Rajkummar Rao is my muse - Hansal Mehta

We have often heard of painters, photographers and authors having beautiful women as their muses. But this is the first time when a male filmmaker has openly declared his favourite male actor as his muse. Hansal Mehta, he of Shahid's fame, is absolutely besotted by Rajkummar Rao, all in a good way. The director-actor duo hit it off well after working together in Shahid. So taken in was Hansal by Rajkummar's acting talent that he immediately wanted him in his next project, CityLights too. And the director doesn't shy away from calling Rajkummar his muse. “Rajkummar, I believe is arguably the finest actor of our industry today. He covers up for my inadequacy. Rajkumar makes my work more easy. He has greater level of innocence in his work and that transforms itself into great acting onscreen,” says Hansal. Talking about CityLights, Hansal says, “It's about a family which stays together for survival. It delves on man's primordial element to survive. It is a quintessential Indian movie and not a festival film.” CityLights will release on 30 May in cinemas across India.