Showing posts with label Rajkummar Rao weight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rajkummar Rao weight. Show all posts
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.”
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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.”
After gaining 13 kilos for Bose, Rajkummar Rao sheds 10 kilos in a month for Fanney Khan
7:43 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; October 17, 2017)
His acting prowess aside, Rajkummar Rao has a knack for wowing the audience with his physical transformation. After putting on 13 kilos and shaving his head for his web series on Subhas Chandra Bose, the actor has now lost 10 kilos in a month’s time for his upcoming film, Fanney Khan, which sees him opposite Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
“I always knew I would have to lose the excess weight post the show,” says Rao, who promptly followed a strict diet and adopted a strenuous workout regimen once the shoot was wrapped up in early September.
The hard work paid off — Rao looked relatively lighter during the promotions of Newton in mid-September. However, the road to his lean physique was not an easy one. The actor admits that he has “stopped having breakfast or lunch.” “I directly have dinner, which is essentially a meal high on proteins. Since I am constantly working, the hunger pangs don’t hit me as hard. As far as my workout is concerned, I am doing cardio and muscle training for at least three hours every day.”
Almost back to his old physique, Rao rues that it will be a no-binge Diwali for him. “It’s going to be one tough week for me. I have no option but to hold myself back. Being fit has always been my mantra.”
Rajkummar Rao loses 7.5 kgs for Citylights; 2 more kgs to go
11:59 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 30, 2014)
Last
Friday, heads turned at the Filmfare Awards when Hansal Mehta’s Shahid
stepped on the red carpet. Rajkummar Rao looked almost gaunt. When
Mirror quizzed the actor, he frankly admitted that he was losing weight
for his upcoming film Citylights, where he plays the role of a person
who has had a tough life and is undergoing tremendous stress. “I have
already lost 7.5 kg, by the end of the film, I should be another two kgs
lighter,” he informed”, adding that he is on a “strict diet. “No carbs,
no oil and no non-veg, only soups and salads.”
The task has
become doubly difficult because Rajkummar has instructions not to gain
any weight till the film is totally complete. “Else the continuity is
lost,” he points out.
The actor who bagged the Filmfare Award
for Best Actor (Critics Award) for Shahid admitted that it is very
difficult to control the urge to eat when he is ravenously hungry. “But I am doing it,” he maintained stoically.
Hansal
Mehta who is directing Citylights too told Mirror that his approach
with his actors is very simple. “I focus on the character. Rajkummar
plays a villager in Citylights and had to look apt for the aam aadmi
role. We don’t hire nutritionist for actors to lose weight; it’s an
expensive exercise. Rajkummar is taking the traditional route and
running a lot daily and keeping tabs on what he eats,” he explains.
So
is he satisfied with Rajkummar’s present look? Hansal retorts, “Of
course, we are. Mahesh Bhatt and I watched few rushes of Citylights
yesterday and we were in tears. This guy is convincing in whatever he
does.”
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