Rajkummar Rao was born as Raj Kumar Yadav on 31 August 1984 in Prem Nagar,Gurgaon,Haryana, India.[1][2] He had two older siblings and three cousins in his extended family. His father, Satya Prakash Yadav,[3][4] was a government employee in theHaryana revenue department, and his mother, Kamlesh Yadav, a homemaker.[5] His mother and father died in 2016 and 2019 respectively.[6][7] He completed his 12th standard from S.N. Sidheshwar Senior. Sec Public School, where he participated in school plays.[8] He graduated from TheAtma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, (University of Delhi) where he was simultaneously doing theatre with Kshitij Theatre Group and theShri Ram Centre in Delhi.[8][5]
Rao said that he decided to become an actor after seeingManoj Bajpayee and being "highly influenced" by his performance.[5] In 2008, he enrolled in a two-year acting course at theFilm and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, and moved to Mumbai to pursue a film career.[9] Rao is a vegetarian.[10] He changed his surname to Rao from Yadav in 2014 and also added an extra 'm' to his name. He said the reason for this was, "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".[11] He is formally trained intaekwondo.[12]
After graduating from the FTII in 2008, Rao spent the next year visiting studios and meeting casting directors.[9] He made a brief, uncredited appearance as a news reader inRam Gopal Varma's 2010 political thrillerRann.[17] Upon reading a newspaper advertisement that mentionedDibakar Banerjee was looking for newcomers for his found footage anthology filmLove Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), he auditioned for the film and was selected.[18] The film consists of three stories; Rao appears in the second story oppositeNeha Chauhan. He played Adarsh, a supermarket supervisor who cons an employee into sleeping with him so he can record the act on a hidden camera and sell it.[5] To prepare for the role, he had to lose 6 kilograms (13 lb) in a month.[19] The film and Rao's performance met with critical acclaim.[20] It also emerged as a profitable box-office venture.[21]
After the success of his debut film, producerEkta Kapoor offered Rao the lead role in the found-footage horror filmRagini MMS (2011). Initially reluctant to accept the role due to its similarity to his previous work, he eventually agreed at the insistence of casting directorAtul Mongia.[8] Despite its unfavorable critical response, the film was a box-office success.[22][23] His next release wasBejoy Nambiar's crime thrillerShaitan (2011), in which he played a corrupt police officer.[24]Raja Sen, who was critical of the film, praised Rao's performance, describing him as "reliably terrific".[25]
Rao followed this with theHansal Mehta-directed biographical dramaShahid, where he plays the title role of late lawyerShahid Azmi. To prepare for the role, Rao met with Azmi's family to accurately emulate his personality. He also studied theQuran and attended court proceedings to better understand the behaviours of lawyers whilst in court.[32][33] Rao expressed that he was "emotionally drained" as the character was challenging and complex.[33] The film and his performance met with critical acclaim upon its release.[34]Anupama Chopra called the film Rao's "triumph"; "HisShahid has strength, anguish and a controlled anger, but also real charm".[35] The film was also a major box-office success;[36] Rao received theNational Film Award for Best Actor and his firstFilmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics).[37][38]
Breakthrough (2013–2016)
Abhishek Kapoor's social drama filmKai Po Che! was Rao's first venture in 2013, a role he believed showcased a different facet of his acting abilities.[39] Co-starringSushant Singh Rajput andAmit Sadh, the film is based onChetan Bhagat's 2008 novelThe 3 Mistakes of My Life.[40] The film received widespread critical acclaim, with particular praise towards the lead performances.[41] Shilpa Jamkhandikar ofDeccan Herald felt that Rao stood out and played off the role "beautifully".[42] He received his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.[43] Rao has since credited the success of bothShahid andKai Po Che! with giving him access to a wider variety of roles.[39] His final release of the year was the unremarkable anthology comedy filmBoyss Toh Boyss Hain.[44]
The same year, he acted in a short film titledBombay Mirror directed byShlok Sharma along withVijay Maurya.[45] He then collaborated with Mehta on his drama filmCityLights (2014). Co-starring his wifePatralekha, the film tells the story of a poor farm family fromRajasthan that comes to Mumbai in search of a livelihood.[46] To prepare for the role, Rao lived in the small town of Sadri in the Pali district of Rajasthan for a month, grew a moustache and became well-versed with the dialect.[8] Critics praised the film and Rao's performance. Sweta Kaushal ofHindustan Times wrote that he slips "effortlessly" into the role.[47] It proved to be a moderate financial success.[48] He then played a brief supporting role as a manipulative fiancé inKangana Ranaut's comedy-dramaQueen. The film had its world premiere at theBusan International Film Festival and was a critical and commercial success, grossing ₹970 million (US$14 million) worldwide.[49][50][51]Saibal Chatterjee ofNDTV noted that Rao "brings remarkable restraint to bear upon his interpretation of the disgustingly conservative city slicker who cannot see beyond his nose".[52]
In 2015, Rao appeared in a supporting role in the romantic comedyDolly Ki Doli, co-starringSonam K Ahuja,Pulkit Samrat andVarun Sharma. It met with mixed reviews and emerged as a modest commercial success at the box-office.[53] He followed this theMohit Suri-directed romantic dramaHamari Adhuri Kahani (2015), in which he played an abusive husband who leaves his wife (played byVidya Balan).[54] He then reunited with Mehta once again in his biographical dramaAligarh. Based on the life of ProfessorRamchandra Siras (played byManoj Bajpayee), Rao portrayed a journalist who attempts to uncover a story.Aligarh met with critical acclaim upon its release, with particular praise for Bajpayee and Rao's performances.Sukanya Verma called Rao "pitch-perfect" in his role of "inquisitive journalist".[55] Rao received his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.[56]
Rao collaborated withVikramaditya Motwane for his survival dramaTrapped (2016). It tells the story of a man trapped in his apartment without food, water and electricity for days. Rao found the role to be one of his most challenging to date.[57] In preparation for the film, he had to lose weight and—to maintain it—remained on a carrot and coffee diet throughout the course of filming.[58][59] Despite being avegan, Rao ate meat in some scenes for the first time in his life, as Motwane insisted on realism.[60]Trapped premiere at the 2016Mumbai Film Festival and was released theatrically the following year to positive reviews from critics.[61] Subhash K. Jha wrote that Rao "immerses himself in the judiciously assembled plot with such radiant authenticity that after a while we cease to watch the skill that underlines the outstanding performance".[62] He earned his second Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics).[63]
Commercial success (2017–2018)
Rao's first release in 2017 was the romantic comedyBehen Hogi Teri withShruti Haasan; it met with an unfavourable critical response though critics praised Rao's performance.[64] He followed this with another romantic comedy titledBareilly Ki Barfi, directed byAshwiny Iyer Tiwari and co-starringKriti Sanon andAyushmann Khurrana. The film and Rao's performance met with widespread critical acclaim.Namrata Joshi wrote: "Rao is a hoot and brings the house down with his chameleon turn and comic timing [the] a role that could have become a caricature in the hands of a lesser actor".[65] The film was a commercial success and Rao won his first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.[66][67] Rao also made a cameo appearance inDinesh Vijan'sRaabta in which he had to apply prosthetics for multiple hours daily during shooting to appear as a 324-year-old man.[68]
A significant turning point in Rao's career came inAmit V. Masurkar's black comedyNewton in which he plays an upright government clerk sent on election duty to aNaxal-controlled town. Rao asked Masurkar if he could curl his hair and blink his eyes frequently during filming to make the character more distinct, and Masurkar agreed.[69] The film premiered at the67th Berlin International Film Festival and was met with unanimous critical acclaim, as did Rao's performance.[70][71] Rajeev Masand commented, "It's hard to separate the actor from the character, and not many of our artistes can claim to possess that gift".[72] The role earned him theAsia Pacific Screen Award for Best Actor and his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics).[73][74]
His final theatrical release of the year wasShaadi Mein Zaroor Aana withKriti Kharbanda, which met with mixed critical response.[75] He also made his digital debut withALTBalaji's historical biographical web mini-seriesBose: Dead/Alive. Based on the 2012 bookIndia's Biggest Cover-up byAnuj Dhar, he portrays nationalist leaderSubhash Chandra Bose. For the role, Rao gained 13 kilograms (29 lb) and went half bald.[76] Anvita Singh ofIndia Today felt it was not Rao's best performance, but because of his skill as an actor he "does grab your attention".[77]
Rao reunited with Mehta for the biographical crime filmOmerta, where he portrays the role of terroristAhmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. To prepare for the role, Rao watched several videos, documentaries and hate speeches by Sheikh to "gather a lot of hatred and anger" inside himself.[78] He said he was "disturbed" while shooting the film because of the complexities of the character and described it as "easily the toughest character" he had played to this point.[78][79] The film had its world premiere at the2017 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in India in 2018.[80] The film and Rao's performance met with critical acclaim, with Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV calling it a "pitch-perfect performance".[81]
He starred next in the musical comedyFanney Khan (2018) withAishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anil Kapoor. A remake of the 2000 Belgian filmEverybody's Famous!, the film was a critical and commercial failure.[82]Stree (2018), theAmar Kaushik-directed horror comedy was his next release. Based on the Bangalore urban legend known asNale Ba, the film also starredShraddha Kapoor. The film, and Rao's performance, met with positive critical feedback. Rachit Gupta ofThe Times of India noted that Rao "handles the many shades of comedy, horror and romance with great ease".[83] It also earned him his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actor.[84]Stree was a major financial success.[85] In the same year Rao appeared briefly in Tabrez Noorani'sLove Sonia which was aboutsex trafficking.[86] His final release of 2018 was5 Weddings.[87]
Commercial failure with continued acclaim (2019–2023)
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, a film about a closeted lesbian, was Rao's first film of 2019. Co-starring Sonam K Ahuja,Anil Kapoor andJuhi Chawla, the film received ambivalent feedback critically but earned acclaim for its positive mainstream representation ofhomosexuality.[88] However, it failed to do well commercially.[89][90] He appeared next withKangana Ranaut in the black comedyJudgementall Hai Kya. His performance earned him his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics).[91] His final acting venture of the year wasMikhil Musale's comedyMade in China in which he played a Gujarati businessman who receives a proposal to market a Chinese aphrodisiac in India.[92] The film, based on the namesake novel by Parinda Joshi, met with mixed critical response.Anna M. M. Vetticad, who was critical of the film, praised Rao: "The best thing about it are Rao and [Boman] Irani who are a pleasure to watch even in this middling affair".[93] The film fared moderately well at the box-office.[94]
In 2021, Rao made his Hollywood debut withRamin Bahrani'sThe White Tiger, which was based on theeponymous novel byAravind Adiga. Co-starringPriyanka Chopra andAdarsh Gourav, it was released directly on toNetflix and was met with critical acclaim.[101] David Rooney fromThe Hollywood Reporter noted that Rao "deftly balances a Western-schooled urge to tell himself he's a fair-minded man with the unmistakable air of privileged entitlement".[102] He continued his collaborations with Maddock Productions for their horror-comedyRoohi co-starringJanhvi Kapoor. The film received mixed critical feedback and emerged as another box-office failure for Rao which was attributed to theatres being closed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[103] He next starred inAbhishek Jain's family dramaHum Do Hamare Do, in which he portrayed an orphan who deceives his fiancée (played by Sanon) by hiring people to pose as his parents.[104] Initially slated for a theatrical release, the decision was later dropped due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.[105] The film was panned by critics withSaibal Chatterjee ofNDTV commending Rao on salvaging a "poorly-written protagonist".[106][107][108]
In 2022, Rao starred oppositeBhumi Pednekar inHarshavardhan Kulkarni'sBadhaai Do, in which they portrayed a couple in alavender marriage to prevent their parents from pressuring them into traditional marriages.[109] He was drawn to the role of a gay police officer due to the unique challenge it offered and, to prepare, he underwent an extensive diet and exercise regimen to achieve the physical appearance Kulkarni envisioned for the character.[110] The film, and Rao's performance, earned unanimous critical acclaim withThe Quint's Stutee Ghosh particularly taking note of "his vacant impassive expression that makes you realise how stifled he feels in a police uniform".[111][112] His performance was featured in several publications' lists of the best Hindi cinema performances of the year.[113][114][115] He also earned his first Best Actor award at Filmfare.[116]
Rao followed this with the thriller filmHIT: The First Case, a remake of the 2020 Telugu film of thesame name.[117] Co-starring Sanya Malhotra, Rao, once again, portrayed a police officer who works in the Homicide Intervention Team (HIT). Critics generally considered the film inferior to the original but appreciated Rao's performance;[118][119] Devesh Sharma ofFilmfare praised him for ensuring that a weak script did not hinder his performance and praised his chemistry with Malhotra.[120] BothBadhaai Do andHIT: The First Case were commercial failures.[121][122] After making a brief cameo appearance reprising his role fromStree inBhediya, Rao starred alongsideRadhika Apte andHuma Qureshi inVasan Bala'sMonica, O My Darling.[123][124] Released directly on to Netflix, he expressed his indifference toward the film receiving commercial success and that his primary hope was for the film's content to be appreciated.[125] Rao's performance was praised by Anna MM Vetticad ofFirstpost who took note of his ability to distinguish his roles as police officers without becoming monotonous.[126]
Bheed—a social thriller inblack-and-white about the events that transpired during theCOVID-19 lockdown in India—was Rao's sole theatrical release of 2023.[127] The film received positive critical acclaim; however, its box-office performance was limited due to its controversial political themes.[128][129] Rao's consistent portrayal of "troubled police officers" earned praise from Deepa Gahlot ofRediff.com.[130] He followed this by portraying a mechanic who is the reluctant heir to his father's criminal empire in Netflix'sGuns & Gulaabs, reteaming withRaj & DK afterStree.[131] Set against the backdrop of the 1990s in the fictitious town of Gulaabgani, Rao assists a police officer (played byDulquer Salmaan) in bringing down a high-profileopium deal. Writing forThe Hindu, Shilajit Misra found Rao's portrayal of the character to be reminiscent ofCharlie Chaplain.[132]
2024 onwards
Rao had four releases in 2024 and began by portraying visually-impaired industrialistSrikanth Bolla in his biopicSrikanth.[133] To authentically capture the mannerisms of the visually-impaired, Rao spent time at schools for the blind and engaged in conversations with the students. He also analysed videos of Bolla to accurately emulate his body language.[134]Srikanth ended Rao's series of commercial failures and earned positive critical reception.[135] Reviewers forFirstpost andScroll.in deemed his performance among the best in his career.[136][137] In the unremarkable sports dramaMr. & Mrs. Mahi, Rao portrayed a failed cricket player who vicariously fulfils his aspirations to pursue the sport through his wife (played by Janhvi Kapoor).[138][139] Sampada Sharma ofThe Indian Express took note of problematic toxic masculine traits in Rao's character, particularly in the objectification of his wife, but Shilajit Mitra wrote that he "effectively sells the frustration and peevishness of a dunce like Mahendra".[140][141]
The highest-grossing film of Rao's career came in the horror sequelStree 2, in which he reprised his role as Vicky.[142] He admitted that the film's substantial success gave his confidence a "much-needed" lift.[143] While acknowledging his comic timing,WION's Shomini Sen felt that Rao had been overshadowed by the performances of the supporting cast, butThe Times of India's Abhishek Srivastava thought that he was in "top-form".[144][145]Stree 2 emerged as thehighest-grossing Hindi film of 2024 as well as theseventh highest-grossing Hindi film of all time, with a worldwide gross of over₹8.75 billion (US$100 million).[146][147] InVicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, Rao andTriptii Dimri played newlyweds in 1997 searching for their missing sex tape.[148] Citing it as one of his rare weak performances in a negative review of the film,Hindustan Times' Rishabh Suri believed that Rao had been constrained by poor-writing, though he appreciated his comic timing.[149]Mint's Udita Jhunjhunwala analysed that Rao had begun to betypecast as "the small-town boy facing a harrowing situation".[150]
He will next play the eponymous role in the action thrillerMaalik, star in the Netflix comedy filmToaster and appear in the fantasy filmBhool Chuk Maaf.[151][152]
Rao donated an undisclosed amount of money to thePM CARES Fund, the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund andZomato's Feeding India to help feed families in need because of theCOVID-19 pandemic in India.[158]
^Masand, Rajeev (30 November 2012)."Strangers in the night".RajeevMasand.com.Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved8 December 2012.
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