Rajkummar Rao: Stardom is a tag

Asked how he would define stardom today, the National Award-winning actor told IANS: I think stardom is a tag, to be honest, that people give you. Of course, it's a great feeling when people call you a star, superstar."

The actor, who made his debut in 2010 with "Love Sex Aur Dhokha", said he first wants to be known for his craft..

"But for me, I would always want people to know me as an actor, like a guy who's known for his art first. And then comes the tags, of course, that is secondary."

In a career spanning 14 years, Rajkummar has worked in over 30 films and has been feted with several honours including a National Film Award and an Asia Pacific Screen Award. He also appeared on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list in 2017.

Does he feel he has achieved it all, the actor said: "No, no, of course, there's a lot more to offer. I'm very hungry as an actor. I'm very greedy as an actor."

He said that he doesn't want to be "complacent ever".

"Acting is such a vast universe, nobody can ever say I know it all. With every new film, you're exploring something new. You're challenging yourself as an actor. So it's a never ending process. The learning never stops. "

"So, I think that feeling would never come to me that, you know, now I've achieved it."

Looking forward, Rajkummar on his 40th birthday treated his fans by announcing his next film "Maalik," an action thriller directed by Pulkit, who has previously helmed "Dedh Beegha Zameen", "Bose: Dead/Alive" and "Bhakshak".

Rajkummar took to Instagram on Saturday morning, where he shared the film's poster, in which he is seen standing on top of a jeep holding an AK-47. The poster also features a line of trucks queued up in front of him.

The poster had: "Maalik. Paida nahi ho sakta ban toh sakta hai," written on it.

This will be the first time the actor will be seen playing the role of a gangster in an action thriller. The film shoot is now in progress.