'Srikanth' actor Rajkummar Rao reflects on his days of struggle, recalling a time when he found himself with only Rs 18 in his bank account.
Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao serves as a shining example of achieving success in the film industry despite starting as an outsider. With more than ten years in the industry, the talented actor has established himself through a series of powerful performances.
But, his journey till here has been far from easy. During an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, the actor candidly discussed the harsh realities of his financial struggles back in the early days, recounting various instances.
Discussing his pre-fame struggles in Mumbai, the ‘Badhaai Do’ actor remarked, “The most difficult time was facing financial difficulty and getting no work. My mother supported me a lot and when I would run out of money, she would arrange it and send. I remember once I was left with only Rs 18 in my account and that too in a city like Mumbai. I used to spend very frugally. We three used to live in one flat and I used to skip lunch and have one Parle Ji and Frooti for lunch. My lunch would cost me Rs 4 at the time.”
While he grappled with financial difficulties, his batch-mates from Film and Television Institute of India frequently came to his aid. “Now, the day I was left with only Rs 18, I was thinking what will I do? We have a FTII committee in Mumbai. A lot of our seniors and juniors live here. So, you can ring anybody and ask them what are they having for dinner and if you can come.”
Even before arriving in Mumbai, the actor began preparing for his acting career. Recounting his time in Delhi, he described how he would cycle more than 100 kilometers every day to reach his acting school. “I started preparing to become an actor after school. After completing school, I joined Sri Ram Centre in Delhi, it’s an acting school. I was 18 at the time. So, somebody told me to join college for graduation so that I can get a bus pass. In that way you can save money. I got to know this very late. Before that I used to go to the acting school on bicycle and would ride the cycle for 70 kilometers up and down. I would hear songs like ‘Lakshya Ko Har Haal Me Pana Hai,’ ‘Papa Kahte Hain’ and all on my walkman on my way there. It sounds filmy now but it used to be a lot of fun.”
Work wise, his latest release, ‘Srikanth,’ hit theatres today, May 10. Soon after, he will be seen in ‘Mr. & Mrs. Mahi’ as well as ‘Stree 2.’