The 51-year-old actor said he had to reject many film offers to come out of that shell and choose some out-of-the-box scripts.

"I always want to do something which is completely unique. I hate to repeat myself. After Corporate, I was getting similar kind of roles. I used to get calls from directors who wanted me to portray the same shrewd character of a businessman. But I rejected them and rather opted for other kind of films," Rajat said.

The actor has a fair share small budgeted content-driven films including "Bheja Fry", "Mithya" and "Phas Gaye Re Obama" to his credit.

"I have never followed the trends. I have always jumped onto those projects which gave me enough scope to perform rather than help me earn money. I have never thought whether the audience would like it or not before signing the films,"

he said.

Rajat plays a struggling writer in his recent release, director Saurabh Shukla's rom-com "I M 24". The film is about the new age romance, where Shubendu (Rajat) lies to impress a girl who is half his age.

The actor said he was initially apprehensive to play a bald character in the film, which got a mixed response at the box-office.

"I was worried because I thought if I cut my hair at this stage then I will remain bald for rest of my life. But Saurabh cajoled me to get the look and I am lucky that I didn't have to undergo such an embarrassing situation. It was interesting to play the character because it has got many shades."

Rajat started his career in films as a director and won three National Awards for his films and documentaries. He made his feature film debut with Aamir Khan-starrer "Dil Chahta Hai".

"As a teenager, I watched films with my family and decided to become a filmmaker at the age of 14. I mainly focused on acting and had joined the theatre in Delhi. I faced trouble finding acting jobs in the 1990s and so I began writing and directing short films," he added.

Rajat will be seen next in Deepa Mehta's "Midnight's Children" and Sharat Katariya's "10ml Love", based on William Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'.