Rajkummar Rao has dismissed claims of charging 5 crore after the massive success of Stree 2. “I come across different figures every day,” he said with a laugh. “I’m not foolish enough to burden my producers. Money is merely a byproduct of my passion, and I want to keep working all my life.”
According to the Indian media (Indian Express), the year began with the glow of the Northern Lights for Rajkummar and wife Patralekha. However, in October, the couple faced heartbreak with the loss of their pet, Gaga, whose picture now adorns Rajkummar’s WhatsApp display. The year is set to end on a high note professionally, with Stree 2 becoming a massive blockbuster and his performances in Srikanth and Mr. & Mrs. Mahi earning critical acclaim.
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Rajkummar describes the biopic on Srikanth Bolla as one of his most challenging roles. “When on set, I refused to see,” he shares, adding how Srikanth’s words about overcoming limits resonated with him. Coming from a lower-middle-class background, Rajkummar related to the story as he had left his small-town life in Gurugram to pursue an acting dream, many thought, was impossible.
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Growing up in an extended family, Rajkummar spent weekends watching films on VHS, sparking his passion for acting. He participated in school plays, moved to theater in college, and eventually trained at FTII before landing in Mumbai. “I shared a small flat with two classmates. Mumbai was expensive, but I focused on giving auditions every day,” he recalls.
One of those auditions was for LSD: Love Sex Aur Dhokha. Rajkummar hounded Dibakar Banerjee’s office until he got the role. His performance caught Anurag Kashyap’s attention, who cast him in Gangs of Wasseypur and recommended him for Shahid. Initially reluctant to cast a newcomer, Hansal Mehta eventually gave Rajkummar the role after seeing his hunger for work.
Rajkummar immersed himself in Shahid, winning the National Award for Best Actor. This marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration with Hansal Mehta, leading to projects like CityLights, Aligarh, and Omerta. “We’ll work together again because we miss collaborating,” says Rajkummar, who is currently shooting for an action film, Malik.
