Rajkummar Rao (born Raj Kumar Yadav on August 31, 1984) is an Indian film actor best known for his work in Bollywood. Since 2010, he has appeared in over 30 films and has received numerous awards, including a National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards, and an Asia Pacific Screen Award. He was named to Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list in 2017.
Rao made his acting debut in the anthology film Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010) after studying acting at the Film and Television Institute of India, and went on to play supporting roles in the films Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2 and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within (both 2012). In 2013, he made a name for himself with critically acclaimed performances in the dramas Kai Po Che! as well as Shahid. In the latter, he won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of lawyer Shahid Azmi (Critics).
Rao's career advanced with supporting roles in Queen (2014), Aligarh (2015), and Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), the latter of which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. He starred in the independent films Trapped (2016) and Newton (2017), earning him his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) for the former and the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor for the latter. Rao's highest-grossing film was the horror comedy Stree (2018), and he made his English film debut in The White Tiger (2021). He was also praised for his roles in the films Ludo (2020), Badhaai Do (2022), Monica, O My Darling (2022), and Bheed (2022). (2023).
Personal and early life
Raj Kumar Yadav was born on August 31, 1984 in Prem Nagar, Gurgaon, Haryana, India as Raj Kumar Yadav. In his extended family, he had two older siblings and three cousins. His father, Satya Prakash Yadav, worked for the Haryana revenue department, and his mother, Kamlesh Yadav, was a housewife. His mother died in 2016 and his father died in 2019. He finished his 12th grade at S.N. Senior Sidheshwar. He attended Sec Public School and took part in school plays. He graduated from The Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College (University of Delhi) while also performing in theatre with the Kshitij Theatre Group and the Shri Ram Centre in Delhi.
Rao stated that he decided to become an actor after seeing and being "highly influenced" by Manoj Bajpayee's performance. He moved to Mumbai in 2008 to pursue a film career after enrolling in a two-year acting course at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Rao eats only vegetables. In 2014, he changed his surname from Yadav to Rao and added an extra'm' to his name. "Rao or Yadav, I can use either of the surnames as both are family names," he explained. "The double'm' in the first name is for my mother. She believes in numerology." He is formally trained in taekwondo.
Rao had been married to actress Patralekha Paul since 2010. He will marry her in Chandigarh on November 15, 2021.
Career
preliminary work (2010–2012)
Rao spent the next year after graduating from the FTII in 2008 visiting studios and meeting casting directors. He appeared as an uncredited news reader in Ram Gopal Varma's 2010 political thriller Rann. He auditioned for the film after reading in a newspaper advertisement that Dibakar Banerjee was looking for newcomers for his found footage anthology film Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010). The film is divided into three stories, with Rao appearing in the second alongside Neha Chauhan. He portrayed Adarsh, a supermarket manager who tricks an employee into sleeping with him so he can record the act on a hidden camera and sell it. He had to lose 6 kilograms (13 lb) in a month to fit the part. The film, as well as Rao's performance, received critical acclaim. It was also a financially successful box office venture.
Following the success of his debut film, producer Ekta Kapoor offered Rao the lead role in Ragini MMS, a found footage horror film (2011). He was initially hesitant to accept it because it seemed similar to his previous work, but he accepted the offer at the insistence of casting director Atul Mongia. Despite a negative critical reception, the film was a box-office success. His next film was Bejoy Nambiar's crime thriller Shaitan (2011), in which he portrayed a shady cop. Raja Sen, a film critic, praised Rao's performance, calling him "reliably terrific."
Rao's performance in Love Sex Aur Dhokha impressed director Anurag Kashyap, who cast him in Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2 (2012), a sequel to his crime film Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1. He visited Wasseypur to perfect his accent and character for the supporting role of Shamshad Alam. The film was both critically and commercially successful. In Bedabrata Pain's historical drama Chittagong (2012), based on the Chittagong armoury raid, he played independence activist Lokenath Bal. His year ended with Reema Kagti's suspense thriller Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, in which he played a cop. The film, starring Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Shernaz Patel, grossed over 1.74 billion rupees (US$24 million) worldwide, making it the year's eighth highest-grossing Hindi film. Rajeev Masand observed that Rao demonstrates "what a good actor can bring even to a small part" in just one scene.
Breakthrough (2013–2016) (2013–2016)
Rao appeared at Kai Po Che with the late Sushant Singh Rajput, Amit Sadh, and Abhishek Kapoor.
's success party in 2013.
Kai Po Che!, Abhishek Kapoor's social drama film Rao's first venture in 2013 was (2013). The film, which also stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Amit Sadh, is based on Chetan Bhagat's 2008 novel The Three Mistakes of My Life. The film was released in India on February 22, 2013, to critical acclaim, with praise given to the lead performances. Deccan Herald's Shilpa Jamkhandikar thought Rao stood out and played off the role "beautifully." Rao received his first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film.
In 2013, he also appeared in Hansal Mehta's biographical drama Shahid, in which he played late lawyer Shahid Azmi. Rao met Azmi's family and spent time with them in order to understand the man and his personality. He also studied the Quran and went to court to learn how lawyers behave. Rao described himself as "emotionally drained" because the character was difficult and complex. When the film and his performance were released, they received critical acclaim. The film was also a box-office success; Rao received the National Film Award for Best Actor at the 61st National Film Awards ceremony, as well as his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) at the 59th Filmfare Awards. Boyss Toh Boyss Hain, his other 2013 release, was a comedy.
Rao appeared as a supporting character in the comedy-drama Queen in 2013 as a manipulative fiancée. The film had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival and went on general release in India on March 7, 2014. It was a critical and commercial success, grossing US$14 million worldwide. Rao "brings remarkable restraint to bear upon his interpretation of the disgustingly conservative city slicker who cannot see beyond his nose," according to NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee.
The same year, he co-starred with Vijay Maurya in the short film Bombay Mirror, directed by Shlok Sharma. He worked with Mehta on the drama film CityLights (2014). The film, which also stars Patralekha Paul, tells the story of a poor farm family from Rajasthan who comes to Mumbai in search of work. Rao spent a month in the small town of Sadri in Rajasthan's Pali district, growing a moustache and learning the local dialect to prepare for the role. The film and Rao's performance were praised by critics. Sweta Kaushal of the Hindustan Times writes that he "effortlessly" slips into the role. It was only a moderate financial success.
Rao appeared as a supporting actor in the 2015 romantic comedy Dolly Ki Doli, alongside Sonam K Ahuja, Pulkit Samrat, and Varun Sharma. It received mixed reviews and earned only an average box office gross. It was followed by Mohit Suri's romantic drama Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015), in which he played an abusive husband to Vasudha Prasad (played by Vidya Balan). He collaborated again with Mehta on the biographical drama Aligarh. Manoj Bajpayee plays the lead in the film, which is based on the life of Professor Ramchandra Siras, while Rao plays a journalist who attempts to uncover the truth. Aligarh was met with critical acclaim upon its release, with particular praise for the performances of Bajpayee and Rao. Sukanya Verma praised Rao's performance as a "inquisitive journalist." For his performance in the film, Rao received his second nomination for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Rao worked with Vikramaditya Motwane on the survival drama Trapped, which he directed (2016). It tells the story of a man who is trapped in his apartment for days without food, water, or electricity. Rao considered the role of Shaurya to be one of his most difficult to date. He had to lose weight and maintain it throughout the filming by eating carrots and coffee. Despite being a vegan, Rao ate meat for the first time in his life in some scenes because Motwane insisted on realism. Trapped had its world premiere at the 2016 Mumbai Film Festival and was released theatrically on March 17, 2017, to generally positive reviews. Rao "immerses himself in the judiciously assembled plot with such radiant authenticity that after a while we cease to watch the skill that underpins the outstanding performance," wrote Subhash K. Jha. For his performance in the film, Rao received his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics).
Commercial achievement (2017–2018)
Rao's first film in 2017 was the romantic comedy Behen Hogi Teri, which starred Shruti Haasan and received mixed reviews, though critics praised Rao's performance. He then directed and co-starred in another romantic comedy, Bareilly Ki Barfi, directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and co-starring Kriti Sanon and Ayushmann Khurrana. The film and Rao's performance received widespread acclaim. "Rao is a hoot and brings the house down with his chameleon turn and comic timing - simpering simpleton one minute, full of swagger the next; a role that could have become a caricature in the hands of a lesser actor," wrote Namrata Joshi of Rao's performance in the film.
Rao's next film was Amit V. Masurkar's black comedy Newton. In it, he plays an honest government clerk assigned to an election in a Naxal-controlled town. He asked the director if he could curl his hair and blink his eyes constantly to distinguish the character, and Masurkar agreed. The film premiered at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival and was released on September 22, 2017 in India. Newton received positive reviews, as did Rao's performance. "It's difficult to separate the actor from the character," Rajeev Masand said, "and not many of our artistes can claim to possess that gift." The role earned him the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Actor and his third Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actor (Critics). He also appeared in Dinesh Vijan's Raabta as a cameo (2017). Every day, he had to spend five to six hours applying prosthetics to look like a 324-year-old man.
Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, his final theatrical release of the year, starred Kriti Kharbanda and received mixed reviews. ALTBalaji's historical biographical web mini-series Bose: Dead/Alive also marked his digital debut. He plays nationalist leader Subhash Chandra Bose, based on Anuj Dhar's 2012 book India's Biggest Cover-up. Rao gained 13 kilograms (29 pounds) for the role and went half bald. Anvita Singh of India Today felt Rao's performance was not his best, but he "does grab your attention" because of his skill as an actor.
Rao reteamed with Mehta for the biographical crime film Omerta, in which he plays terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. Rao prepared for the role by watching a number of videos, documentaries, and hate speeches by Sheikh in order to "gather a lot of hatred and anger" within himself. He said he was "disturbed" while filming because of the character he was playing, and that it was "easily the toughest character" he had ever played. The film debuted at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in India on May 4, 2018. The film and Rao's performance received critical acclaim, with NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee describing it as a "pitch-perfect performance."
Following that, he appeared in the musical comedy Fanney Khan (2018) alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. Everybody's Famous! is a remake of the 2000 Belgian film. The film was both a critical and commercial flop. His next film was Stree (2018), a horror comedy directed by Amar Kaushik. The film, which was based on the Bangalore urban legend known as Nale Ba, also starred Shraddha Kapoor. The film and Rao's performance received positive critical response. According to Rachit Gupta of The Times of India, Rao "handles the many shades of comedy, horror, and romance with great ease." It also earned him his first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actor. Stree was a huge commercial success. Rao made a brief appearance in Tabrez Noorani's Love Sonia, a film about sex trafficking, the same year. 5 Weddings was his final release of 2018.
2019–present
Rao's first film of 2019 was Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019), about a closeted lesbian. Critics praised the film, which co-starred Sonam K Ahuja, Anil Kapoor, and Juhi Chawla, for its positive portrayal of homosexuality. However, it was a commercial failure. He next appeared in the black comedy Judgementall Hai Kya alongside Kangana Ranaut. His performance earned him his fourth nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare Awards (Critics). His final film role was in Mikhil Musale's comedy Made in China, in which he plays a Gujarati businessman who is approached about marketing a Chinese aphrodisiac in India. The film, based on Parinda Joshi's novel of the same name, received mixed reviews. The film's critic, Anna M. M. Vetticad, praised Rao, saying, "The best thing about it are Rao and [Boman] Irani who are a pleasure to watch even in this middling affair." The film did moderately well at the box office.
Ramesh Sippy's romantic comedy Shimla Mirchi, which had been delayed for several years, was Rao's first release of 2020. It received negative reviews from critics and was a box office flop. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his next acting venture, the Anurag Basu-directed anthology film Ludo, also starring Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanya Malhotra, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Pankaj Tripathi, was directly streamed digitally on Netflix. Anupama Chopra called him one of the film's "standouts," writing, "There is such sweetness in his longing. Of course, Alloo is an emotional fool, but Rajkummar doesn't play him for laughs." The film earned him his second nomination for Best Actor and his fifth nomination for Best Actor (Critics). In the same year, he reteamed with Mehta for the sports comedy Chhalaang, in which he played a Haryanvi physical instructor. In which he appeared alongside Nushrat Bharucha. It debuted on Amazon Prime Video.
Rao made his Hollywood debut in 2021 with Ramin Bahrani's The White Tiger, based on Aravind Adiga's eponymous novel. The film, which co-stars Priyanka Chopra and Adarsh Gourav, debuted on Netflix on 22 January and received positive critical response. Rao "deftly balances a Western-schooled urge to tell himself he's a fair-minded man with the unmistakable air of privileged entitlement," according to David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter. His subsequent release was the horror-comedy Roohi, co-starring Janhvi Kapoor. The sequel to Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe, Stree, the film received mixed critical reviews and was a box office failure.
He began filming with Bhumi Pednekar in January 2021 for Badhaai Do, a spiritual sequel to the 2018 comedy-drama Badhaai Ho. He recently finished filming the Hindi remake of the 2020 Telugu thriller HIT: The First Case. In the comedy drama film Hum Do Hamare Do, Rao reunited with Kriti Sanon (2021).
Public perception
Rao was named to Forbes India's 2014 30 Under 30 list. In 2017, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) named him India's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity. He was named to Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list and GQ magazine's list of the 50 Most Influential Young Indians the same year. He has been a brand ambassador for Actimaxx, Seventh Street, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's eat right campaign.
Rao contributed an undisclosed sum to the PM CARES Fund, the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund, and Zomato's Feeding India to assist in feeding families in need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
Main article: Rajkummar Rao filmography
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Rajkummar Rao
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Rajkumar Yadav |
| Nickname(s) | Raj, Colgate |
| Profession | Actor |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 175 cm in meters- 1.75 m in feet inches- 5’ 9” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms- 70 kg in pounds- 154 lbs |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | - Chest: 40 inches - Waist: 32 inches - Biceps: 14 inches |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Bollywood Film: Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010) Web Series: Bose: Dead/Alive (2017) |
| Awards, Achievements | 2013 National Film Award - Best Actor for the film 'Shahid' 2014 Filmfare Award - Critics Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for the film 'Shahid' 2017 • Asia Pacific Screen Award - Best Performance by an Actor for the film 'Newton' • CNN-IBN Indian of the Year - Entertainment • PETA's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity - Hottest Vegetarian • Indian Film Festival of Melbourne - Best Actor (Special Mention) for the film 'Trapped' • GQ Men of the Year Award - Actor of the Year 2018 • Filmfare Award - Critics Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for the film 'Trapped' • Filmfare Award - Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) for the film 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' • Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award - Best Actor for the film 'Newton' • FOI Online Award - Best Actor in a Leading Role for the film 'Newton' • FOI Online Award - Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the film ' Bareilly Ki Barfi' • IMW Digital Award - Best Actor in a Web Series |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 31 August 1984 |
| Age (as of 2022) | 38 Years |
| Birthplace | Gurugram, Haryana, India |
| Zodiac sign | Virgo |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Gurugram, Haryana, India |
| School | Blue Bells Model School, Gurugram |
| College/University | • Film and Television Institute of India, Pune • Delhi University, New Delhi |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor of Arts (B. A.) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Ahir (a branch of Yadav community) [1]India Times |
| Food Habit | Vegetarian |
| Address | A rented flat at Oberoi Springs in Andheri, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Reading, Travelling, Dancing |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | 15 November 2021 |
| Marriage Place | Oberoi Sukhvilas, Chandigarh |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Patralekha |
| Parents | Father- Satyapal Yadav (Worked as a Patwari, Died in 2019) Mother- Kamlesh Yadav (a Homemaker, Died in 2016) |
| Siblings | Brother- Amit Sister- Monika |
| Favourites | |
| Cuisine(s) | Italian, Indian |
| Beverage | Tea |
| Actor(s) | Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando |
| Actress(es) | Madhubala, Konkona Sen Sharma |
| Film(s) | Bollywood- Mohabbatein, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge Hollywood- The Godfather |
| TV Show | Game of Thrones |
| Band | Coldplay |
| Author(s) | Saadat Hasan Manto, Ayn Rand, Walter Isaacson |
| Book(s) | The Bhagavad Gita, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, The Godfather by Mario Puzo, My Autography by Charlie Chaplin, Wild Seed by Octavia Butler, You Can Win by Shiv Khera |
| Destination(s) | Goa, Amsterdam, Budapest |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | Audi Q7 |
| Bike | Harley Davidson Fat Bob (bought in October 2019; worth Rs. 14.69 Lakh) [2]News 18 |
| Money Factor | |
| Assets/Properties | In July 2022, he bought a luxury triplex apartment in Mumbai’s plush Juhu locality for nearly Rs 44 crores from late actress Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor’s daughter and actress Janhvi Kapoor. [3]The Economic Times |
It used to be tough times for me. I come from a very humble middle-class background and there was a time in school when I didn’t have money and my teachers paid my school fees for two years. When I came to the city, we were living in a really small house. I was paying Rs 7000 of my share which I thought was too much. I needed around 15-20000 every month to survive and there were times I would get a notification that I have only 18 rupees left in my account. My friend would have 23 rupees.”
