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:

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.

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.

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.”

Following a great run in 2024 with commercial success and critical acclaim, Rajkummar Rao believes that powerful stories will always prevail. Last year saw some massive hits and then some unexpected failures. While some Hindi films like Stree 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 enjoyed immense success, a few big-ticket movies didn’t live up to the hype around them. The dawn of a new year brings with it new beginnings, and Rajkummar is optimistic about good stories ruling the roost this year.

The actor, who headlined Stree 2, Mr & Mrs Mahi and Srikanth in 2024, says, “A good film will always find its audience. A story must connect with an audience. When we made the first instalment of Stree in 2018, we didn’t know it would turn out to be such a huge success. We knew we were making a unique film. I don’t know how box office numbers work. Stree 2, again, turned out to be a massive hit. As a cinema lover, I am happy that good stories are working. On paper, the film was about a small-town simpleton and his friends. They are lovable, but stupid. It wasn’t some larger-than-life visual extravaganza, but it struck a chord with the audience. This will give hope to budding filmmakers and make them realise that you need to focus on your writing.”

The actor, who is a big advocate of theatrical viewing, believes that the big-screen experience will never go out of fashion.

He shares, “If I am shooting outside Mumbai, and I have a day’s break, I go to a theatre to watch a film. I try to watch a film a day. If there’s a long break between two shots, I watch a movie at that time. It inspires me. As Indians, we love watching films in theatres. It’s in our DNA. Theatres are our chotu vacation. When TV came in, people said no one would go to cinema halls, but nothing changed. Now OTT is here, but people will continue to go to cinemas.”

In an industry that’s known to be tumultuous, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekhaa have been each other’s rock-solid support. In an exclusive interview with us, Raj and Patra, who celebrated their third wedding anniversary last month, speak about navigating ups and downs in the competitive world of movies, and how their personal losses have changed their outlook towards life. Read on...

Patra: When you are not doing well, you hustle but when your partner or sibling isn’t doing well, that makes it more difficult. You feel you can’t do anything about it. That was Raj’s journey with me. Raj was seeing success after success, and he would never talk about it, but I knew that my journey pained him a bit. Recognition for me has come in bits and pieces. It’s always good to get that validation. After Citylights (2014), mujhe itna saara pyaar mila for IC 814, which released this year. It took me 10 years!

Raj: She is extremely talented. I am not saying this because she is my partner, but I am inspired by her as an actor. I don’t know why she didn’t get enough deserving work after Citylights. I’m there for her, but acting is a personal lonely process. People can be around, but only you have to deal with your struggles. She had to fight it out herself. We follow this practice where she reads my reviews, and I read hers. When I started reading comments like how she was the show stealer in the series, I kept sending her the screenshots proudly.

Patra: Raj is my best friend, we grew up together. Initially, we were stuck at the hip. We did everything together. He then got busy with his shoots. I still remember, when he would watch some film or series without me, I would ask him, ‘Why did you do that? That’s cheating!’ I soon realized that this will be our normal. He’s the most down to earth person I know. Even after finding success, he’s the most basic guy. I used to think movie stars are supposed to be a certain way, he’s anything but that. Sometimes, I feel people take advantage of his simplicity, but I feel he’s aware of that and allows it. He likes to be at peace. If his call time is 5 am, he wakes up at 2.30 am, does his pooja, meditates and then leaves. Whether he gets to sleep for 45 mins or 2 hours, he won’t miss his schedule. He carries his late parents’ photo and my late father’s photo along with his little mandir wherever he goes.

Raj: We are who we are because of our blessings. I can’t change myself. That’s too much of an effort. When I joined the industry, I didn’t get a memo that you need to be a certain way. Your work is all that matters. My mother was extremely spiritual and religious so that grew on me. She would get up at 4 am in Gurgaon and bhajans would play in the house. I started inclining towards it. It helps me keep calm and reminds me who I am. Nobody.

Raj: I have got more clarity in life after enduring this pain. I lost my parents, Patra’s dad is no more, and we lost Gaga recently. Having seen death so closely, I have realized you don’t need to take life so seriously. You don’t need to constantly plan and be sure of your future. Live your life and do good karma. When death comes knocking, all the things that you stress about, won’t even matter. If Stree 2 does well, I am happy, but I don’t take success or failure to heart anymore. Everything is just a phase, and the show must go on.

Patra: I saw my dad working hard for the last 35 years of his life. He would work for 14-15 hours a day. He had gone for work to Shimla where he had a stroke. Whoever checked him didn’t know what it was. By the time I reached the hospital, he had passed away. There were no doctors around. He was just lying there. Before this incident, I used to be unhappy about why things weren’t going my way career wise, why work isn’t happening, etc. When I saw him there, I realized, work is just a part of your life, not your whole life. Your work doesn’t decide your worth. That was my biggest learning from the death I saw so closely. With Gaga, she was our anchor. For the seven years that she was with us, she taught us so many things. It may sound strange to some but losing a pet is as painful as losing a parent. With grief, you just have to go through it. You can’t snowboard into work. There’s no escape from it.

Patra: Even OTT needs viewership that must transition to subscription. Following this pattern hasn’t left the process democratic anymore. Initially, it was a lot better. Today, an actor is known by his social media following. Chances of you bagging a role are stronger if you are popular on social media.

Raj: I don’t get this logic. I have heard this myself ki, ‘Iske itne saare followers hai toh isko film mein lenge toh it will help the film’. Being an actor and a social media star are two very different things. How much following you have on social media says nothing about your acting skill. If actors were to be judged based on their social media following, Kim Kardashian should have been the biggest Hollywood star. Ranbir Kapoor is not even on social media, and he is a solid actor! It doesn’t matter if you are trained or not, what matters is whether you are talented. An actor must be deserving of the time an audience invests in them.

Raj: Nobody forces you to do it. Films are a visual medium, so if you want to look nice, why not? To each his own. I only see this happening here. When I was promoting my film Srikanth, people would do my interview and only this portion (chin question) would get highlighted. As if koi aur baat hi nahi hai karne ke liye. You think Brad Pitt looks this way at 60 without doing anything to his face? It’s about taking care of yourself. Our face is our tool as actors. This is what we sell, and we must take care of it. It has to go for servicing and fixing from time to time. You should do whatever gives you confidence and makes you happy.

Patra: If something is making you happy, why not? It’s very subjective. If a line or a wrinkle is bothering you and you want to get Botox done, it’s fine. If you want to lose or gain weight, you do that. It’s easy for people to sit around and pass comments that isnay yeh kyu kara, woh kyu karwaya? But it takes a lot of confidence to stand in front of the camera knowing crores of people will be watching and scrutinising you.

Braving the downpour, Stree 2 stars Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor recently brightened up HT’s New Delhi office with their infectious energy. At HT City’s Stars in the City event, the duo had a lively chat with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor (Entertainment and Lifestyle), Hindustan Times. During the conversation, Rao candidly shared a boundary in his acting career: “It would be very hard for me to slap a girl in a scene. I wouldn’t be able to do it.”

When asked if he would have taken on a role like Kabir Singh, Rao responded thoughtfully, “Maybe, but I would have had a lot of discussions with my director about that scene. Unless it’s something integral, like breathing for the character, I would get into a big debate with my director.”

The 2019 film, directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, was a box-office success, but it also drew significant controversy. Actor Shahid Kapoor’s portrayal of the titular character, criticized for his violent and toxic behaviour towards his love interest, Preeti, sparked much debate. Rao made it clear that the infamous slap scene was a line he wouldn’t cross.

Shraddha Kapoor was all smiles as she engaged with the winners of the HT City’s Stars in the City contest, answering everything from her upcoming projects, music to the big question — marriage. 

Initially sidestepping the topic, she shared, “I am so lucky to receive so much love everywhere — it’s a huge blessing. I don’t know where it comes from, but it’s very humbling. There’s a special connection I have with my fans. Little girls hug me, calling me their ‘big sister,’ and even elderly people tell me I exude positive energy. I just want to say thank you!”

But Kapoor didn’t leave it at that. Addressing the marriage question directly, she added, “As far as marriage goes, I absolutely believe in fairytale love — that’s what I imagine. Whenever that happens for me, I would love to take it to the next level and get married.”

Kapoor, who has always been mum about her personal life, has recently been in the news for a breakup with scriptwriter Rahul Mody, who wrote the 2023 rom-com Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, starring her. Fans speculated that the actor not only unfollowed Mody, but also stopped following his sister, the production house and his dog on social media.

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Over the years, Rajkummar Rao has been seen consistently delivering power-packed performances in content-driven, thought-provoking cinema. Not one to get trapped by stereotypes, he left the audiences impressed and moved by his performance in Junglee Pictures’ Badhaai Do. The film, which revolved around the story of a couple in a lavender marriage, was screened at the 13th Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, which concluded this week.

Speaking to Bombay Times about it, the actor said, “Festivals like Kashish are much needed today. I am glad that there are more and more films being made on the LGBTQIA+ community, because we need more voices and more awareness. There are many like Shardul (his character in Badhaai Do), who are scared to come out because of the circumstances they face, societal and family pressure. I think the way that Suman (Adhikary), Akshat (Ghildial) and Harsh (Harshavardhan Kulkarni) wrote the story it was perfect. Everything was there in the script, and so I just had to be sincere towards my character. ”

Rajkummar is known for pulling off, not just thoda hatke, but characters that are seldom seen in cinema. When we asked him, what was the toughest part of playing Shardul from Badhaai Do, he said, “I like playing characters that are a little complicated, and when there is an underlying layer to those characters. I like challenging myself as an actor and keep pushing my boundaries with different characters. I am still learning and still trying to grow with it. I still get very nervous before every film and that is absolutely true! It excites me to play these parts, which can challenge me because sometimes there is no arc, and there is nothing happening inside the character’s head and heart. For me, the internal journey of a character is more exciting than its physical appearance. Also, for me, this film was slightly tough because I had to build a certain kind of physique for it. Getting that kind of physique was not easy. Harsh had told me that since Shardul wanted to be a bodybuilder, you have to be in a certain shape.”

Gay characters have rarely been portrayed in Hindi films realistically and with sensitivity, but Badhaai Do’s Shardul was every bit real and believable. “Sometimes, people have preconceived notions that why is a straight guy playing a gay character. I am glad that people from the community who saw it, loved it. I have met so many people who saw the film and told me that nobody could have played it better than Bhumi (Pednekar) and me. And they thanked me that we made a film like Badhaai Do,” he shared.

Last November, the 37-year-old tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Patralekhaa. “I just feel very happy and complete now,” he told us when asked about life after his wedding. “Nothing really has changed for Patralekhaa and me. It has been 11 years that we have been together. It’s a beautiful feeling to be married. She is a very honest critic of my films. And Badhaai Do is her favourite film of mine. When we saw it together for the first time during the edit, she came out crying and couldn’t stop. She found it tough to control her emotions. That was the time she told me that it was her favourite film of mine,” he added.

Success and fame have come to Rajkummar gradually and after a lot of sweat and toil. As he moves ahead, he doesn’t let himself lose focus or forget the reason why he stepped into showbiz. “I think I have just started, and I still have a long journey ahead. I feel that first and foremost, one has to be an actor, and that was why when I was growing up, I always wanted to be an actor… I never thought about becoming a star. That’s how my journey started I began learning acting through theatre, I went to film school, and then I came to Mumbai and started doing films that I believed in. After that, things happened organically. I was never really chasing fame; I was just doing films that I really wanted to do,” he explained.

The success of Badhaai Do has been thrilling for the entire team of the film. Rajkummar said, “When I saw the movie, I was happy and proud of the kind of response I was getting for the film after the release. Then we saw the kind of business it did at the box office. We were elated. We all make films so that people go and watch them, and when you get so much love for that film, I think that is a victory for any artiste... that you get respect, credibility and your producers make money as well. I think that is the best combination for any film. To date, people are watching Badhaai Do. We get so many personal messages where people share their experiences and tell us how this film has given them the strength to come out to their families. I think that our film is doing a great job. It is still trending.”

Talking about the ongoing Pride Month, the actor says, “I think every day should be a Pride Day and everyone should have the freedom to live their life the way they want to live. We all should be there to support each other and be proud of each other’s choices. Love is love. Just be who you are.”

Harsh (Harshavardhan Kulkarni, the director) and I are from the same film institute (FTII, Pune). I knew him as he was my senior there. I loved the story of Badhaai Do, the moment he narrated it to me. It’s brilliant. It’s one of the finest scripts that I have read. I can say that this is one of the best films of my career. Be it Bhumi Pednekar and I doing our readings together or everyone on set, we all were in sync. It was so much fun making this film. We had the time of our lives. People may say it’s just one film but Harsh, Bhumi and I; we are going to be friends for life.

The film tells an important story in a fun, interesting way. It matters how a story is told. The humour’s clever. Along with being entertaining, the latter half of the movie is extremely moving. I can vouch for the fact that people will remember this film for a long time. Though we have come a long way, there’s still a lot of stigma and prejudice against gay people. We are hopeful that this film will bring about some change. I am not saying things will change overnight but if even some people think differently because of our film, it’s great.

The good news is that the LGBTQiA+ community is finally getting a seat at the table. The bad news is that it  comes after decades of suppression and being othered. Rajkummar Rao’s next, Badhaai Do, shows one of the less-explored struggles of queer love on screen —lavender marriage. “It’s sad that even in the 21st century, people are not getting the freedom to live the way they want to. Being gay is a [big] part of their identity, not their [whole] identity. Their sexual preference is none of our concern,” he begins.

Harshavardhan Kulkarni’s directorial venture sees Rao and Bhumi Pednekar’s characters, who have yet to come out of the closet, settle for a marriage of convenience to appease their family. Through the film, the team holds a mirror up to society’s intolerant ways. “Lavender marriage is not the ideal situation to be in, but they get into it because of family pressure. I hope there won’t be any more lavender marriages. I hope our society becomes way more acceptable than it is,” asserts the actor.

One look at Rao’s filmography and it’s evident that there is little he can’t do justice to. But he admits that playing a gay cop in the social comedy required him to be mindful and responsible, every step of the way. “I understand my responsibility because I am representing somebody from the LGBTQiA+ community. We tried hard to ensure that we don’t hurt anybody’s sentiments. The script was written after a lot of research. [Members of] the community were involved [in the scripting] and would give feedback. Harsh was my go-to guy for everything.”

The role also demanded him to bulk up — a process he thoroughly enjoyed. “I hit the gym for months. Being a vegetarian, it wasn’t easy [for me to beef up], but I enjoyed it.” The physical prep, however, paled in comparison to the emotional prep he had to undergo to become one with the character. “I have many friends who belong to the community. I have been speaking to them for years, and I understand the pressure. They go through immense pain because of family and societal pressure.”

After being in a committed relationship for 11 years, Patralekhaa tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in Chandigarh last November. Not the one to talk about his personal life very often, Rajkummar Rao, who will soon be seen in the upcoming Badhaai Do, releasing on February 11 in theatres, gets candid about his wedding and how life has unfolded after that. Read on…

It’s a beautiful feeling. I am so elated to be married to Patralekhaa. She is my best friend, the love of my life, my family and my everything.

As you rightly said, we have been living in for a while now. I would always be out shooting, and she would be out for her shoots. The last two years, which included the lockdowns, was the time we could spend with each other. At that point, we thought that when we are so sure of spending the rest of our lives together, let’s just do this (get married).

Something changes on a subconscious level. I feel more complete now. We are still getting used to the idea of being husband and wife. I love calling her wife now, just for fun, though.

(Laughs!) Yes, I do that, especially if I am out of town and Patra is not around. Even recently, when I shot in Lucknow, whenever we had our day off, I would go out and watch movies alone. I like that.

We are just the way we were. We talk to each other a lot throughout the day if we are out on our respective shoots. And we talk at length! Thanks to technology, we connect over video calls. People often say that after 11 years of being together, the desire to talk is not the same as it is in the first or second year of a relationship. With us, it’s the opposite. Our interactions and the span of our interactions have only increased.

There is hardly an actor in Bollywood who doesn’t have Anubhav Sinha on his wish list right now. The director is set to join forces with Rajkummar Rao for the social drama, Bheed. Rao can hardly control his excitement about being Sinha’s leading man.

“I have wanted to work with him since Mulk [2018]. Hansal sir [Mehta] and Anubhav sir are currently in their 2.0 version, where they are making great films and raising the bar. Anubhav sir and I have been talking for a while [about a possible collaboration], but it didn’t work out until Bheed,” he says. The film, also featuring Bhumi Pednekar, is set to roll in Lucknow later this month.

The drama aside, Rao has the theatrical release, Badhaai Do and Netflix original Monica O My Darling in the pipeline. Having built his career around content-driven films like Shahid (2013) and Newton (2017), he was among the first few stars to make out-of-the-box stories mainstream. With the OTT boom giving a further boost to content, he says his platform-agnostic attitude has held him in good stead.

“As actors, we are never thinking of the medium. What matters is our performance, the character, and that film. My process doesn’t change. Actors like Jaideep Ahlawat and Pratik Gandhi were always wonderful, but they never got the opportunity to showcase their talent [until streaming giants came about]. [The co-existence of] cinemas and OTT will trigger healthy competition, and push us to do better. I have never been insecure about competition or my stardom. I am grateful that I get paid to do what I love the most in the world. In the pandemic when the meaning of life and death has become so apparent, isn’t it better to do what you love and be happy?”

The actor is delighted that first-day collections have become a thing of the past, and a film’s merit is now of prime importance. “But the reopening of theatres will bring back the Friday figures. That said, if a film is good, people will watch it, regardless of the medium it is on.”

If Ayushmann Khurrana’s Badhaai Ho (2018) sparked a dialogue about sexual desire of those in the autumn of their lives, its sequel Badhaai Do will address another important subject through leads Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar. The actors recently wrapped up the shoot of the Harshvardhan Kulkarni-directed film in north India.

Rao, who plays a cop on screen nine years after Talaash (2012), says his character’s arc is different from his role in the Aamir Khan-starrer. “Talaash was a supporting part, where I played a regular Mumbai cop. Here, a lot more is attached to my character. There are things happening in his personal life that form the film’s [crux],” he says.

The upcoming comedy apparently explores the concept of lavender marriage — a union undertaken by individuals to hide their sexual orientation in a society that unfortunately stigmatises homosexuality. Rao playing a homosexual character in the movie contradicts rumours that he had previously turned down director Collin D’Cunha’s Dostana 2 because he was skittish about essaying a gay character on screen. 

“Someone said I didn’t want to play a gay character?” he asks, surprised, before adding that he has constantly strived to push the envelope with his movies. “I would love to play all kinds of roles and be part of different stories. I have played a goofball, a terrorist, a lawyer and so on. There’s no part I will decline. Right now, I am so excited about my line-up of movies.”

How can the same actor drive every story of Dinesh Vijan’s horror comedy universe? That was our first thought while watching the trailer of Rajkummar Rao’s Roohi. So, we start our chat, posing the fundamental question to the actor: Which role will he play when the worlds of Stree and Roohi eventually converge in a film? “I was Vicky in Stree, and in Roohi, I play a character called Bhanwra. Dinoo’s larger plan is to have a film or two with both characters. So, it sounds like a double role is in the offing,” he smiles. 

The past few months have been exceptional for Rao. Oscillating between the affable Alu nurturing his unrequited love story in Ludo and the entitled US-returned Ashok in The White Tiger, the actor has continued to chase diverse roles and take risks. “Stree was a path-breaking film. So when Roohi came along, I knew I had to do it. We didn’t expect Stree to fare as well as it did. As an actor, I never consciously take the pressure of delivering on the commercials because I focus on my art. Films are not about formulas. I don’t look for films where I am the lead. I read a script and think, ‘Do I want this in my filmography?’ Ludo was an ensemble film. I am secure, and never feel the need to replicate others’ trajectory.”

The OTT boom in 2020 saw actors like Pratik Gandhi and Jaideep Ahlawat claim their share of the spotlight. Tell him the competition is no longer restricted to the likes of Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal, and he insists they are all working towards a common goal. “When I see Scam 1992 or Paatal Lok, I wish I get to work with these great actors. Good actors inspire me. I did Bose in 2017, and know the investment required for a series. The audience now respects unique stories. We are collectively working towards making content the real star.”

Meanwhile, The White Tiger has earned a place in the longlist across seven categories at the BAFTAs. Ask him if he is game for more international projects, and he says, “If an opportunity turns up, I will want to strike a balance like Priyanka [Chopra Jonas] and Irrfan sir. Hindi cinema is my karmabhoomi, so this will be my focus.”

Actor Rajkummar Rao has had a good 2020. He might have not had any theatrical release due to the Coronavirus shutdown of theatres, but both of his direct-to-OTT releases — Ludo and Chhalaang — performed quite well.

One wonders if Rao had any apprehensions about both these films not waiting for theatres to reopen. The actor quips, “We make films so that people should watch it. We want as many people as possible, and now the circumstances are such, it will take some time for normalcy to return. OTT platforms have such great reach.”

Not just this, he has also done a web show, Bose, so he clearly realises the potential the platforms hold. He calls it an industry and not a medium.

“It’s definitely a powerful industry, there are some great series coming out. It’s generating so much employment, there are so many actors who’re talented but for some reasons aren’t getting work. There are now so many opportunities. It’s a very good thing, they are churning out great content,” he says.

Apart from films releasing digitally, the web space has also attracted a lot of big names to make their debuts, just like Rao. There’s also talk about how the star system will go for a toss, with all kinds of content and stars being on the same level on the web.

Rao weighs in on this and says, “I think if you do good work and if people like your work, they’ll make you a star. For me, I know people are really badly waiting for Pataal Lok season 2, Mirzapur, Sacred Games — these are originals.”

But also Rao also adds that the cinema going experience cannot be replaced. “Theatres are very important. Whatever we are today is because of theatres and our films. The OTT industry will always be there, as a very strong parallel industry, but nothing can replace the community viewing experience,” concludes Rao who has Badhaai Do and RoohiAfzana lined up.

Rajkummar Rao, who has always impressed the audience with his range of performances on screen, and continues to be a really busy actor, says that there’s a certain joy in waking up every morning to a newspaper and your favourite cuppa chai or coffee.

In a recent conversation with Radio Mirchi, the actor reveals, “The joy of waking up in the morning to find your newspaper waiting for you at the door, woh jo khushi hai jab aap din ki shuruaat mein duniya se waqif ho jaate hain, woh routine bahut hi accha hai.”

While reminiscing his growing up days, and elaborating on his love for reading newspapers, he says, “I grew up in a joint family. So, ever since I was a kid, I would see my father, grandfather and everyone wake up and read the newspaper. Toh wahin se ek aadat lag gayi thi ki subah uth ke, aap apni pehli chai ya coffee ke saath apna newspaper kholte ho to know what’s going on around the world. That’s one good habit.”

Talking about how reading the newspaper is his “me-time”, the Bareilly Ki Barfi actor shares, “Mujhe toh newspaper padhte hue kaafi khushi hoti hai, as print is an authentic source of information. I trust it. You end up gathering so much knowledge. I just love reading newspapers; it’s like time for yourself.”

Actor Rajkummar Rao is back in action, and currently in Chandigarh shooting for his next with Kriti Sanon. However, considering the Coronavirus scare, there must have been a lot of thinking he had to do. The actor agrees, and says, “Of course, I was a little apprehensive. But the kind of preparation we have here, we lived in a bubble for the first seven days. Everybody is getting tested regularly, and there are a lot of safety precautions that the team is taking, which is amazing. The credit goes to them, they all are being very alert.”

Film industries across the world were impacted massively when the shutdown took place to curb the pandemic. Lately, many actors have been working, with standard operating procedures put in place by the government. The actor agrees that it’s important for the industry to get back on it’s feet again.

“I think work is important, and thanks to Akshay (Kumar) sir, starting with Bellbottom. He managed to finish a whole film, which is amazing! After a while things will go back to normal, people would want to go out and watch films, so we have to start making them. Of course, keeping safety in mind,” Rao adds.

The 36-year-old, apart from his shoot, also had two of his films, Chhalaang and Ludo, release back to back on different digital platforms, and he managed to garner good reviews for both. Rao says that he didn’t plan it this way. “Of course I didn’t want it this way. That’s how makers thought, it’s festive season, and we are a country of 1.3 billion people. They would have wanted to see films and great content. I am sure they wouldn’t have done this in theatres, because on OTT, you can watch as per your convenience,” he says.

Several times in the past, there’s been a buzz about how issues can crop up between actors when they are working together in a multi-starrer, and screen time is one of them. While Chhalaang was a solo lead, Ludo boasts of several actors with equally substantial parts.

Ask him whether he ever had to go through the same, and whether he prefers one type of project over the other, and Rao says, “I am an actor, I am comfortable with either. I have always done multi-starrers. I don’t mind it. If it’s a good story, you should be a part of it. Of course you keep doing your films where you are the lead, but then if there’s an exciting story or opportunities… I feel, for me, the greed to work with someone like Anurag Basu (director of Ludo), was immense.”

After months of staying put at home in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, Rajkummar Rao is back on the sets. Speaking from Chandigarh, where he’s shooting for a yet-untitled film with Kriti Sanon, Paresh Rawal, Ratna Pathak Shah, the actor sounds upbeat about reclaiming his place in front of the camera. 2020 marks 10 years of his Bollywood debut and he remembers how, as a student of Class 10th, he would mimic Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee from Shool, believing everything he saw on screen was real, and wanting to do what they were doing. “Sitting in a small town, thinking of becoming a Hindi film actor and pursuing the passion without a Plan B was the biggest leap of faith I could have taken,” he admits, hoping he gets to do more challenging roles in the next decade.

Raj’s upcoming film, Chhalaang, with frequent collaborator Hansal Mehta is a comedy, and the actor insists that the director is a quirky guy even though he makes intense dramas. “Meet him at a party where he is in his elements and you will know all about his comic timing and what fun he can be! We were shooting in a school and there were kids around. We actually played volleyball, basketball, and cricket with them,” he relays. Recalling his own school days, Raj reveals that his PT teachers were very supportive of him. “I was good at sports and represented Haryana in martial arts at the National level in school. I took part in all extra-curricular activities, including dance and plays, and still cleared all my exams. The eight hours of school were an adventure!” he shares.

In the film, Raj is Mahinder Hooda, a PT teacher, who falls in love with the computer teacher, Neelima, played by Nushrratt Bharuccha, but has to defeat arch-rival Zeeshan Ayyub’s I M Singh, to win her and keep his job. Despite his turn as a coach, the actor didn’t have to prep physically. “Mahinder is a laidback guy who doesn’t believe in physical training. Even in real life, PT teachers are not necessarily the epitome of fitness. In fact, many double up as science or maths teachers,” he reasons. What he did do was listen to Raginis, Haryanvi folk songs, and interacted with locals to get into the character.

Interestingly, in his other Diwali release, Ludo, Raj plays a diehard Mithun Chakraborty fan and reveals that even in his real life he practices Dada’s dance moves but had to learn some new ones for the film. “We are both from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and I had met him a couple of times when he regaled me with stories. There can’t be a party without a Mithun song,” he chuckles.

After three years of working almost non-stop, the lockdown gave the actor the time to focus on the nuances of his craft through online workshops. “I have lots of story ideas but writing requires patience, so I’ll ask a professional to write them,” he muses. He also used the downtime to hone his culinary skills, sticking to soul food like desserts and khichdi. He shared many throwback vacation pics, and admits he’ll take off as soon as the pandemic allows it, besides becoming the internet’s favourite boyfriend after snipping girlfriend Patralekhaa’s tresses. Wedding bells to ring soon? “You’ll get to know whenever that happens,” he says shortly, and returns to the camera.

Shah Rukh Khan, who celebrated his 55th birthday recently, through his career spanning decades, has inspired some very talented actors. National award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao is one of the noted faces, who says that his desire to be an actor stemmed from watching King Khan on screen.

Rajkummar, who will be seen in some interesting films like Ludo and Chhalaang soon, spoke of his love for the superstar in a chat with Bombay Times. The actor said, “I love Shah Rukh sir. I am an actor because of him. While growing up in Gurgaon, I used to mimic him. I was so fond of him that when I came to Mumbai for the first time in class XI, I went to Bandra and stood outside Mannat (SRK’s home) for hours, hoping to get a glimpse of him.”

Years later, the actor’s prayers were answered when he finally met SRK. He recalled, “When I became an actor, I got a golden opportunity of meeting him at his house. Of course, I have met him several times after that. He is one of the most charming people I have ever met. He makes you feel so special and whoever has met him can vouch for that. Beyond the fact that I love him as an actor, he is also a great human being. There is so much to learn from him. He not only inspires me as an actor, but also inspires me to be a better person.”

It’s been 10 years since he started his Bollywood career with Love Sex Aur Dhokha. Now, Rajkummar Rao has created a niche for himself but says “there surely were weak moments” in his decade-long journey.

“But I knew eventually, things will work out. More than me, I think my (late) mother was confident about my success as she would always say, ‘It’ll work out for you. Don’t worry’,” says the actor, who moved to Film and Television Institute of India, Pune after passing out of Delhi University. “I just kept at it by being positive and working even harder,” adds Rao.

The Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) star recalls it took him “two years to get my foot in”, after landing in Mumbai. “All along, I knew giving up wasn’t an option. I look at those (struggling days) very fondly. I feel every actor, especially during their struggling period, must keep their love for art going and not focus only on their physical appearance,” says the 36-year-old from Gurugram, adding he kept busy with some acting practice or performance pieces with his friends. Rao admits that would make him and his friends “extremely content”.

“As an artiste, you have to keep yourself constantly motivated, and that was the only way I kept myself going,” says the actor, who has been a part of films such as Shahid (2013), Newton (2017) and Omerta (2018).

Rao also outlines that unlike in the past, there are “professional casting directors” now. “Imagine how, earlier people would make rounds of director’s or producer’s offices for that one meeting,” says the actor, who will next start work on Second Innings alongside Kriti Sanon and a Chupke Chupke (1975) remake.

At a time when the insider-outsider debate is raging, he feels it all boils down to “one’s sheer passion”. “Trust me, if you are really passionate and know your job well, there will be barriers but nothing can stop you. Audiences are going to lap you up, and that’s critical for everyone, right?” he says, adding: “So, my only suggestion to newcomers would be to focus on honing your art and skills.”