Date: Saturday, May 24, 2025: Rajkummar Rao is a famous Indian actor. He works in Hindi films. His real name is Raj Kumar Yadav. He was born on 31 August 1984 in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. He comes from a simple, middle-class family. His family did not have much money. Rajkummar loved acting from a young age. He started acting in school plays when he was in class 10.
Early Life and Education
Rajkummar grew up in Gurgaon. His family was big and joint. They were movie lovers. He went to Blue Bells Model School in Gurgaon. Sometimes, his family had money problems. There was a time when Rajkummar could not pay his school fees. His teachers helped him and paid his fees for two years. He finished his schooling in Gurgaon. He then went to Delhi University and studied Arts.
While studying in Delhi, Rajkummar joined theatre groups. He acted in plays with Kshitij Repertory and SRC in Delhi. He loved performing on stage. After college, he wanted to learn more about acting. So, he joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. He finished his acting course in 2008.
Rajkummar Rao Age, Wikipedia, Biography, Net Worth, Wife, Children, Father, Family
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rajkummar Rao (born Raj Kumar Yadav) |
| Date of Birth | 31 August 1984 |
| Place of Birth | Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
| Education | Schooling: Gurgaon; Graduation: Arts from Delhi University; Acting: FTII, Pune |
| Early Theatre | Kshitij Repertory and SRC, Delhi |
| Debut Film | Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010) |
| Notable Films | Shahid, Kai Po Che!, Queen, CityLights, Aligarh, Trapped, Newton, Stree, Badhaai Do |
| Awards | National Film Award (Shahid), Four Filmfare Awards, Asia Pacific Screen Award |
| Spouse | Patralekha (actress) |
| Major Achievements | Forbes India Celebrity 100 (2017), National Icon by Election Commission (2023) |
| Known For | Versatility, realistic acting, roles in both independent and commercial cinema |
| Recent Films | Srikanth (2024), Stree 2 (2024), Mr. & Mrs. Mahi (2024), Bheed (2023) |
| Highest Grossing | Stree 2 (2024) |
Struggles in Mumbai
After FTII, Rajkummar moved to Mumbai. He wanted to become a film actor. But life in Mumbai was not easy. He had very little money. Sometimes, he had only 18 rupees in his bank account. He lived in a small house. He paid Rs 7000 as his share of rent, which was a lot for him. He needed about Rs 15,000-20,000 every month to live in Mumbai.
Rajkummar did not have good clothes or much knowledge about how to look for auditions. He and his friend Vinod, who was also an actor, used to travel on bikes for auditions. They would clean each other's faces with rose water before auditions. Sometimes, he did not even have enough food to eat.
First Steps in Bollywood
Rajkummar gave many auditions for almost one and a half years. He did not get any roles at first. Finally, in 2010, he saw an advertisement. The ad said that director Dibakar Banerjee was looking for new actors. Rajkummar auditioned and got his first film role in "Love Sex Aur Dhokha" (2010). He was paid Rs 16,000 for this film.
Before this, he had a small role as a newsreader in the film "Rann" (2010). He got only Rs 3000 for this work. After his debut, Rajkummar kept working hard. He acted in small roles in films like "Ragini MMS" (2011), "Shaitan" (2011), and "Gangs of Wasseypur 2" (2012).
Breakthrough and Success
Rajkummar's big break came in 2013. He acted in two important films: "Kai Po Che!" and "Shahid". In "Kai Po Che!", he played a young businessman. The film was a big hit. In "Shahid", he played the role of Shahid Azmi, a real-life lawyer. His acting in "Shahid" was praised by everyone. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for this film.
After this, Rajkummar acted in many good films. Some of his important movies are:
"Queen" (2014)
"CityLights" (2014)
"Aligarh" (2016)
"Trapped" (2016)
"Bareilly Ki Barfi" (2017)
"Newton" (2017)
"Stree" (2018)
In "Trapped", he played a man locked in a flat with no food or water. For this, he won another Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor. "Newton" was selected as India’s entry for the Oscars. He won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actor for "Newton".
"Stree" (2018) was his biggest commercial hit. It was a horror-comedy film. Rajkummar played the role of a ladies’ tailor. The film was loved by the audience.
Recent Work
Rajkummar continued to do different roles in films like "Ludo" (2020), "The White Tiger" (2021), "Badhaai Do" (2022), "Monica, O My Darling" (2022), "Bheed" (2023), and "Srikanth" (2024). In "Badhaai Do", he played a closeted gay man. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for this role. His highest-grossing film is "Stree 2" (2024).
Personal Life
Rajkummar Rao is married to actress Patralekha. They were in a relationship for many years before marriage. He is a devotee of Lord Ganesha and loves dogs. He was named the ‘National Icon’ by the Election Commission of India in October 2023 to motivate people to vote.
Awards and Achievements
Rajkummar has won many awards:
National Film Award for Best Actor ("Shahid")
Four Filmfare Awards
Asia Pacific Screen Award ("Newton")
Many critics and popular awards
He was also on Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list in 2017.
Interesting Facts
Rajkummar was not a big reader before. After reading Robert De Niro’s biography, he started loving books.
For his role in "Raabta" (2017), he spent 5-6 hours daily in make-up to look like a 324-year-old man.
He did the film "Talaash" (2012) just to act with Aamir Khan, his inspiration.
Conclusion
Rajkummar Rao’s story is about hard work and dreams. He started with nothing. He faced many problems. But he never gave up. Today, he is one of the best actors in India. He is loved by fans and respected by critics. Rajkummar Rao shows that with talent and hard work, anyone can achieve success.