Preeti Atulkar (BOMBAY TIMES; May 30, 2019)

Rinku Rajguru, who became an overnight sensation with her debut film Sairat, has scored 82 per cent in Maharashtra State HSC examination. Needless to say, the National Award-winning actress, who had scored 66 per cent class 10, is on cloud nine.

Speaking to us an elated Rinku says, “I was confident that I will score above 75 per cent. When I learnt that I have scored 82 per cent I was quite surprised.” Ask her how she has managed to juggle the studies and work and she says, “I finished shooting for Kaagar last February so I had ample time to study. And post Diwali, I focused only on revision. I’m glad that I fared well in the board exams.”

Rinku, who initially wanted to be a doctor, now wishes to continue her career in the showbiz. “Now I’m an Arts student, and I will sit with my parents to discuss what subjects to choose and which college to join. I must add that I have always given importance to studies and I will finish my graduation,” she says.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Rinku is currently shooting for a Marathi film Makeup directed by Ganesh Pandit. She adds, “The shoot of the film is in its last leg. Unlike my previous films, in my next outing, I’m playing a modern urban girl who speaks her mind. Also, I will soon announce my fourth film, which is based on acid attacks.” Quiz her if she is playing an acid attack survivor and she replies, “I won’t be able to speak much on that at this juncture but I shall reveal the details very soon.”

She is also set to make her Bollywood debut with Nagraj Manjule’s Jhund that stars Amitabh Bachchan in the lead.
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Rinku has really made us proud, says dad

Vinita Chaturvedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 30, 2019)

Sairat girl Rinku Rajguru has scored very good marks in the 12th Maharashra state board examination, getting an aggregate of 533 out of 650. The results were declared on Tuesday and Rinku had appeared for these as an external candidate. In a telephonic interview, her dad Mahadev Bapu Rajguru, a primary school teacher at Akluj, shared, “Rinku has really made us proud by scoring 82 per cent as an arts student. She managed to balance her studies and film assignments as she had promised us. I wish she was here with us; but she is busy shooting for her next film Makeup in Belgaum today. However, celebrations are going on at home. Her mother has bought kilos of pedas, but we are missing her.”

Discussing his daughter’s plans ahead, Rinku's dad said, “If a college management agrees to a flexible arrangement of attendance for her, she will enrol as a regular student, else she will continue her BA as an external student. But all that can be decided later; right now we want to celebrate our daughter’s academic success. I’m glad that my son Siddharth who is 13, will look at his sister for inspiration.”

The Sairat sensation makes a comeback with her second Marathi film — and a determination to make a mark in the movies
Suktara Ghosh (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 21, 2019)

She became an overnight sensation as the fearless firebrand Archi in her debut film in 2016. Now, Sairat actress Rinku Rajguru is returning to the screen with her second Marathi film, Kaagar (Tipping Point) after a hiatus of three years. It’s easily one of the most-awaited films this year, with critics, fans, and the box office eagerly waiting to see if the 17-year-old can recreate the magic on screen.

“I was getting many offers but I didn’t want to play another Archi,” says Rajguru, who took a break to appear for her HSC examinations (“It went very well,” she nods enthusiastically). Kaagar, directed by Ringan maker and National Award-winner Makarand Mane — and co-starring Shashank Shende and Shubhankar Tawde — is a political drama set in small-town Maharashtra, and is set to release on April 26. Rajguru plays Rani, a girl who steps out of the confines of her home to join the world of politics.

“I have lived Rani’s life. I am from a village too [from Akluj in Solapur]. There, girls have many dreams and talents, but their lives are trapped within four walls. Every household has its own politics, and the lives of the women are governed by innumerable rules — you can’t go out without a dupatta; you must cover up; you have to return home within a stipulated time and can’t talk to boys — the list goes on. Rani comes from this background and wants to do something for these girls,” shares the National Award-winner while on a lightning tour of Mumbai, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Aurangabad and Kolhapur, to promote the film.

Rajguru has had a similar transformation herself. After the tremendous success of Sairat — it was the first Marathi film to earn Rs 100 crore and created enough waves for Bollywood to sit up and take notice with the remake, Dhadak — life is not the same.

“Going out is a problem because everyone recognises me now. Once I went out with my face covered with a dupatta, and people recognised me from my eyes. They asked if I am Archi, I said ‘no’. They said ‘your eyes are like Archi’s’, and I said, ‘accha?’ and thanked them,” she laughs. “But I really enjoy it. This is a new life, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Rajguru for all her youthful exuberance and confidence, seems to have a steady head on her shoulders. “I feel films should have some message to take back home, and be realistic — something the audience can relate to. And I don’t like films which revolve around brawny heroes who are saving the world all the time. I’m looking for characters that can inspire girls in villages and small towns to step out and achieve their dreams,” she says. Coming up after Kaagar is a film revolving around acid attack victims. Tight-lipped, Rinku denies any similarity with the much-talked about Chhapaak, starring Deepika Padukone. “Ours is a fictional story”, is all she says.

Taking inspiration from the exposure her stardom has brought, Rajguru says: “When I am here in the city, in Mumbai, I see women can go anywhere, do anything, own their own homes. This doesn’t happen in villages.” And then adds with a smile, “My village is now very proud of me.”

Playing her Kaagar role didn’t, however, come easy. “I don’t understand politics at all. I say whatever I feel like, I am very bindaas. Rani, on the other hand, thinks carefully before doing anything and knows exactly what she wants. So this was difficult for me. I studied our women in politics — observed how they sit, how they talk, and the issues they deal with. We also did workshops, which helped me bond with my co-actors, and that translated well on screen,” she says.

The Vicky Kaushal and Sridevi fan has shed quite a few kilos in the last three years and blossomed into a self-assured person. Bollywood offers have been coming her way too, but Rajguru, who once nursed dreams of becoming a doctor, is only up for meaty roles. Quiz her about feeling the pressure that comes with being in showbiz and she says, “I don’t take it as pressure. If you want to be an actor, you have to look good too. So it’s alright.” She also enjoys being the youngest on the sets. “Everyone gives me a lot of love — and chocolates,” she laughs.

Unlike her fellow Gen-Z compatriots, Rajguru largely steers clear of social media. “I only promote my films there; it’s great to see the energy of the fans. But I don’t like to use social media otherwise,” she says. Hand-picked by Sairat-director Nagraj Manjule when she didn’t even know what ‘audition’ meant, Rajguru’s journey is certainly the stuff movies are made of.