Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 31, 2020)

Around mid-2000s, a young Rajkummar Rao cycled 70km at times (to theatre classes) while pursuing graduation in Delhi. He was also prepping for the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

“My struggle started when I joined college. Since then my journey has been challenging. But I’ve never complained because if you love what you do, you can overcome these challenges,” says Rao, recalling how he was clear he had to “hone himself as a competent artiste before coming to Mumbai”. “For any budding artiste, it’s imperative to know their craft and work hard towards it,” says the actor, who turns 36 today, and completes a decade in Bollywood this year.

An outsider in the glitzy industry, with no connections, Rao recalls, “I didn’t know anyone; many a times people wouldn’t even meet me. But I never let such things hamper my passion. I was clear: Jeena yahan, marna yahan! My family, especially my mum was supportive,” he says sharing he had “weak moments too”, but maintained a “positive outlook”.

“I came from a middle class background, so money wasn’t in free flow. At times, there was no money for rent or food. But I knew that eventually things will work out,” he adds.

Admitting things don’t come easy “at the start”, Rao feels what works is “how much faith you have in your craft”. “Yes, the doors don’t open easily [especially for outsiders]. But once one foot is in the door, I’ve no choice but to make optimum use of that. So, the mantra is: Be at it.”

Ask about his birthday plans, and Rao says, “No special plans. Patralekhaa (actor and his partner) plans to bake a cake. I’m not a party person.”

Debashree Mohanty (TIMES LIFE; October 22, 2017)

You insist you aren't the typical box office hero, but your films have a 100% success rate...
I keep my hopes very neutral in life. I don't really expect too much of something. I know I am not the typical heartthrob, I know teenage girls won't chase me down the street for a selfie. But as long as I am getting appreciation for the honest work I put into the roles I'm given, I am good!

How important is appreciation for you?
It's better than getting abuses for something you have done or not done (laughs). I find it very difficult to believe film stars who say they don't work for fame or money. Then what are you doing in the glamour industry? Since my dancing days in school, I have always been hungry for appreciation and applause. That is the reason I chose this profession.

So, you are quite okay with the image of being nobody's hero...
I have been told by many mentors that my face and body language have the singular quality that will make the audience go: "That character is me", not, "I wish that were me". I know I am not in the league of the SRKs or the RKs... but I am here to make my own identity. As long as good offers keep coming, I am very comfortable with the 'ordinary gentleman' tag.

How did this film bug bite a local Gurugram boy from a joint family?
I grew up in Prem Nagar, Gurugram, with two older siblings and three cousins in an extended family. My father was a patwari (a keeper of land records), and my mother, a homemaker. The one thing that kept the family together was movies. It was a known fact in the family that we are big, big, fans of Bollywood. In fact, when my parents got married, one of the few things my mother carried with her is a poster of Amitabh Bachchan.

How did you begin?
By emulating other stars. When I was about 14, I enacted a version of the "dus dus ki daud" stunt from Ghulam with two of my friends. We sat on the tracks and counted to 10 while the train was coming towards us and then jumped. It was night, so all you could see was the light getting closer. It was plain stupid. But it was fun!

By your own admission, you seldom get irked; nothing gets to you?
Some actors can be really selfish. They can only think about their lines, their scenes, if they are looking okay, if they are facing the camera... they don't bother about the other cast in the film. It's a huge turn-off for me. I go out of my way to make everyone feel comfortable, and would appreciate the same in return.

You go that extra mile to keep away from controversies. Is it a calculated move?
See, I am a small town guy. I have a very modest dream and I want to get there. I am not expecting the impossible or something larger-than-life. As for controversies, I prefer ignoring them rather than getting hassled.

What about material possessions; you had your eyes on the Lamborghini...
That was a dream I cherished when I was still a newcomer in the industry. Now, I have realised that I want much more and that need not necessarily be something material.

About the Oscar list, do we need recognition from the West?
I don't see what the problem with that is. Let's not shy away from the fact that the Western industry has wider reach, it is bigger in that sense. Personally, I would go to any extent to sell my craft to a larger audience and I don't have any pretenses about it.

Did negative feedback post-audition bother you when you began?
Honestly, I was never nervous about auditions. It was the feedback that put me in a state of confusion. I remember I had almost bagged an interesting film. The casting director really wanted me on board but the production house thought I was not fair enough for the role. I kept wondering - how does the colour of my skin matter? But such things are a part of the glamour industry, all you can do is smile and move on.

What embarrasses you?
I get very embarrassed if people ask me to pose for a selfie inside temple premises.

What scares you?
If there's a time where I have to do films that I have no faith in, it'd be scary.

Does Rajkummar have no time for love?
Never in the world can I be busy for love. It's the most spiritual and liberating feeling, and I am blessed that after my mother passed away, I have that certain someone as my constant support. Everyone needs that person in life.

Is there anything we don't know about you?
Did you know, I can dance very well? I learnt steps watching TV and my favourite stars shaking a leg. I was an active participant in local dance performances in Gurugram!

If you were granted a wish, what would you ask for?
I want to be like Daniel Day-Lewis one day, concentrating on one film at a time, disappearing completely into the role. That's the dream.

Actor’s black comedy to travel from the forests of Chhattisgarh to the international film festival
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2017)

Back in 2013, Rajkummar Rao had played the geeky Govind ‘Govi’ Patel in Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che!, the screen adaptation of the Chetan Bhagat bestseller, The 3 Mistakes Of My Life, that had its world premiere at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. Now, his upcoming film, Amit V Masurkar’s black comedy Newton will have its own premiere at the prestigious fest on February 10, screened in the ‘International Forum of New Cinema’ section.

“I couldn’t go the last time, and am really looking forward to attending it this time,” says a delighted Rajkummar who plays the title role of the rookie government employee, Newton, trying to conduct fair elections in what was once a Maoist territory and still has some Maoist presence. The story, told in the course of a day, is set in the forests of Chhattisgarh and is narrated from Newton’s perspective. “It’s a unique subject laced with black humour and made with a lot of passion.”

The actor hopes to meet some Hollywood stalwarts, including Meryl Streep, who was president of the main competition jury at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. “I hope she will be there this year too so that some of her acting talent can rub off on me,” says Raj, who shot in the dense forests of Chhattisgarh last February-March with no Wi-Fi or mobile network.

He lost his mother during the film, returned for a day, and then went back to shoot. “It was difficult but with my mother’s blessings we’ve made it to such a prestigious festival,” exults Rajkummar whose stylist Devika has already started planning his outfit. “I think we’ll be there on the first day itself so I should be wearing a tuxedo. Meanwhile, I am going to ask the makers to celebrate the occasion with a party,” laughs the actor who’s just wrapped up the romcom Behen Hogi Teri in Lucknow and will soon resume shooting for Namrata Singh Gujral’s 5 Weddings with Nargis Fakhri.

MUMBAI MIRROR (March 12, 2016)

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 24, 2014)

Rajkummar Rao, 29, is emotional, mature, secure and loyal. He is married to acting and most attached to his niece Jhanavi, who he has brought up like his own daughter. Ahead of his upcoming film City Lights, the National award-winning actor speaks to Bombay Times about the reasons for adding the extra ‘M’ in his name, his silent connection with God and why he considers Irrfan Khan the best actor. Excerpts:

You have an extra ‘M’ in your name. How did that come about?
The extra ‘M’ is Ma ka addition. My mother believes in a lot of things and she would tell me wear this, do that and I told her I can’t do all that, but I will add an extra ‘M’. I did it for her sake and it made her happy. My original name was Raj Kumar, but in films they always want to give a person a surname, be it Rajkumar Hirani or Rajkumar Santoshi, so they started calling me Raj Kumar Yadav, which is also my original name, but I preferred Rajkummar Rao. Rao is something that I really wanted. While I don’t believe in these things much, I added the extra M after Shahid and to come to think of it, it may have helped. Except for adding this extra ‘M’, she has never asked me for anything. When I was giving my 12th standard Board exams, my friends would be studying 15 hours a day and I remember I would go and watch a film. She would never complain and gave me all the freedom and I think, she is the coolest mother. Whenever I bunked school with my friends, I would tell my mother, ‘You think I am wearing my uniform and going to school, but in reality, I will be bunking it.’ She would never scold and only say okay. My father, too, is a very simple person and did not interfere in my life too much. My family has always been very supportive. My mother and brother were always confident that one day, I would become an actor and never put any kind of pressure on me. I am very lucky. Even when I was looking out for a role in Mumbai, I never felt that I would not get a role. My family did not let me feel that way. They never let me feel let down as they were confident that I would become an actor. They were there throughout supporting me.

What does winning a National award mean to you?
I am really happy, but I didn’t expect it. I wanted the National award and want all the awards, but honestly I don’t think too much about what is going to happen to a film. I enjoy the process of filmmaking. For me, when I go on set, live a character, that gives me some kind of high. I love acting the most.

How did you become an actor?
I was born and brought up in a joint family in Gurgaon and my father has recently retired from the revenue department. I had no connection with films, but every Saturday, all of us as a family would sit up all night and watch three back-to-back films on a VCR. I started doing martial arts when I was in Class V and participated in several national level championships, winning lots of gold medals. By Class XI, I was a black belter in Taekwondo. I also started learning dance in Class VI and that gave me a lot of confidence, as I loved being on stage and performing in front of people. I did my first play in Class X and I knew for sure that that was my calling. After that, it was a really smooth journey for me. I started doing serious theatre at Shri Ram Centre at Mandi House. Meanwhile, I finished my graduation and got through FTII in my first attempt itself and worked on my craft there. In 2008, I came to Mumbai and went through the usual struggle to look out for work. After a year-and-a-half, I got my first film, Love Sex Aur Dhokha. I had read an article in Pune Times that Dibakar Banerjee was looking out for a newcomer. So I came to Mumbai, I went to his office and met his casting director Atul Mongia. I auditioned for it and got the role. I then did a small role in Gangs Of Wasseypur as I just wanted to work with Anurag Kashyap and then did Ragini MMS. Anurag Kashyap referred me to Hansal Mehta and that is how I got Shahid. I am grateful to Hansal sir for having believed in me for Shahid even though I know many actors would have loved to play this part.

You have not yet had a chance to display your martial art and dance on screen. Do you aspire to display that on screen?
I don’t mind showing my hidden talents on screen but that script should make sense to me. I can’t just suddenly start dancing. It should excite me as an actor. And I do aspire to do a film based on marital arts, but I don’t plan too much. I just want to take my craft to another level. I want to go global. I am here in this industry for a marathon and I’m not here for the sprint race. I want to go really far and really long. I want to die here.

Are you in a relationship?
I am in a committed relationship for the past four years. She is from Mumbai and wants to be an actor. I have no plans to get married as of now and am married only to acting at the moment.

Whose acting do you like?
Irrfan is the best actor we have now. Whatever he does, I believe in his character. I also have a lot of respect for Aamir Khan as an actor. I want to work with Irrfan and do a full-fledged role with Aamir. I also want to work with Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

What are you like?
I am too emotional and want to help everyone. If I see somebody who needs help, I want to help even if I know that he or she is lying. I find it the right thing but people around me find me too kind. I like that I am honest both as a person and in my craft. I want to put my point very clearly but am a simple and easy guy and connect easily with people. I am very clean and feel that I have a special connection with God. My heart is really soft. I am very strong about myself but when it comes to others, I am very weak.

Talk about your connection with God?
I have very strong faith in God. Whatever has happened in my life, he has shown me signs in advance. Once, I was in Class VIII and went to Delhi to collect costumes for a dance thing I was doing. I went from Gurgaon to Delhi in a bus as I didn’t have too much money to travel. I got off some place and did not know how to get where I wanted to. Suddenly from nowhere, this old aunty came in an auto and asked me for the same address. I told her how I too was looking for that address. She said, ‘Come, I will drop you.’ It was really far from that place and I could have neither walked nor taken an auto to that place as I did not have enough money. She dropped me there and just disappeared. I offered to pay her money even though I had none and she said, ‘No, you go and do your work.’ For me, she was God. Three months back, I wanted to buy a bigger car and was saving money for it and thought that I couldn’t as I did not have enough money for it. Suddenly, filmmakers started calling me and from the time I last visited the showroom to now when I bought it, I had the money. Whatever I have asked for in life has come to me.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; February 5, 2014)

The Kai Po Che actor’s modified name has become quite a topic of discussion. Turns out, it’s his mother who is partially responsible for this. Rajkummar revealed, “Rao or Yadav, I can use either of the surnames as both are family names. As far as the double ‘m’ in the first name is concerned, it's for my mother. She believes in numerology. She even wanted me to wear various rings etc, you know how it is. But I haven’t done that. This doesn’t bother me much as it stems from a mother's love for her son.”