Sushant Singh Rajput is heading to NASA

When it comes to method acting, Sushant Singh Rajput is inarguably among those Bollywood actors who like to get under the skin of their characters. While preparing for Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy (2015), the actor didn’t speak to his family for over three months. Similarly, to play a ticket collector in the MS Dhoni biopic, Sushant often hung out at Kharagpur railway station to learn the right body language and stayed at the railway quarters.

Now, to prepare for his next, Chanda Mama Door Ke, which is a space adventure, the actor is heading to NASA.  “I am playing an astronaut in the film and I just finished training on a simulator this week. Sanjay (director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan) has given me around 15 books and eight documentaries, including For All Mankind (1989) that documents National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Apollo mission, to understand the life of astronauts,” says Sushant, adding, “Sanjay has contacts in NASA.

I will spend almost a month with them to understand an astronaut’s body language and mindset. Sanjay has already given a uniform with a badge. I wear it almost every day. I can’t wait to work on the film,” he says.  Sushant is often criticized for going overboard with preparation for his roles. The actor disagrees. “I don’t think there is anything like over-preparation. I do it for myself, and not to prove a point to anyone,” says the actor, who turns 31 tomorrow.

Does he have special birthday plans? “A friend is planning a party. I will also be working for a few hours. I also like to go on a long bike riding alone on my birthday, keeping my mind free of thoughts,” Sushant signs off.