is the same person he was during Shahid (2013), and I think he can say the same for me,” says Rao about Mehta. “Nothing has changed, except that we have a better understanding of each other now. And we can probably pick up more money from the market to make films together.”
Based on the life of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, British terrorist of Pakistani descent involved in a spate of high-profile cases including the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl and kidnapping of foreign tourists in India, Omerta marks Rao’s first all-out negative role.
Evil stems from a strong purpose but for Rao it was hard to find any humanity in an individual with such a past. “Yes, he is a family guy; he has got a father and a wife. But what he does is what makes him inhuman,” said Rao. “The kind of actions he does you can’t relate to.” Rao sees Sheikh in comparison to Shahid Azmi, the lawyer who “was also a victim but chose a different path”. Adds Rao, “Omar is disturbed too, like Shahid was, but then it’s up to you to see what kind of journey you want to take from there.”
What makes Omerta different is that it’s a biopic on an antagonist, albeit not on a gangster, Bollywood’s favourite baddie.
Sheikh’s story is relevant for “it’s the truth of the society”, says Rao, pointing out how young men continue to be drawn to the world of terrorism, as in the case of international enrollments with ISIS.
“We have to question and try and find some answers as to why it is happening.”
The Rao-Mehta combination has resulted in intense dramas such as City Lights and Aligarh, but on set it’s all about having fun. “The understanding is there, the work culture is easy but the pressure is there,” says Rao. “My challenge is that he has seen all my cards. Now when I work with him I have to do something drastically different.”
(Courtesy of Mail Today)