Rajkummar Rao is one of the most versatile and dedicated actors in Bollywood. He is known for doing a diverse range of roles throughout his career. Whether he’s playing a tormented journalist in Aligarh, a man trapped in a deserted apartment in Trapped, or an obsessive lover in Judgementall Hai Kya, pick out any top Rajkummar Rao movies and you’ll see his acting prowess shine through. Now, amid the success of his recent release Stree 2 in the theatres, this talented actor will be celebrating his 40th birthday.
Today, as August 31 marks Rajkummar Rao’s birthday, let’s delve into some lesser-known facts about the actor.
1. Name Change for Success
Did you know Rajkummar Rao originally spelled his name as Raj Kumar Yadav? Yes, that’s his real name. He then changed the Yadav to Rao and added an extra ‘M’ to his first name, all because his Mom believes in numerology. Now, isn’t that sweet?
2. Martial Arts Enthusiast
Since Rao doesn’t play many action-filled roles, one might find it surprising that Rao is a national-level gold medalist in Taekwondo.
3. Theatre Roots
Looking at his acting skills, many might have already guessed it, but yes, Rajkummar Rao was involved in theatre with Kshitij Theatre Group and the Shri Ram Centre in Delhi. He also enrolled in a two-year acting course at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
4. First Acting Income
Rao’s journey to stardom wasn’t easy. After struggling for almost a year, he finally got his debut role in Love Sex Aur Dhokha. However, you’d be surprised to know that even as a lead he only earned ₹11,000!
5. Extraordinary Role-Prep
One of the most popular Rajkummar Rao facts is how intensely he prepares for his roles. For Trapped, he only had a cup of black coffee and two carrots in a day. He even insisted on giving real blood for certain scenes to enhance authenticity.
6. A Passion for Dance
Not a lot of people know this, but Rajkummar Rao once revealed that he had auditioned for the dance reality show Boogie Woogie before finding his calling as an actor.
7. Fasts Every Friday
A lesser-known personal detail is that our beloved Rajkummar Rao fasts every Friday. It’s a practice he started at the age of 16 following his mother’s fasts for Santoshi Ma.
8. Unmatched Dedication
Another great fact about Rajkummar Rao is his unmatched dedication to doing any role as realistically as possible. For example, to prepare for this role in Omerta, Rao went through grueling research. This included watching real-life execution videos to get into the mindset of his character. Now we know what resulted in one of his most chilling performances!
9. The FTII Connection
Did you know Rajkummar Rao and his wife Patralekha knew each other from FTII? Although they started seeing each other after working on a short film together, the couple knew each other from their FTII days.
10. Hottest Vegan
Now, we all know Rajkummar Rao is vegetarian, but did you know he was also listed as India’s Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity in 2017 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)? In the same year, he also appeared on Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list and GQ magazine’s list of 50 Most Influential Young Indians.
The best Rajkummar Rao movies are a testament to his dedication, versatility, and willingness to push boundaries. With his impeccable performances, Rao continues to surprise and impress both critics and audiences alike. Watch Rajkummar Rao movies online and celebrate his special day with ZEE5! Here’s to another year of groundbreaking movies with Rajkummar Rao!
