It’ll Take More than a Meme to Bring Rajkummar Rao Down

When his upcoming film Srikanth was first offered to him, Rajkummar Rao felt daunted by the challenge of portraying a visually-impaired character. In a recent interview with Film Companion’s editor-in-chief Anupama Chopra, the actor spoke in detail about his preparation for the role, from spending extended amounts of time with blind people in order to understand them and stay away from stereotypical caricatures, to immersing himself into the character of Srikanth for every moment he was on set. “I told myself that I can’t see anything,” said Rao about his brand of method acting. “If I fall, I fall. On set, people were helping me get from point A to point B.” With three more highly-anticipated releases lined up for this year — Mr. and Mrs. Mahi, Stree 2 and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video — Rao is the man of the moment. 

However, the reason he’s gone viral in recent times is not his prodigious acting talent, but a photo taken of him at singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Mumbai. The actor looked unrecognisable in the image, earning Rao monikers like “Mr. Chin-credible” and an unwelcome entry into meme culture. For his part, Rao has taken it in his stride and in conversation with Film Companion, he quipped, “I’m the kind of person who can keep my chin up.”

Rao is the latest in a string of industry men who have been trolled for their appearance, from their weight (Arjun Kapoor, Uday Chopra) to their fashion (Karan Johar, Ranveer Singh). Most recently, there was much conjecture about how Ranbir Kapoor is not ‘ageing well’. In the age of social media, there’s a perception that celebrities are more accessible, especially when they’re active online. Alongside comes an intense paparazzi culture, which has reached an all-time high in Mumbai. This perceived access to celebrities brings with it heightened scrutiny and merciless trolling — whether it’s Parineeti Chopra’s choice of footwear or the way Malaika Arora walks. Rao said that the pressure on men in the industry to conform to beauty and fitness standards is now “the same” as it is for women. “One wrong angle, one wrong picture, one wrong moment captured on camera, and people will just talk about it for no reason,” Rao told Film Companion. 

The kind of virality that Rao has recently encountered feels reductive for an actor of his calibre, but those close to him assured him it was a good thing because it meant he was “a part of meme culture now”. Admittedly, the rumours about Rao having had cosmetic procedures has given him some renewed relevance — the actor maintained he has not had any work done — which will perhaps translate into interest in his upcoming films. 

On screen, Rao has often played the relatable boy-next-door, exuding an effortless charm, wit and likeability through his characters. He’s also taken on films like Shahid (2012), Trapped (2016) and Newton (2017) that most would consider intimidating challenges. Off screen, the actor presents himself as good-humoured and resilient, smiling through the hurtful jibes and focusing on silver linings. He’s also among that rare tribe of actors who doesn’t hesitate to appreciate his colleagues, as is evident from the fulsome praise he lavished upon Dosanjh for his performance in Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila (2024).

Rao takes comfort in the fact that his remarkable body of work will inevitably eclipse the clamour about his personal life. “Eventually, it’s the work people will talk about, and that is the most important thing to me,” he said. “Your talent speaks for itself.”