Last updated:December 8, 2024, 20:11 IST
Rajkummar Rao’s inspiring journey from humble beginnings to film stardom is a story of resilience and dedication. Rao, who was named the Entertainment Leader of the Year at the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards 2024, continues to shine with hits like Stree 2.
Rajkummar Rao, named Entertainment Leader of the Year at the 2024 CNBC-TV18 Awards, reflects on his journey from struggle to stardom.
Rajkummar Rao’s journey in Indian cinema is a testament to resilience, passion and unwavering commitment to his art. From humble beginnings to becoming one of the most famous actors in the industry, Rao’s story is as inspiring as the characters he portrays. This year, he added another milestone to his illustrious career with the horror-comedy ‘Street 2’ which broke box office records by earning Rs 550 million worldwide in just 10 days. In recognition of his significant contribution to content-driven storytelling, the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards 2024 named him the Entertainment Leader of the Year.
Celebrating the honor, Rao posted a photo from the event on Instagram and wrote, “It’s a great honor to win the Entertainment Leader of the Year award at the @cnbctv18india India Business Leader Awards. Forever grateful to the viewers, creators and team.
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Rajkummar Rao’s rise to stardom was not without its challenges. In a candid interview with Barkha Dutt, he reflects on his financial struggles growing up in Gurugram, where even basic needs such as school fees were sometimes out of reach.
“I grew up in a joint family in Gurgaon, but I wasn’t brought up with money. It wasn’t enough. “But she didn’t make us feel that way,” Rao said of her mother. Ta. “When things got really tough financially, I had a teacher at school pay for my tuition for months. Money was an issue, but she never made any money.” I feel like there is something wrong with me. For me, it was an impossible dream to someday become a movie actor. But my mother really supported me. ”
Moving to Mumbai in 2008 came with its own set of challenges, from surviving on a shoestring budget to navigating an unfamiliar city with no connections. Rao called those years the toughest years of his life.
“When I came to Mumbai in 2008, it was a very expensive city compared to where I came from. There were days when I didn’t have money to eat, and I didn’t know anyone in the city. I am FTII. I came here with a showreel made by a friend of mine who was an editor, and I thought if I showed it to people, they’d give me a job. But that didn’t happen. It took me two years to get it,” he said.
Despite his struggles, Rao maintains a deep passion for acting and admits that his biggest fear is losing acting opportunities. “The only thing I’m scared of is losing my job. I want to work every day until I die. I just want to be an actor. I’m not afraid of not having enough money. Because I’ve seen it. It can’t get any worse. I’ve seen the worst, and I can’t go any lower.”
