Rajkummar Rao: It's easy to lose hope in these times, but remember that the night is darkest before dawn

The covid-19 pandemic has been ruthless to each and every soul around the globe. Despite a lot of negativity, a huge number of people came forward to help and support each other at the time of this crisis. Rajkummar Rao’s new limited video and audio series- Ruk Jaana Nahi on Spotify is dedicated to those selfless heroes across the country.

The first episode started streaming as a podcast on the Spotify app, while the video format dropped on its YouTube channel last month. Following that, six out of eight episodes from the series have already been released on a weekly basis.

OTTplay caught up with the Stree actor to share his experience while working on Ruk Jaana Nahi as well as his upcoming projects and more. The actor shared that he was proud to narrate the poem of lyricist Swanand Kirkire in the podcast/show.

Talking about how Ruk Jaana Nahi happened to him, the actor revealed that Spotify reached out to him with this wonderful campaign. “When I read all these inspiring stories of these real-life selfless Heroes ... I knew I just had to be a part of it,” shares Rajkummar.

Ask him if poetry was a welcomed break from acting, the Roohi star mentions his love for poetry and says, “This poem is all Swanand Sir, I can't take any credit for it. I am just honoured that I got the opportunity to mouth those beautiful words.”

On keeping a positive approach during pandemic Rajkummar advised, “This pandemic has been tough for all of us, but the only way we can beat this virus is by helping each other out and being more kind and compassionate. We must feel responsible and should keep all the safety precautions in mind.”

Rajkummar feels that each of the stories in the series is extremely special and heartwarming. He went ahead and added, “What these people have done is not something one should compare, but it is something one should get inspired by.”

When asked to share an instance of an intense or negative phase of his life and how he bounced back, the actor revealed that like everyone, he too has bouts of anxiety during the ongoing pandemic. He further told OTTplay, “This is normal and is bound to happen. Especially when you start to see the virus affect your close ones. It's easy to lose hope in times like these. But one has to remember that the night is the darkest before dawn. It's stories of people like these that have given me hope that we will be fine. We will get out of this pandemic soon if we follow all the precautionary guidelines and do our best to help each other out in whatever capacity we can.”

Ask him to pick his favourite work by Swanand Kirkire, the Newton star quips, “Oh, I've loved all his work. He is a legend. My personal favourite would have to be the lovely lyrics he wrote for Kai Po Che!”

While podcasts are quite popular in the West, it’s a fairly new medium in India., Expressing his views on the same, Rajkummar said, “I'll be honest, I've also discovered the podcast medium recently. Rather, I've started listening to podcasts very recently. And I'm in love with the medium. I'm surprised why I didn't start earlier.”

The actor also divulged that he recently chanced upon the MUBI podcast with Rico Gagliano and that it is his current favourite as he loves world cinema.

When asked about his upcoming projects including Badhai Do with Bhumi Pednekar and Hum Do Hamare Do opposite Kriti Sanon, the actor chose not to divulge any details, “I wish I could talk more about the films I'm doing, but I have to respect the makers and any announcements or information about them should also be shared together as a team.”

On being prodded further about Badhai Do and if he can share what the film will be about, Rajkummar quips, “I wish I could, I really do, because the film is so special to me. But right now I can't say anything. All I can say is that I hope the audiences enjoy watching the film as much as I enjoyed making it.”

There have been some speculations about Rajkummar planning to team up with his Omerta helmer Hansal Mehta. Clarifying that it’s not happening any time soon, the actor said, “Not as of now, but it goes without saying that whenever Hansal Sir calls, I'll be most excited to work with him again. Our relationship is beyond work. He is a friend, a father,” and signed off.