‘I WAS PAID ₹11,000 FOR MY FIRST FILM’

Actor-producer RajKummar Rao reflects on family, career choices, and what drives him now after welcoming daughter Parvati
Sonal Kalra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 18, 2026)

It’s barely been five months since he became a dad, and now, actor RajKummar Rao is already on his way to becoming ‘Dada’ — on screen, that is, by portraying former cricketer Sourav Ganguly in his biopic. The 41-year-old’s life, both personally and professionally, seems to be in a happy space. Adding to this phase is his debut as a producer with the recently released Toaster. He spoke candidly on The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra. Excerpts:

What change has your daughter Parvati brought to your life?
It’s beautiful. Whenever somebody talks to me about Parvati, there’s a big smile on my face. A co-actor once asked me her name, and after I replied, he was like, “Have you noticed how our faces change when we talk about our kids?” So, I’d say everything has changed. Now, my motivation to do anything is how she’d feel about it, what kind of films she’d like to see. I just want to spend all my time with her. I took a five-month break after she was born, before going back to shoot for Dada. It was tough. I want to see her grow into this beautiful girl one day.

Being a father to a daughter really makes you vulnerable and sentimental, no?
Yes. And softer in life. I’ve decided I’m going to cut down on work and try doing only two films a year. I am also being very careful about the kind of films I choose. I just want to push myself and make Parvati, along with my mother (Kamlesh Yadav) and my wife (actor-producer) Patralekhaa, proud.

You have become a producer with Toaster. People think a producer’s job is the toughest. How did you and Patralekhaa decide to take this step?
Main aisa nahi sochta thha till we started doing this job and we realised that it is actually tough. We had been trying to set up a production house since 2018, but it didn’t materialise, and then the pandemic happened. Last year, we thought, let’s give it another try, because there are so many stories we want to tell. That’s how we started our production house, Kampa.

The name comes from the initials of our mothers’ names: Kamlesh Yadav’s ‘Kam’ and Papri Paul’s ‘Pa’, respectively. Then we got a one-page idea for Toaster. We both liked it, developed it, and Netflix came on board. This film is solely produced by Patralekhaa under our production house. I then reached out to friends: (director-choreographer) Farah Khan ma’am and (actors) Abhishek Banerjee, Archana Puran Singh ji, and Sanya Malhotra. All of them were kind enough to come on board.

The story is about a miser. How kanjoos are you in real life, Raj?
I’m not! There’s a thin line between majboori and kanjoosi. If you don’t have money, then you would have a banana instead to satiate the hunger; that’s majboori, not kanjoosi. So yes, majboori bohot rahi hai jeevan mein, kanjoosi nahi.

I don’t know if it’s right to call it a struggle period, but the guy from Delhi’s ARSD College must have faced some harsh times on the road to success. Was there ever a moment you felt close to giving up?
No, I was never close to giving up. I was sure I wanted to be in this city and chase my dreams, no matter what. My mother had unbelievable faith that things would work out, sooner or later.

It isn’t like you get your first film and life changes overnight. I got paid ₹11,000 for my first film, Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), and I didn’t earn well for many years after that.

I also had a difficult childhood; I wasn’t raised with money. The only thing that kept me going was a positive attitude. I was always surrounded by good friends and my mother, so I was always surrounded with wonderful people. Masti mein hi pura bachpan nikal gaya, kyunki hum bacche thhe.

I got into dance, martial arts, and then acting on stage. But when you come to Mumbai, you realise you’re all alone. That’s when it hits you, ‘now what?’ Financially, it’s tough too. I never had a plan B.

There’s a perception that in cities such as Mumbai, life for a Bandra or South Bombay kid is very different from that of others. Was there ever a moment where you felt that you needed to belong to a certain group or camp?
Times are very different now; we’re living in the age of social media. But when I came to Mumbai, I saw many people who didn’t have any kind of experience doing stage, theatre, workshops or film school. Sometimes people are told, “You look good, try acting,” but I feel that isn’t the right way.

Today, people are celebrating talent, but if you don’t know anything, you’ll be lost. Mumbai gives you freedom, but how you use that freedom makes or breaks you. Be careful about your company, stay inspired, and never forget why you came here. If you know your job, there are enough opportunities now.

You’ve excelled at straight-faced humour in comedy films. (Actor) Akshay Kumar, who did a cameo in your film Stree 2 (2024), is known for his comic timing. What have you learned from him?
To be free. I remember watching him in Hera Pheri (2000) and I was zapped. We had seen him in action and drama films, but his shift to comedy was a game-changer. His comic timing, the way he uses his body, face, and muscles, is amazing. That’s something I’ve learned from him. I’ve also learned a lot from (actor) Irrfan Khan sir; his comic timing was unmatchable.

How much does what’s written or said about you on social media affect you?
As long as I know my truth, nothing bothers me. People talk about everyone; it’s not like they want to target any one person in particular. Social media has given us the power to comment on anyone. But I don’t take it seriously, because I also get a lot of love. I focus on that.