MUMBAI: Vikramaditya Motwane's "Udaan" had premiered at Cannes Film Festival in May 2010 and went on to garner universal acclaim. Actor Rajat Barmecha, who shot to fame with his portrayal of a 17-year-old boy Rohan in the film, has come a long way since then.

Over the past decade since the film's release, Rajat has explored himself professionally as an actor and also spiritually as a person.

" 'Udaan' is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Any actor in this world would love to get a debut like that, and I was fortunate enough to get one. It's been an amazing journey since then," said Rajat.

" 'Udaan' made me the actor I am today. The root of all that I know about filmmaking and my craft as an actor comes from 'Udaan' and my director Vikramaditya Motwane. He taught me a lot about cinema and filmmaking in general," he added.

On the personal front, life has been beautiful, he says.

Also read: 'Udaan' helped industry have faith in my acting, says Rajat Barmecha

"I learnt and explored so many things about myself since 'Udaan', especially in the past five years. I have been backpacking solo. Travelling and spirituality have made me grow as an actor and more importantly as a human being. There is nothing in this world that can teach you what travelling does," said the actor, who was seen in the 2016 series "Girl In The City" starring Mithila Palkar.

"'Today at 31 when I look back at myself when 'Udaan' happened, I realise how much I have grown. At 21, I was naive. I wanted to do too much. I gave all my energies to money and a career, but today I give more importance to quality of life. I am still very raw and honest with myself as I was at 21, and that's one thing I love about myself and don't want to change ever. But at the same time I have matured as a soul," he said.

"Today, I am doing projects that interest me. Acting is something I love and will continue forever but today by living I mean actually living my life to the fullest. That is my top priority and that's the reason every single day of my life, I do exactly what I want to do. I am living my best life," he said.

Also read: Rajat Barmecha to star in 'Girl in the City'