Rajkummar Rao Opens Up About His Prep To Play A Visually-Impaired Man In Srikanth

The makers of Srikanth unveiled the trailer on April 9 and since then the fans have been busy lauding Rajkummar Rao for his acting prowess. In the film, the actor is playing the role of visually-impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla. During the trailer launch in Mumbai, Rao narrated the story of how he prepared himself to play the role of Srikanth.

I wanted to put reality on screen: Rajkummar Rao

Rajkummar Rao shared that the film is not about Srikanth being visually impaired but his journey to the top. "We are showing a special story. It is a fact that he is visually impaired but we are not going to focus on him being visually impaired," he said. Opening up about his preparation technique, the actor said that he used to spend time with Srikanth, asking many questions. He added that Srikanth was very open to the idea and he opened his world in front of him. So it is his responsibility as an actor to take the best from him. Rao also used to visit visually impaired schools with director Tushar Hiranandani and spend hours with them as he wanted to put "reality on screen".

"I and Tushar (Hiranandani) used to visit many visually-impaired schools and spent hours. I wanted to put a reality on screen. The effort was to become Srikanth whenever I went to the set until we packed up. Just to act like a visually impaired person on camera and then cut and you become Raj and hanging out and chilling, that is not how I see my art. My art is too spiritual and meditative for me and I love it immensely to corrupt it with any kind of cheat codes," Rao added.

How did netizens react to the Srikanth trailer?

The trailer offered a tantalising glimpse into the remarkable portrayal of Srikanth Bolla's indomitable spirit by Rajkummar. The three-minute and 17-second video traces the remarkable journey of Srikanth from his childhood days, saying, "mai bhaag nahi sakta, sirf lad sakta hun". There are glimpses of Srikanth getting 98 per cent in the 12th board examination, to him determined to take science as a subject in graduation. However, the Indian education system didn't allow the visually impaired to choose science. The movie promises to be an extraordinary journey, encapsulating themes of determination, resilience, and triumph. The trailer not only showcases the journey of a visually impaired man but also a story of his unique character and wittiness and how he goes on to make his disability his strength and not a weakness.

Soon after the trailer was unveiled, it took the internet by storm. A user on X wrote, "Incredible powerhouse @RajkummarRao nailing a challenging character yet again.. good to see fine #Jyothika in the hindi roles." Another wrote, "Just watched the trailer of #Srikanth. Looks like a banger film is coming through it on box office. I'm sure it's gonna b an absolute hit! Gr8 acting, as always by @RajkummarRao."

Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, the film stars Jyotika, Alaya F, and Sharad Kelkar in pivotal roles.  The film will be released on May 10.