Expect Rajkummar Rao to find a novel story and throw his weight behind it. The actor says that the ingenious theme of Hum Do Hamare Do that revolves around renting a family, a concept fairly popular in Japan, drew him to the project. That, and the fact that it has no reference point in India. 'I have always strived to break conventional ideas. [We are] presenting an idea that has not been spoken about."
"When I first heard the story, I wondered, 'Why can't it become a norm in India as well?' There are so many lonely old people out there, and so many lonely [youngsters]. They can come together to become a family,' begins Rao, when we chat with him on Sunday morning. But making the idea palatable in India can be difficult, especially since the concept of family here is intrinsically linked to blood relations. 'We aren't trying to be preachy with this film, but it's possible that lonely people can complete each other by simply being together.'

Reuniting with his Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) co-star Kriti Sanon has Rao smiling. But his most precious take-away from director Abhishek Jain's social comedy is the friendship he forged with Paresh Rawal. 'I am fortunate to call Paresh sir my friend now. When I meet artistes I admire, I become an acting student all over again. I would bombard him with questions on his films and his process. We would play chess he is a fine player but I am not that good,' he says, adding that Rawal and Ratna Pathak Shah's command over their craft left him mesmerised.

From Shahid (2013) to Stree (2018), Rao has built a career by choosing stories that are off the beaten path. He is glad to note that Bollywood too has undergone a shift in the recent past, with the lines of hero, heroines and villains blurring. 'We are now living in times when content is the real hero. People now are much more interested in good stories and character graphs. That said, there will be all kinds of films. Even Hollywood does its big-screen extravaganzas, [balancing it with] a Marriage Story [2019]. We are doing exactly that here as well.'