You know when you watch an actor in a film and say “Wow, he is something!“. Yeah, that was me when I saw Rajkummar Rao in the film Trapped. And right after, I happened to watch Bareilly Ki Barfi and I thought to myself, “Wow, is this even the same guy?“. As an audience isn’t that what we want from our films and actors – for them to surprise us? Raj is all set to complete a decade in the movies next year and I don’t think any other actor has had such a versatile filmography to their credit in such a short while. From his non-conventional and rather daring debut with Love Sex Aur Dhoka to a Shahid and Stree, he has done it all and done it good!
A film institute graduate with no connections in the industry, the climb certainly wouldn’t have been easy. 10 years of hard work, diligence and passion is what it took, and this guy is still all about that life.
If you’ve watched Vikramaditya Motwane‘s Trapped, you’ll totes agree because he apparently survived on a black coffee and carrot diet to essay the role of a trapped call centre employee. And boy, did he look the part! Same goes for his role as Subhash Chandra Bose in AltBalaji‘s web series, Bose. He put on extra kilos and even shaved his head for the part. A method-actor par excellence is the award he must be nominated for. Even with films like Newton and Omerta, he wasn’t one to just play a character and walk away but he really got into their minds and lived the part. Now you know how he always tends to draw you into the film, and is so convincing at it.
What I also love about Rajkummar is the fact that he has never shied away from being a part of great films that have other stars in the lead. Say a Kai Po Che, or Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, and even Queen, and made sure to deliver a memorable performance in the little scope he had. And that’s what talented actors do it!
In most situations, actors get typecast as being either commercial or critical. From winning a National Award for Hansal Mehta‘s biographical drama, Shahid to taking his horror-comedy Stree to the 100-crore club, he has found the perfect balance between the two which makes him all the more amazing!
Judgementall Hai Kya and Made In China this year brought him some rave reviews and I personally fell in love with Raj in Judgementall. How hot was he looking, you guys?!
The coming times look quite eventful for the actor as he is teaming up with Hansal Mehta again for Turram Khan opposite Nushrat Bharucha and Roohi Afza opposite Janhvi Kapoor. He also has Netflix’s ‘The White Tiger’ with Priyanka Chopra. Thanks for entertaining us with such great films and roles, Raj. I can’t wait for all the magic you’re going to bring on screen in the coming decades!