Meet actor who bought desi ghee with first salary, cycled 140 km daily for acting, worked with Janhvi Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, and is now making headlines

Meet the actor who, being an outsider, has etched his name in the industry. He once shared that he bought desi ghee from his first salary—a big deal back then. He also revealed he used to cycle 140 km daily to pursue acting lessons. Having worked with Janhvi Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, he’s now in the spotlight again. If you still couldn't find out, it's none other than Rajkummar Rao. The actor is making headlines as the release date and platform of his upcoming film Bhool Chuk Maaf have just been changed by the makers.

Rajkummar Rao grew up in a humble background in Gurugram, Haryana. His father, Satya Prakash Yadav, worked in the government's revenue department, and life was anything but easy. Rajkummar lost his father in 2016, and his mother, Kamlesh Yadav, passed away in 2019.

In 2014, he officially changed his surname from Yadav to Rao and also added an extra 'm' to his name. The Stree 2 actor shared the reason for the same and explained that both surnames are family names, but the double 'm' was a nod to his mother’s belief in numerology. A lesser-known fact about him is that he is also a trained Taekwondo practitioner.

In a candid conversation on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Rajkummar also opened up about the financial struggles he faced growing up. He recalled a particularly tough period when his school teachers paid for his and his siblings’ tuition fees for three years. "They didn’t want us to be taken out of school, so they chipped in," he shared. 

The actor further opened up on what he bought with his first salary during an appearance on the Aapka Apna Zakir show. He reflected on his high school days and shared that he taught dance to a seven-year-old girl for Rs 300. He added that he bought groceries and even managed to buy desi ghee for his family, which was a huge thing for him.

After his school, Rajkummar Rao joined Sri Ram Centre in Delhi to learn acting and would travel 140 km daily by bicycle until one day someone advised him to get enrolled in a college for graduation to get a bus pass and save money.

He was inspired by Manoj Bajpayee and decided to become an actor. In 2008, he joined a two-year acting course at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, before moving to Mumbai to chase his Bollywood dreams. 

The Bhool Chuk Maaf actor’s acting debut came with the anthology film Love S*x Aur Dhokha in 2010. Over the next few years, he earned acclaim for his work in Gangs of Wasseypur—Part 2 and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within.

In an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, Rao opened up about his early days in Mumbai. Struggling to make ends meet, he revealed that he once had only Rs 18 left in his bank account. "We three used to live in one flat, and I used to skip lunch and have one Parle G and Frooti for lunch. My lunch would cost me Rs 4 at the time," the actor said.

Rajkummar Rao’s breakthrough role came in 2013 with critically acclaimed films like Kai Po Che! and Shahid. He then went on to etch his name in the industry with his impeccable performances in films like Queen, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Stree, Ludo, Stree 2 with Shraddha Kapoor, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, Mr & Mrs Mahi with Janhvi Kapoor, and more. 

He will next be seen in Bhool Chuk Maaf with Wamiqa Gabbi, which is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on May 16. The film was earlier set to release in theaters on May 9, but the makers recently announced the change of release date and platform. Apart from this, he also has Maalik in his lineup.

On the personal front, Rajkummar met his now wife and actress Patralekhaa in 2010 and soon began dating. The duo got married in November 2021. Their love story began on the set of a music video. Earlier in an interview with Humans of Bombay, Patralekha humorously revealed that her first impression of Rajkummar was that he was 'creepy.'

Stay tuned for more!