Showing posts with label Rajkummar Rao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rajkummar Rao. Show all posts
I made Rajkummar Rao try traditional Bengali sweets-Sourav Ganguly
5:10 PM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; October 27, 2026)
Sourav Ganguly and Rajkummar Rao, who will portray the former India cricket captain in the upcoming biopic Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story, made their first joint appearance in Ganguly’s hometown of Kolkata. The festivities began at the cricketer’s residence before he took the actor pandal hopping during the Durga Puja celebrations on Maha Ashtami on Monday.
Since I was a kid, I used to fast for all nine days during Navratri in Gurgaon: Rajkummar Rao
Reminiscing about his childhood, Sourav told BT in an exclusive conversation, “Whenever I think of Durga Puja, I’m transported back to my childhood, when the festival meant pure joy, family and unforgettable memories. The excitement would begin days in advance, with my father or grandfather taking all of us cousins shopping for pujo clothes. We would get matching outfits in the same colours and patterns, and wearing them together was always a special feeling.”
He added, “Some of my fondest memories are of spending nights at our pujo pandals with my cousins, staying up late, laughing and chatting before waking up early to offer prayers at the thakur ghor. I still remember my grandfather giving each of us Rs. 10 for pandal hopping. Back then, it felt like a fortune!
"Looking back, I realise that the real magic of pujo lies in the little moments.”
Recalling his association with the festival, Rajkummar said, “Since I was a kid, I used to fast for all nine days during Navratri in Gurgaon. When I came to Mumbai, I was introduced to Durga Puja and garba nights. Then, a few years ago, Patralekhaa took me to Kolkata during Durga Puja. Since then, I’ve been coming to Kolkata, and it’s always fascinating to be here, especially during the festival. The whole city lights up, and the colours and food are all so good.”
Rajkummar spoke about his special bond with Kolkata and its people. “My relationship with Kolkata and Bengalis is very special. I’ve always had friends from Bengal since my school days. My class teacher, who also paid my school fees at one point, was a Bengali and one of my favourite teachers. Then I met Patralekhaa, a true Bengali girl, and the rest is history,” he smiled.
‘I made Rajkummar try traditional Bengali sweets’
The duo visited some of Kolkata’s prominent pujo pandals, including Maddox Square and Allen Park, soaking in the city’s festive spirit. Ganguly ensured that his guest got a taste of the city’s culinary delights, insisting that Rajkummar try the signature puchka and biryani. “I also made Rajkummar have the traditional Bengali sweets,” he said.
Having portrayed two legendary figures associated with Bengal in biopics – Subhash Chandra Bose and now Sourav Ganguly – Rajkummar feels a strong connection with the state. “I truly feel at home in Kolkata. And, as they say here, I am Kolkata’s jamai!” he shared.
I’m glad that people think of me when they think of a biopic-Rajkummar Rao
10:42 AM
Vishakha Pandit (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 2, 2026)
Having been part of the film industry for over 16 years, actor Rajkummar Rao recently opened up about how he steers clear of labels imposed on him by the industry or audiences.
The 42-year-old, who was part of a panel discussion at FICCI Frames on Wednesday, said, “Whatever terms people give you: star, superstar, brand, it does not concern me. My love for my art would always be first.” He added, “When I go on set, when I take a script in my hand, and I start working on that script, that’s the most powerful. And the purest form of perceiving my art.”
Rao emphasized that his relationship with his craft has always taken precedence over the labels that come with success.
“It’s been 16 years in the industry, but I have never seen myself as a brand,” he said, adding, “Growing up, when I started doing theatre, my dream was to be a film actor one day. It was never to be a brand.” He also said, “These are the terms that people give you. Or your colleagues give you.”
Rao added that he does not want the idea of being a “brand” to influence the choices he makes as an actor.
“When I am working on a character, I don’t want to deviate and think, ‘Is this story going to match my brand value?’ I don’t think like that. So for me, I am always going to be an actor. People can call you whatever they want.”
That approach is particularly relevant as Rao finds himself increasingly associated with biographical films. With Prahaar – The Ujjwal Nikam Story being his latest project, in which he plays public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, the actor says he is happy that filmmakers see him as someone who can take on the genre.
“I’m glad that people think of me when they think of a biopic. Biopics are a very difficult genre. And it takes a lot of guts and courage for everybody involved to make a biopic.” Rao also reveals that the biopics he has done are only part of the offers that have come his way. “I have been offered a lot of them apart from what I have done,” he says.
Inlaks aka the Bombay dream goes in for redevelopment
10:23 AM
This Versova society welcomed actors, screenwriters, and anyone with a Bollywood dream with open arms, including Sanya Malhotra and Rajkummar Rao. As it heads for redevelopment, many ask: Where will aspirants find solace now?
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 23, 2026)
If you have lived in Andheri West and worked in the film industry, chances are you couldn’t have missed Inlaks, the soon-to-be-torn-down society that has been a rite of passage into Bombay’s film world. There is a long-running joke that all roads in Versova lead to Inlaks — sometimes for an unforgettable night of partying with friends, sometimes to huddle around a laptop and write your first film, and more often than not because it was one of the last housing societies in this supposedly progressive city that didn’t interrogate you before handing you a key: Which religion do you belong to? Are you married? What do you do for a living? And, the most humiliating of all, “Movies mein ho? Toh phir ghar kyun denge?”
My entry into Inlaks was after an unfortunate sabbatical I took from mid-day to pursue my Bollywood dreams. I landed up in the office of screenwriters Raghav Raj Kakker and Kashyap Kapoor in 2023 after a decade of avoiding the mystical, magical land that has been the starting point of hopes for many. NDAs forbid me from telling more of what we made and what eventually happened (or didn’t happen to it), but it sure did one thing: It brought me back to life through a really dark phase of my own career. So when I decided to write this piece, I went back to meet them where I began, at that very office.
The glorious 2010s
In 2011, when Kakker first came to Inlaks, Versova was still a very different place. “This used to be such a deep end of the city, that literally a dust bowl was flying here,” he remembers, “This wasn’t even a paved road, it was a rough road.”
Over the years, the society became known as a kind of unofficial film-school extension, a place where people who had come to Bombay to work in films could find a home, often before they had found a career. The society itself had a different purpose when it came up. Kakker recalls that Inlaks was created as low-cost accommodation for members of the Sindhi community through the Amil Panchayat.
Over time, however, it acquired another identity, one that would become almost inseparable from Mumbai’s film industry. Directors, cinematographers, art directors, actors, casting directors, and acting trainers lived there or regularly hung around. “They used to call it a mini FTII,” he says, “Rajkummar [Rao] bought an Audi and the joke was that it was a car worth more than a house. So, I would see Rajkummar chilling outside. A lot of directors, DPs, art directors from FTII would hang out here. When casting directors were not even a legitimate profession, casting director and acting trainer Prashant Singh used to hang out here. Actors Aakash Dahiya and Chandan Roy Sanyal used to hang out here.”
What mattered, though, was not simply the number of film people living in one place. It was the fact that everyone was at a different point in the same journey. “There was a sense of community. Outside Inlaks and inside Inlaks, there are a lot of people like me who are in different degrees of success. Some are just starting out, some are about to start, some have already started. And the common factor was this space.”
The feeling, he remembers, was simple — you could walk outside, bump into somebody who has just made it and think, “tomorrow it will be my turn”. That became part of Inlaks’s mythology. Kakker remembers the building going into a small frenzy at the famous chai tapri outside over the belief that Aamir Khan had visited during the shoot of Dangal (2016) because Sanya Malhotra was apparently living there. “I don’t even know if it’s true or not,” he says.
There was a piece of folklore about Inlaks that Kakker remembers clearly. “If you come to the industry and don’t live in Inlaks, you haven’t come to the industry.”
The reason the joke stuck was because the society had a reputation for making room for people who might not have found it elsewhere. “Bachelors used to get houses. Four boys used to get houses. Minorities used to get houses. Industry people used to get houses.” That was crucial for people entering an industry built around irregular work. Actors don’t necessarily have salaries.
Writers didn’t necessarily have salaries. A person could have talent, ambition and a promising audition, and still not have the paperwork or income that made a conventional landlord comfortable. Inlaks had room for that person.
The tea stall outside
For casting director Aakash Dahiya, who worked with Mukesh Chhabra in their early years, the film industry didn’t just exist inside Inlaks. It existed at the tea stall outside.
Dahiya lived there from 2008 for four to five years. He and Chhabra were working together on casting, and the tea shop became their adda, a place where actors, casting people and other film industry aspirants would meet. They would find out from one another where auditions were happening, who had gone for which audition, and who was looking for whom. It was an informal network before the industry had the kind of digital networks it has today. The tea stall was where information travelled.
He tells us, “It was an informal network, you found out about work simply by being around. For four-five years while I was there, so much of my life happened there. Mukesh and I were doing casting. We would sit there, meet people, find out who had gone for which audition, where the next one was happening, who was looking for whom. That was how you found work, through people. Even industry seniors lived there — so you had Raj, Vinod, Vineet Kumar Singh, Manoj bhai and so many others around you. And personally, I did D-Day while I was living there, Delhi Crime season one was made while I was there. My first car was there. I fell in love there, I had a breakup there. So when you tell me Inlaks is going away, it doesn’t feel like you’re just taking down a building. We have seen a life there.”
The loneliness antidote
Actor Ashish Verma, known for his roles in Sui Dhaaga, Article 15, Haseen Dillruba, Atrangi Re, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya and Tere Ishk Mein, as well as shows including InMates and Court Kacheri, came to Inlaks in 2012, during his transition from FTII to Bombay. He moved through D Block, C Block and A Block over roughly two years. The society was known to be friendly towards artistes and freelancers, and people were willing to accommodate unconventional living arrangements, including living in with his then partner, now wife Ronjini Chakraborty.
His own early years there were modest. He remembers 10-by-10 rooms, two-room arrangements and sharing the space with filmmaker Avinash Arun.
“I kind of graduated through the years. At that point, they would allow you to live there, even if you were in a live-in relationship. When I got here from FTII to Bombay, Inlaks became a very natural transition for us. Divyenndu was there, Deepak Nambiar was there, Rajkummar was there. There were so many of us. The beautiful thing about that FTII gang is that we have seen each other growing. We have seen each other at every stage. Today we might all be busy, we might not meet for months, but nobody has really changed. You meet again and you start from exactly where you left off.”
“I remember Divyenndu around the time of Chashme Baddoor, when he had just started shooting. Avinash was a DOP then, and he was working on a script on the side, which he kept coming back to. That eventually became Killa. You were literally watching people’s careers take shape around you,” he says.
For Verma, Inlaks was also a mohalla. It was almost like a hostel, where every night there would be people around. “Mumbai can be very lonely, and the film industry can be brutal because actors are rejected every single day. Here, you would come home and there would be 10-15 people around you. It became this mini-hostel, this community of people who were all trying to figure their lives out together. And that is something I think you don’t easily recreate.”
But his reaction is far more pragmatic. He says, “I am a strong believer in evolution, so I don’t want to say that nothing should change. Geography changes, cities change, and something more beautiful can come out of it. A few of my friends have gone on to buy houses and move ahead in life. But when you see Inlaks going into redevelopment, you also realize that a very particular kind of space is disappearing, the space that allowed all of us to be young, broke, and uncertain and still be in Bombay, still be close to the industry.”
A 300-square-ft sanctuary
For screenwriter Kashyap Kapoor, the Juhu boy who was introduced to this world by his writing partner Kakker, Inlaks became their first workplace. The duo, whose credits include Inmates, Class, Faraaz and The Buckingham Murders, have their office there.
For Kapoor, the significance of that office was not simply that it was inexpensive. “Inlaks in that sense is a safe space and a sanctuary,”
Kapoor says, “It gave us the dignity of an office from a coffee shop. If you get a sense of space, irrespective of whatever that space is, suddenly it’s yours and you are more responsible to your work. There is a respect for space. People come and work there. There is that energy.”
From that small room, however, their stories travelled. “We have been able to write stories of Bangladesh, the UK, North India, South India, Manipur. And I think that is one of the highlights of this place — that we could still be in Bombay and be cut off enough to say stories of the world. We all spent years in this room together creating something that we were really proud of, irrespective of whether it got made or not.”
Kapoor remembers the first big cheque they received at the office. “We were literally one light, two chairs, and one table and arrives this big cheque and it felt like we have made it. It is also so serendipitous; the first show we wrote at this office (an eight-part series for a leading platform) went on floors last week. It will be our last delivery from this space too. It makes me also feel that this is a place where a lot of dreams come true for a lot of people, including us. So, no matter how hard it gets, the only way to make it here is to stay at it and someday, many years from the day you wrote something, it will be out there for the world to watch it.”
The professional high, however, was accompanied by the very ordinary realities of the building. After returning from London following The Buckingham Murders, they came back to Inlaks and
the monsoon arrived. “We came back and it started raining and our roof started falling on our heads, quite literally. We spent a day mopping the ceilings and the walls, laughing about the irony called life.”
That Midas touch
Artiste manager Amandeep Khubber remembers another Inlaks entirely. She left her home earlier this month after an eviction notice was sent to those renting apartments. Her memory of the place is not of the crowds outside, but of looking out from her window.
During lockdown, there was a small ground below her house. She spent much of her day at the window. She began noticing the birds. There were different kinds every day. There was a pair of hummingbirds that she would sit and watch. There were monkeys too.
She lived in the same house from 2017 to 2021 and eventually it became her office. “I didn’t necessarily move to Inlaks because I wanted my immediate social circle to be there, but if I look at my career, I grew 100 per cent while I was living in that house. I took a sabbatical in 2023, and when I went independent in 2024, I really saw the shift. I registered my own company and suddenly actors started approaching me for representation. Manoj and Seema-ji, Suvinder Vicky, Vijayant sir, these are some of the people I associate with that phase of my life. Mehoob Brar was also working on Operation Safed Sagar (the newest hit show on the streamer) while he was there.”
“I sometimes joke that Inlaks had a Midas touch. I don’t know what it was about that place, but people seemed to grow there. I could work from there, live there and have this very quiet space while my career was changing completely. That’s what I will miss most — not just the building, but what that house represented for me.”
‘Where will the artiste live?’
That is what Kapoor finds hardest to reconcile with the redevelopment. “This was the last bastion of those who are starting out,” he says. “The artiste who used to come, who needed a house in his budget, who wanted to live in Versova… Because now where will the people live?”
He points to the old Shah Rukh Khan story, the outsider who arrived in Bombay and became its biggest star. “There is always a growing conversation about how artistes are not getting a place in Mumbai. The classic Shah Rukh Khan story, that he came from far and became the king? That story can never be made again because we are not leaving a place for him.”
For people who grew up around Inlaks, that is what makes its redevelopment sting. The building is changing at exactly the moment when the city around it has become increasingly difficult for the people who once made it. For some perspective and wisdom, we reached out to a filmmaker-actor whose Inlaks story of living there for decades, is apparently put down into a script and is parked with a streamer.
She and husband moved to Mumbai in 1994, where they built a life together in this very society. She told us, “Well, life moves on. As for artistes, they are a resilient bunch; they will find their way...”
Perhaps she is right. Because, right now, the set of Ram Gopal Varma’s Daya Nayak biopic is parked right next to the crumbling building. Its leading man is Harshvardhan Rane, who left home at 16, struggled for eight years before landing his first acting gig. It took him 26 years to give the biggest hit of his career last year. Well, dreamers do find their way.
Broker Speak
Real-estate broker Mohit Sharma says the numbers around Inlaks tell a very different story from the era remembered by its former residents. “Today, a 1-BHK in and around Inlaks and Yari Road can command roughly Rs 45,000 to Rs 55,000 a month, depending on the building, condition and furnishing. In the society, till last year, rent was in a similar range. You can find lower or higher quotes, but the old idea of getting a decent 1-BHK in this part of Versova for the kind of rent artistes once paid is simply not realistic anymore.”
Recent 2026 listings around Yari Road and Inlaks show 1-BHKs at about Rs 53,000, with numbers going up to Rs 1 lakh for 2-BHK homes.
Prahaar, earlier slated to release on August 7, may clash with Mirzapur: The Movie on September 4
10:18 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 10, 2026)
When the teaser of ‘Prahaar’, which sees Rajkummar Rao step into the shoes of renowned prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, dropped in late June, the makers announced an August 7 release. With the first 10 days of August having gone by, we’ve heard that director Avinash Arun’s feature is now eyeing a September 4 outing. But with that window comes competition.
‘Mirzapur: The Movie’, which marks the big-screen transition of Prime Video’s popular crime drama ‘Mirzapur’ led by Pankaj Tripathi, has already locked September 4 as its release date. An insider said, “That makes the decision tricky for the makers of ‘Prahaar’. ‘Mirzapur’ has three seasons of streaming history behind it and an established fan base. The question within trade circles is how much of that digital fandom will convert into a paid theatrical audience.”
The makers of ‘Prahaar’, which focuses on Nikam’s high-profile case against terrorist Ajmal Kasab after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, are expected to announce the new release date soon. A source shared, “They are looking at a September window. They will announce in a week or so after they gauge the response to ‘Mirzapur’ trailer.”
Saswata Chatterjee to play Sourav Ganguly’s father in biopic
4:29 PM
Ruman Ganguly (BOMBAY TIMES; May 21, 2026)
Saswata Chatterjee has started shooting for Sourav Ganguly biopic Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story (tentative title) in Mumbai and is portraying his father Chandi Ganguly. Also part of the shoot are Aparajita Auddy, who’s playing Sourav’s mother Nirupa, and Rahul Dev Bose, who’s playing his brother, Snehasish.
“All three actors are currently shooting in Mumbai. Dada was present on set during the shoot on Sunday. The production team will shoot in Kolkata from the end of this month,” a source close to the unit told us.
According to the source, the Vikramaditya Motwane directorial has an exciting ensemble cast, with Tanya Maniktala essaying the role of Dona Ganguly, while, as we reported earlier, Rajkummar Rao portraying Sourav.
Before Tanya was finalized, several prominent Bengali actresses were rumoured to be in contention for the role, including Mimi Chakraborty, Ishaa Saha, and Amrita Chattopadhyay.
The biopic is expected to chronicle Sourav Ganguly’s journey – right from his formative cricketing years to becoming one of India’s most influential and fearless captains – while delving into his personal life and enduring relationship with Dona.
The priority is still to get that one hero and make the film around him-Patralekhaa
8:47 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 17, 2026)
For Patralekhaa, it’s a season of firsts — from turning producer with Toaster and embracing motherhood with daughter Parvati Paul Rao, to now headlining her first women-led film, Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry. “I was sold even before reading it,” she laughs. The actor says she was surprised to learn that the movie revolved around women and had no love angle.
While female actors get to play varied roles, Patralekhaa feels that “women are always portrayed as somebody’s something”. “Love seems to be the centre of our being, at least in movies. While we have so many shades, I don’t see that reflected quite often.” Stories centred on female friendships, she says, are even rarer. “Those parts are not written. In my 10-year-long career, there have only been a couple of films that have been female-oriented,” she shares.
Heer Sara Aur Pondicherry, which also stars Maanvi Gagroo, is a slice-of-life road-trip drama. At the heart of the film, Patralekhaa says, is the idea of women holding space for each other through life’s messier chapters.
“As you grow older, friendships change. Making friends [has become] harder now because your trust has been broken, you’ve seen life.”
So, Patralekhaa is using her production house Kampa Films to back stories with a soul and also give newcomers the opportunity that she and actor and husband Rajkummar Rao once received at the start of their careers.
“We want to make entertaining films that we like to watch. [And create opportunities for others]. Raj and I had no background. Somebody gave us that chance.”
However, her optimism dips when the conversation turns to pay parity and gender politics in the film industry. She admits that things are unlikely to change anytime soon. “Films are more hero-led. The priority is [still] to get that one hero and make the film around him.”
Navigating postpartum
Patralekhaa, who gave birth to daughter Parvati Paul Rao on November 15 last year, says social media trolling made her realise how little people understand postpartum experiences.
“They don’t understand how abruptly a woman’s life shifts and changes. What we need is awareness,” she says, adding, “I feel happy when women actors go out and speak about it. Every small drop matters.”
I got paid Rs. 11,000 for my first film, Love Sex Aur Dhokha-Rajkummar Rao
10:22 AM
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 realized that it is actually tough. We had been trying to set up a production house since 2018, but it didn’t materialize, 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 Rs. 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 realize 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.
Filming begins for Sourav Ganguly biopic, Kolkata shoot planned
3:15 PM
BOMBAY TIMES (April 3, 2026)
Filming has begun on the biopic of former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, with filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane stepping into the director’s chair, the makers announced on Wednesday. Actor Rajkummar Rao will portray Ganguly in the film, tentatively titled Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story.
Sanjay Das, a key member of the project team, said, “Right now, Sourav is busy with the T20 league, but after the 10th, he will be present at the shoot. After 20th, shoot is scheduled to be in Kolkata, however the dates are being reconsidered, due to elections in West Bengal.”
When asked if Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story is the final title, Sanjay added, “It is the working title as of now, it is likely to be changed.”
– Inputs from Ruman Ganguly
Rajkummar to visit Eden Gardens, Ganguly’s former training centre
Rajkummar Rao, who portrays Sourav Ganguly in the biopic, has undergone immersive preparation ahead of filming.
Earlier, sources shared that he may spend time in Behala – the Kolkata neighbourhood where Ganguly grew up – and visit Eden Gardens, along with the coaching centre where he trained, to study the cricketer’s onand off-field persona.
Why does audience care about the opening of a film?-Bhumi Pednekar
9:34 AM
Actor Bhumi Satish Pednekkar urges support for small films beyond box office numbers
Sonal Kalra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 14, 2026)
Actor Bhumi Satish Pednekkar’s clarity of thought is refreshing in a world of rehearsed answers by celebrities. In the latest episode of The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra, she talks about her journey, troll culture and urges fans to support low budget films.
With audiences turning up to theatres only for big films, how can small stories win them back?
Small and medium-sized films are dwindling. Friday ko collections aane shuru ho jaate hain aur ek judgement de diya jata hai ki iss film ki opening nahin lagi. Agar nahin lagi toh kya it’s not a film that’s worthy of being given a shot?... I have people around me saying ‘haan lekin iski opening nahin lagi hai na’. I’m like why do you all care? This is not for you. This is for the business and industry people. Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) had opened at Rs. 1 crore! Agar tab yeh systems hote toh na mera, na Ayushmann Khurrana, na Rajkummar Rao, na Taapsee Pannu, kisi ke career nahi hote. I really feel bad. These are the films that actually change the society. Har cheez number ho gayi hai ab. We need to encourage small and medium sized films and that will only happen if we stop labelling them.
What’s that one thing you would look for in a role? What’s a prerequisite?
I don’t want to do any character that doesn’t have agency. In my last two pieces of work, The Royals and Daldal, both my characters had agency. I will never play a girl who conforms to all the stereotypes or all the conditioning that every other woman is trying to fight. I don’t have a problem playing a grey character or villain. If I am part of a magnum opus, and there are four scenes, but those scenes where I get to show something that I’ve never done, I will do it. It is not about the size of the role; it is about the impact.
Bhumi khud ye meaningful kahaaniyaan, cause-driven kahaaniyan dhund leti hai, ya ye kahaniyan Bhumi ko dhund leti hain?
This is just a part of me. My art has a lot of advocacy, and I as a person do, too. I am lucky that my first film, Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) taught me that cinema has a lot of power if you know how to use it well. Main jis tarah ke parivar mein badi hui hoon wahan pe maine hamesha dekha hai mere mother, father ko bahut community service karte hue. I was always taught ‘nation first, community first’. I think these learnings somehow reflect in my films. I have a lot of activism in me, and a lot of fun was made of it at one point.
What’s one similarity and one difference between the Bhumi of Dum Laga Ke Haisha and the Bhumi in Daldal today?
When I started my career, there was a certain innocence in that Bhumi that isn’t there today. A lot of that also comes with just spending these many years working. Agar kisi bhi profession mein hoti life, aapke experiences ek amount of hardening, and dar har insaan mein paida kar dete hain. The girl in Daldal is more mature. The similarity is that both are fearless. I was fearless then, and I am that now, too.
You’ve gone on record to say that you felt that it was a creative, emotional depletion that happened, which is why you took a break before Daldal. Would you want to elaborate on the break?
I felt it coming last year after shooting Daldal and a film. I couldn’t gather the strength to take that break. We are always told that, as a woman, how can you take a break? The clock is ticking, aur aapko yeh lag raha hai ki oh my God, now you know I am growing older… because this is your conditioning. I was very scared. I wasn’t able to give myself to acting the way I used to, maybe a little earlier. And it’s not like meri mehnat mein ya meri koshish mein koi kami thi. I felt depleted emotionally. I had seen a lot of struggle before I became an actor... I think once you become an actor, your life becomes monotonous in many ways because you are only working. You are going from one film set to another. If as an artiste I have nothing left to take from, ek ghada hota hai experiences ka, jo as an artiste aap apni performance mein daalte hain, wahi deplete ho gaya tha. Ek dum se vanilla ho gayi thi meri life, and I wanted to change that. I was an uninhibited actor, kyunki main kabhi race mein thi hi nahin. Main toh khud ki jagah bana rahi thi aur main race mein kab jud gayi, mujhe pata hi nahin chala. And that started affecting my mental health, everything.
Burnout is a reality, no matter which sector or age. What advice would you have, now that you’ve come back healed?
I have always been a planner. A lot of things that have happened in my life have been magic, and it has been God’s blessings. But I’ve always believed that you need to have a larger vision about what your life is. Even if you don’t have solid goals, there’s a larger vision, right? If you know what the next decade of your life is gonna look like and you feel that you need more skill, you need more time, or you just want to do nothing, that is also okay. You don’t owe anybody an explanation, nobody but yourself.
I think the industry needs to come together to stand up with each other when one sees negativity. It happened with actor Arjun Kapoor. So how do you keep yourself away from it?
I feel that people have forgotten ki by the end of it hum insaan hain. You can’t dehumanize a person you watch on screen. And all I want to say is that it’s easier to say, ‘It does not affect me’. It affects every one of us. How can it not? This is becoming a bit of a sickness.
I feel bad for all of these people who have so much negativity to say because there have been times where I have gone to this wormhole, and I would see it’s a woman who has pictures with her daughters. And I was like, ‘The way you are objectifying other women on social media, what if your daughter were to be objectified like that?’ It’s just not okay.
I would go a step further and say that we need strict laws against this, because this is not trolling; this is bullying. It is only a matter of time before a big incident happens, and then it will get nasty. Like, you know, you literally are telling people that, ‘I hope you die.’ What sort of darkness are you living in? What sort of sickness is here?
Boman Irani may join Rajkummar Rao in Sourav Ganguly biopic
4:30 PM
Ruman Ganguly (BOMBAY TIMES; March 2, 2026)
Casting discussions are intensifying for Vikramaditya Motwane’s upcoming biopic on former India captain Sourav Ganguly, with multiple roles still being finalized just weeks before the film goes on floors – an unusually tight timeline for a project of this scale. According to a source close to the production, Boman Irani is reportedly being considered to portray Ganguly’s father, Chandi Ganguly – though discussions are still ongoing. Casting for the role of Snehasish Ganguly – Sourav Ganguly’s elder brother and a former cricketer – remains under discussion, with no actor finalized so far. The film is scheduled to begin shooting in Kolkata from March 16.
Meanwhile, Gajraj Rao is being considered to play former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya. “Gajraj Rao delivered a remarkable performance in Maidaan (2024), and the production house is keen to bring him on board,” a source said, adding that the casting process is still underway.
Tollywood actress Aparajita Adhya is being considered for the role of Ganguly’s mother. Several other Bengali actors, including Abir Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh and Saswata Chatterjee, were considered for roles during the casting process, but factors such as look tests and date availability created hurdles, the source said. Casting for dancer and choreographer Dona Ganguly is yet to be finalized.
The biopic is expected to be shot across Kolkata, London and Mumbai over a 40-day schedule. Vikramaditya Motwane recently visited Kolkata with his team for a recce, including a visit to Eden Gardens, as pre-production gathers momentum ahead of the shoot schedule.
Rajkummar Rao to visit Eden Gardens, Ganguly’s former training centre
Rajkummar Rao, who will portray Sourav Ganguly in the biopic, is expected to undergo immersive preparation ahead of filming. Sources say he may spend time in Behala – the Kolkata neighbourhood where Ganguly grew up – and visit Eden Gardens, along with the coaching centre where he trained, to study the cricketer’s on- and off-field persona.
--------------------------------------------------------
Sourav Ganguly met Rajkummar Rao in Mumbai recently. Since everything in the film revolves around the cricketer, his consent is necessary at every step of the film’s production – A source close to production
Rajkummar Rao breaks silence on viral look that left fans concerned
10:52 AM
Amid online chatter, Rajkummar Rao sets the record straight on his recent physical transformation
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; February 17, 2026)
Rajkummar Rao’s recent appearance at the Bolti Khidkiyaan film fest set social media abuzz. The actor looked noticeably different from his usual self – a few kilos heavier, with thinner hair and a slightly haggard appearance – sparking widespread concern online. Fans on social media were quick to jump to conclusions, with unverified claims and chatter about his health and career doing the rounds.
When we reached out to Rajkummar, the actor told us, “It’s strange how people can jump to conclusions and get judgemental without even checking the facts. I gained around 10 kg for the upcoming biopic Nikam (based on Ujjwal Nikam, the special public prosecutor and politician, known for handling high-profile cases), for which I had to look older. I am also in the transition phase where I am preparing for Sourav Ganguly’s biopic. For that part, I need to lose weight, so I am between certain look tests and that’s how I showed up for the event. There is nothing to worry about. I am simply navigating two demanding biographical roles and hence, the change in my appearance is striking.”
The actor added, “For Bose, I went half bald. During Srikanth, I became the character even when cameras weren’t rolling. My focus is always on fully embodying the character I am playing.”
--------------------------------
HINDUSTAN TIMES (February 17, 2026)
On Monday morning, Rajkummar Rao put speculation to rest after his recent appearance sparked concern online. Taking to Instagram, the 41-year-old actor explained that the noticeable weight gain and altered hairline were part of his preparation for his upcoming biopic on Rajya Sabha MP Ujjwal Nikam.
“It has demanded me to change physically, which I love doing. I’m not a believer in prosthetics as long as I can achieve the look through my hard work, be it gaining weight, looking old (to play a certain age) or to make my hair thin,” he wrote.
Rajkummar gained around 10 kg for the role: “I was eating two pizzas, a lot of sweets and my favourite aloo parathas, biryani, and not using anything glam to look like the part.”
The actor added that he is currently in the “transition phase”, losing the extra weight for a biopic on “our very own Dada”, former Indian cricket team skipper Sourav Ganguly.
Notably, this is not the first time Rajkummar has undergone an extreme physical transformation for his role. “Everyone told me not to go half bald for Bose: Dead Or Alive (2017), or not to stop eating and lose so much weight for Trapped (2017), or not to behave like a visually impaired person even when cameras weren’t rolling during Srikanth (2024),” he wrote, adding, “Hopefully, when you see Nikam, you will be able to see all that hard work... Will always work the hardest to engage you, entertain you through my work.”
Anand Pandit to remake Chaniya Toli; also plans Southern remakes
11:18 PM
Producer Anand Pandit on planning Hindi and South adaptations of ‘Chaniya Toli’, with Pratik Gandhi, Rajkummar Rao, and Ayushmann Khurrana on his wish list
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; January 3, 2026)
Pratik Gandhi, Rajkummar Rao or Ayushmann Khurrana — producer Anand Pandit is spoilt for choice. He has three candidates in mind to headline the Hindi adaptation of his hit Gujarati film Chaniya Toli (2025), which released last Diwali. While the Hindi adaptation is in the works, the producer also plans to make versions in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada.
Directed by Jay Bodas and Parth Trivedi, Chaniya Toli revolves around a teacher who enlists the help of seven women to rob a regional bank and deliver his own version of justice against corruption.
“I have Pratik Gandhi, Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana on my wishlist as all three are excellent actors and suit the role of the teacher,” begins Pandit, adding that scripting for the Hindi version is underway.
“We will finalize a director from the Hindi film industry after [the script is ready]. We are also exploring the opportunity of making it in four South languages with a South star and director. Despite being an independent production, [we may join hands] with somebody. It is the first time that a Gujarati film of mine is being remade in Hindi and other languages,” he smiles.
The film, which tackles middle-class financial woes, will resonate with audiences across regions, believes Pandit. “The story is universal. A bank heist can be shown in any language. It is loosely inspired from a true story in the 1970s when farmers faced a massive drought in Gujarat. While localised banks lent money to the farmers, [they charged huge interest rates].”
While he hopes to cast an established actor as the mathematics teacher, the seven women in the heist gang will be fresh faces — “from 20-year-olds to a 70-year-old daadi who will be an expert in some field”. “I plan to cast seven new faces from across India for the female roles. We took unknown faces but good female actors even in Chaniya Toli. Our hero is the story; the social message will be a suspense,” he concludes.
Rajkummar Rao, Patralekhaa welcome baby girl on fourth wedding anniversary
9:42 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (November 16, 2025)
Actor-couple Rajkummar Rao (41) and Patralekhaa (35) embraced parenthood on their fourth wedding anniversary, November 15, welcoming a baby girl into their family. The couple shared the happy news on Saturday in a joint Instagram post (inset), writing, “The greatest blessing God has given us on our 4th wedding anniversary.”
Friends and well-wishers from the film industry, including actors Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ali Fazal, Ayushmann Khurrana, Malaika Arora, Vijay Varma, and others, flooded the comments with love and congratulations.
Director Farah Khan also shared adorable pictures from their recent intimate baby shower, writing, “Congratulations! Enjoy this beautiful phase of life and remember, for any baby advice, main hoon na! P.S. @iamhumaq, thankfully we managed to have the baby shower just in time!”
Rajkummar and Patralekhaa, who tied the knot in 2021 after over a decade of dating, had announced their pregnancy in July with an adorable post featuring a drawing of a cradle and the words ‘Baby on the way,’ simply captioned, “Elated”.
Tanya Maniktala shifts from Delhi to Mumbai
10:07 AM
Actor Tanya Maniktala talks about the thrill of living independently for the first time after her recent move from Delhi
Akash Bhatnagar (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 6, 2025)
akash.bhatnagar@partner.hindustantimes.com
Tanya Maniktala has been working in the industry for seven years, but she had been living in Delhi all this while and commuting back-and-forth for work. Now, just before Diwali, she finally moved to Mumbai and is currently busy settling in.
“I just thought that it’s time to get out of my comfort zone. Delhi is home but Mumbai has also given me so much warmth and welcomed me with open arms, so I thought it’s time to embrace it now and make the move,” she says.
While the actor admits that being in Delhi never hampered her work much, she did miss out on some last minute events and appearances: “Being in Delhi in the comfort of my home, I was getting a little more passive to these things, and I would let things slide. Now I am actively a part of everything that’s happening. I feel I am a lot more hands-on now.”
Getting to live on her own for the first time, makes Tanya feel ecstatic yet nervous. She says, “There are a lot of firsts happening and I’m so excited. They come with a lot of joy, and also some nervous moments. But I think I am in the company of good people and I’ve kind of got my foot in the door now,” adding, “I like having to look after myself because it also gives me a purpose, but I also miss being taken care of. Things like food were always ready for me, so learning everything from scratch has been fun, I’m enjoying the independence but missing the convenience.”
On the work front, Tanya is rumoured to be pairing up with actor Rajkummar Rao for a film, and talking to us, she confirms it, “Even though the project with Raj sir is not announced, the news is already out. It’s currently in the works. It’s not surreal, but I think I did not allow myself to imagine these kind of things could happen to me. Now that it’s working out, I am thankful to my lucky stars, although I also worked pretty hard for it. One day, it had to happen and I’m just glad I’m prepared for this opportunity that’s come my way.”
She also addressed reports of her replacing actor Ananya Panday in the Amrita Sher-Gil biopic, saying, “I have no idea where this piece of information has come from. We have no idea about the Amrita Shergil project, so, I don’t think I can comment on that.”
Tanya Maniktala to play a pivotal role in Rajkummar Rao’s second production; shoot begins in November
8:54 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 28, 2025)
In May, mid-day reported that Rajkummar Rao was set to begin work on his second production, a yet-untitled film that revolves around the Indian education system (School opens in June, May 12). Now, we’ve learnt that Tanya Maniktala, who broke out with Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy (2020), has been roped in for the drama, led by Rao and Keerthy Suresh.
Aditya Nimbalkar, who made his directorial debut with Sector 36 (2024), aims to take a hard look at India’s education system — its pressures, paradoxes, and the profit-driven approach — through his second feature. According to sources, Maniktala plays a woman who questions the rigidity of the academic system, its focus on minting money rather than shaping young minds, and the norms that define success and failure.
An insider reveals, “This character is the trigger to the story. Tanya was Aditya’s first choice for the role. He was impressed by her ability to portray vulnerability and strength, the qualities that are central to this story.”
While leads Rao and Suresh had begun shooting their parts in June, Maniktala is expected to join the unit in November. Another source shares, “Tanya has been reading and researching extensively for this role. She has a 30-day shoot lined up.”
Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa’s maiden production, ‘Toaster’, a comedy helmed by Vivek Das Chaudhary, is set to premiere on Netflix.
The film is directed by Aditya Nimbalkar, who previously helmed the gritty ‘Sector 36’ (2024), inspired by the 2006 Nithari killings.
Shiladitya Bora says Vicky Kaushal, Rajkummar Rao no more indie artists; hails Huma Qureshi's Bayaan
9:14 AM
(From left) Shiladitya Bora with Huma Qureshi and Bikas Ranjan Mishra at the festival in Canada
Suggesting that Vicky Kaushal and Rajkummar Rao no longer champion indie films after having become mainstream stars, producer Shiladitya Bora is all praises for Huma Qureshi for fronting Bayaan that went to TIFF
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; September 10, 2025)
Career milestones are not only a moment of validation, but also one of reflection. It struck us when we spoke with producer Shiladitya Bora, days before he headed out for Bayaan’s September 6 première at the 50th edition of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The Huma Qureshi-led thriller is not the first time that Bora has worked with a mainstream Bollywood star. Previously, he served as the executive producer of Vicky Kaushal’s Masaan (2015) and Rajkummar Rao’s Newton (2017), albeit both weren’t the stars then that they are today. How does the producer view their rise to stardom and becoming the face of mainstream movies over the years?
“Here, actors, directors, or producers are independent only till they don’t make it. Once they get success, they only want to do [mainstream] projects. That’s not right. You should never leave your core. Once you grow, you should empower more people,” he reflected.
On that count, he praised Qureshi for fronting Bayaan, making sure Bikas Ranjan Mishra’s directorial venture finds a place on her résumé that has mainstream offerings like Maharani and Jolly LLB 3. While actors’ lure of big-ticket films is understandable, Bora wondered why that amounts to them not backing small but meritorious stories.
He elaborated to mid-day, “I understand now that you’ve become a bigger star, you want to do bigger studio films. But since you reached here through a breakout small film, be fair. You took a chance at that time. Now things are much better for you. You can champion things. We lack that. Huma is a great sport in this, apart from being a great actor.”
The actors alone aren’t to be blamed, he assessed. The producer’s experience in the industry has shown him that actors are influenced by their managers.
“Many actors depend on what their management says. After a point of time, they all are surrounded by yes-men. It’s important that they make decisions on their own. I feel many people don’t even read scripts, or decide on the basis of them. They will only do a film when a big studio is attached.”
Ten people placed their trust in me because Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee etc paved their way-Viineet Kumar Siingh
8:54 AM
‘Rangeen’ actor Viineet Kumar Siingh says the rise of Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao, who pursue craft over commerce, empowers artistes like him
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; August 4, 2025)
A jilted husband-turned-gigolo is a role that Viineet Kumar Siingh had never been offered before. Naturally then, given his pursuit of novelty, the actor was immediately drawn to Rangeen. “I love to experiment. Just reading three episodes of Rangeen, I was sure I wanted to do it,” he smiles.
But before he said yes, the actor wanted to ensure he could trust the makers. The series, which also stars Rajshri Deshpande and Taaruk Raina, is created and written by debutants Amardeep Galsin and Amir Rizvi. “The subject is so sensitive that I needed to consider the people associated with it. I saw that Kabir Khan sir [producer] was there, as was Amazon Prime Video,” he says.
Rangeen tells the story of a woman who is stuck in an unfulfilled marriage and gets involved with a gigolo, which in turn makes her husband reevaluate his life. With the show examining the loneliness of the three prime characters, we ask Siingh whether he experienced loneliness over his two-decade career. “When you come to a city like Mumbai, your beginning itself is with loneliness,” he candidly shares. But to him, it’s not a disadvantage. If anything, he believes the sense of isolation can become an armour for an artiste.
“That emotion remains alive inside you and gives you strength. Your spirit will break, and so will your trust every day. This field shines from the outside, but there is emptiness, loneliness, and unemployment, until you create an identity as an artiste. You have to fight that fight alone. There are times when a role that you could do passes you by, but you have to be happy and headstrong.”
Evidently the actor speaks from his personal experience. Having started with smaller roles and finally landing a leading part in Mukkabaaz (2018), he enjoys a stronger position in the industry today with mainstream entertainers like Jaat and Chhaava behind him. He credits the actors before him, who made their craft their singular focus and rose to prominence, for making his path easier.
“It’s a long list — Irrfan [Khan] saab, Naseeruddin [Shah] saab, Nawazuddin [Siddiqui], Manoj [Bajpayee] bhai, Rajkummar [Rao], Vicky [Kaushal], and Vijay [Varma]. Ten people placed their trust in me because these actors [paved the way]. If such actors — whom the audience trusts and finds relatable — have gone ahead in their careers, they’ve helped me knowingly or unknowingly.”
Rajkummar Rao opens up about playing Sourav Ganguly in his biopic: "Being a left-handed batter is a different ball game"
10:57 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 15, 2025)
Getting Sourav Ganguly’s stamp of approval even before he has stepped into his shoes must be a huge boost of confidence for Rajkummar Rao. In June, the former cricketer, counted among India’s most successful skippers, called Rao “the right person” to portray him in his in-the-works biopic that will be helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane. He had added, “I don’t think anyone else can play me better than him.” Armed with this tall praise, the actor is set to begin training for the Ganguly biopic by October.
Ganguly’s words have brought relief as well as a sense of responsibility to Rao, who says, “I am relieved to hear that Dada [Ganguly] thinks I can portray him correctly on screen. It’s an extremely challenging role and a big responsibility. I’m nervous, but I will do my best not to let him down.”
The yet-untitled biopic was originally scheduled to roll by the end of July. However, Motwane and Rao will now take it on the floors only in January 2026. Reason? The filmmaker wants the script, currently in development, to be perfected down to the last detail — one that does justice to the sportsperson’s storied career.
The leading man explains, “Everybody is taking a lot of care in recreating Dada’s life for a theatrical experience. We have pushed the shooting to next year as we needed some time for the prep. It’s a big responsibility to play one of our most iconic heroes in cricket.”
This won’t be the first time Rao will hit the pitch for a movie. The actor played a failed cricketer-turned-coach in Mr & Mrs Mahi (2024). For the role, he had undergone cricket training and spent time with professional cricketers.
Tell him that will come in handy, and Rao disagrees, pointing out, “While I know how to play cricket, being a left-handed batter is a different ball game altogether. The muscle memory is all about being a right-handed batter. So, I need some time to practise. I have deliberately not met Dada yet. I want to meet him when we fully get into prep mode.”
While the biopic is slated for a December 2026 release, this year looks equally exciting for Rao, who is ready with his first production, Toaster, along with actor and his wife Patralekhaa. His mantra behind the banner is simple. “We want to produce stories that are unique in nature, [and don’t follow] the herd mentality.”
I’m sure Rajkummar Rao will make a great father-Patralekhaa
8:56 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; July 13, 2025)
Nearly four years into their marriage, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa announced their pregnancy with a social media post on July 9. At a recent event, we spoke to the couple about embracing parenthood and this new phase of their lives.
‘Parenthood is a natural progression and we are delighted’
Expressing their excitement about this new chapter of their lives, Rajkummar and Patralekhaa says, “We’re really looking forward to becoming parents. It’s a natural progression and we are delighted.”
The actress further says, “We have our two puppies, who are our babies, so the motherly instinct has already kicked in.”
Rajkummar adds, “I was ready whenever she was ready. So, one day we discussed that maybe now we should take that next step and extend our family. God’s been really kind.”
'My mom had given up on us: Patralekhaa'
Patralekhaa, who was last seen in Phule, reveals that her mother is the one family member who is most excited about the pregnancy. “My mum is super thrilled! I loved her reaction. When we told her we are pregnant, she couldn’t believe it because at one point she had given up on us (laughs). I remember one day she said, ‘You guys don’t want to plan it... I am not going to ask you anymore,’” she says.
'We want to instil kindness, compassion in our child'
Reflecting on the responsibilities of parenthood, Rajkummar shares, “I’m very proud of my upbringing. My parents taught me honesty, kindness and compassion. And that’s something we would love to instil in our child as well.” Patralekhaa adds, “I’m sure Rajkummar will make a great father.”
‘We are avid travellers’
The couple is the brand ambassador for Tourism New Zealand's latest campaign called #BeyondTheFilter. They recently enjoyed a quiet break in New Zealand. Talking about their love for travel, Patralekhaa says, “We knew about the pregnancy, so we avoided boat rides. I also chose not to do bungee jumping and skydiving, but had a lot of fun and have amazing memories from the trip.”
Rajkummar, who will be seen in a mini-series along with his wife, highlighting the natural beauty and rich culture of New Zealand, added, “We are avid travellers and this trip was one of the most unforgettable adventures we’ve ever had.”
I once had 26 releases in a year, a world record, I later learnt from a fan club. We never kept track-Prosenjit Chatterjee
8:45 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; July 6, 2025)
Prosenjit Chatterjee, fondly known as Bumba da, has long been a pillar of Bengali cinema, balancing commercial hits with bold, unconventional roles. Now, with over 350 films behind him, he’s looking beyond boundaries — embracing new languages, younger teams, and stories on a national scale. In this candid chat with Bombay Times, the veteran actor reflects on reinvention, letting go of the comfort of stardom and learning from the next generation.
‘Now I want to act in films that have a national scale’
Prosenjit recently impressed the audience in Khakee: The Bengal Chapter and is ready to broaden his horizons. He says, “I have always embraced challenges; there was a period when I was doing six to eight shifts a day, with 17 to 18 releases a year. My highest was 26, a world record, I later learnt from a fan club. We never kept track back in the day.”
Today, he remains as eager as ever for new roles. He shares, “I tell my directors to bring me something that is out of the box. Now I want to act in films that have a national scale.”
‘It’s hard for a commercial actor to let go of seetees and taalis’
Letting go of the larger‑than‑life image built through commercial cinema was not easy. He says, “The most difficult part for an actor who has found success in commercial films is letting go of the seetees and taalis. You may be willing to give up a lot, but not that curtain call. When a villain walks in and approaches the heroine, the crowd expects the hero to storm in and save her, and they love that moment. So, I had to consciously shed that baggage and recondition my thinking,” he says.
He adds, “I experimented constantly because I believed that in ten years the language of cinema would change — and I wanted to evolve too. I’m not in a race, which is why I’m branching out into Punjabi and Marathi cinema.”
‘The Bengali industry depended on me for two decades’
Ask him why he didn’t make the shift earlier beyond Bengali films, and he replies, “Back then, the Bengali industry depended on me; it was not just about hits, but also a responsibility toward producers, directors and technicians. If I went on a 20‑day outdoor trip, I would get calls saying ‘Dada, aap nahi hain to chhe-chhe shifts nahi ho rahe hain’. So, I stayed.”
He continues, “Being number one in any industry is not easy. If I had come to Mumbai and ended up as number ten, I would have felt I was letting down my Bengali audience who believe I’m their number one.”
‘Nawaz was the first to break the typical Indian-hero mould’
Prosenjit, who has been a part of OTT shows like Jubilee and Scoop, is deeply inspired by the new generation.
He says, “So many of them deliver great performances, not just in Hindi, but across all industries. I wonder, ‘Yeh log kaise acting kar rahe hain!’ That drives me to keep evolving. Acting has changed and cinema has changed. You either say, ‘Main aap logon ka pitaji hoon, main ghar par rahoonga’, or you work with younger teams and learn new things. I choose the latter.”
He especially praises Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rajkummar Rao. “Nawaz was the first to break the typical Indian-hero mould; he changed the game. And now there are many such actors. Rajkummar, too. The actors today are not chasing stardom alone; they are chasing variety,” he notes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)