Rajkummar Rao On His Preparation For Srikanth: 'Spent Hours In Schools For Visually Impaired, Wanted To Portray Reality On Screen'

The makers of Rajkummar Rao, Alaya F, Jyothika and Sharad Kelkar's Srikanth: Aa Raha Hai Sabki Aankhein Kholne unveiled the intriguing trailer of the film in Mumbai on Tuesday. In the biopic, Rajkummar will be seen as visually impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, the film is all set to hit the big screens on May 10.

During the event, Rajkummar shared his experience of working on the film. "Firstly, I want to thank Tushar who thought of me for this role. As an actor, I love challenges and these are the kinds of roles I always look forward to doing. When I came into this industry, the idea was to push myself as an actor and do versatile roles. I want to do everything and that's the reason it took up this challenge," he said.

Opening up about how he prepared for his role, the actor shared, "I spent a lot of time with Srikanth. Actually this film is not about Srikanth being visually impaired. That is a fact but we did not focus on that. When I met him, we were very normal. We were talking, discussing, he is very witty and funny. I asked him so many questions. As an actor, it was my job to observe him and take from him. Along with Tushar, I also visited a lot of schools for visually impaired people. I have spent hours there because I wanted to portray reality on screen. Even on sets, I was always Srikanth. That was the only way I could do this part. My art is too spiritual and I love it immensely."

Rajkummar further explained how he related to Srikanth's journey. He mentioned, "Our journeys are similar, we both come from humble backgrounds. We didn't have the means. So I related to him. He had the grit and determination to fulfill his dream and that is exactly how my life was. I wanted to become an actor and had no other plans. I just kept working hard. I'm very glad I got the opportunity to play Srikanth. But there's much more I would like to achieve in life."

Sharing his experience of working on the biopic, Sharad gushed, "Tushar narrated the film and several stories of Srikanth to me before I signed the film. He told me about the chemistry between my character (Ravi) and Srikanth and it was quite interesting. Firstly, when you hear about such a film, you feel it will be emotional and sad but Tushar was clear that nothing will be like that. He said that it is a great film and that we all will have a lot of fun. It was a pleasure working with Rajkummar and I believe being friends is important before shooting for any film. We did exactly that. We became good friends and then acted. So our chemistry is very evident in the film."

It took Tushar four years to make Srikanth. Shedding light on the journey, the director said, "It is a very risky film and you need a producer to understand it. I must say that I received great support from Bhushan (Kumar). The entire team understood my vision from Day 1. All the actors who are a part of the film never asked me anything. They instantly agreed to do the film after I told them the great stories of Srikanth. It was a fantastic experience."

Producer Bhushan Kumar revealed what made him believe in the film. "I am elated as a producer. When Tushar first came to me with the script, I decided to do it just by reading one line. I remember telling him that no one other than Rajkummar can do this film. Raj also said yes to the film immediately. He has done a phenomenal job. I am very much attached to this film. We produce so many films but this is a special one for us," he said.

The event also saw the presence of real-life hero, Srikanth Bolla. "Getting a biopic shot at the age of 35 is an honour. I hope this film brings great success. In the film, blindness is not shown but my vision is shown. People don't understand that vision and sight are two different things. I made it very clear to Tushar that vision is for the mind and sight is for the eye. So not the eye but the mind is shown in this film. A man with challenging nature, without the privilege of eyesight but full of vision, can do wonders. That's what this film is about," he said.