‘To Play A Living Legend is Challenging’

Rajkummar Rao, who excels at playing real-life characters, has begun work on the biopic Dada, in which he plays cricketing sensation Sourav Ganguly. Says Raj, “It is easier to play someone who has passed on, like Subhas Chandra Bose. To play a legendary cricketer who is very much with us is very challenging, but exciting too.”

Raj is an actor who loves cricket. “We all love cricket and cinema in our country. I grew up in Gurgaon, and cricket was an integral part of my upbringing. Every day, after school, two hours were dedicated to Gully Cricket. I was a decent player. I’ve very fond memories of watching World Cup matches with my whole family as a kid,” he reminisces.

Even so, he had to take some cricket training for the film. “Gully cricket and professional cricket are two very different things. I had to go through some sessions to understand the technical aspect of the game; and then I had to be around coaches to observe their style and body language. But my character is going through his own internal journey throughout the film,” he shares.