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- Published: August 31, 2022 15:11
New Delhi: Rajkummar Rao has portrayed a variety of characters on-screen. From playing a terrorist in ‘Omerta’ to Pritam Vidrohi in ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, the actor has stolen everyone’s hearts. Coming from a theatre background, Rajkummar made his debut in films with ‘Love Sex aur Dhokha’ in 2010.
As the actor celebrates his 38th birthday, take a look at his top 7 acting performances that stole the show:
1. Trapped
Trapped is a story of a man who tries to survive and escape after unintentionally getting locked in a flat devoid of food, water and electricity. The 2016 film surely marked the rise of Rajkummar Rao as a strong actor. Depicting the emotions of helplessness, desire and fight, Rajkummar delivered one of his career-best acting performances in the film.
He also won the Filmfare in the Best Actor (Critics) category. The film was made by Vikramaditya Motwane and is surely a masterpiece. ‘Trapped’ is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
2. Shahid
Playing the character of a human rights lawyer Shahid Azmi, Rao took the audience into a whole new world of justice. Delivering a nuanced performance while showing the arc of the character, Rajkummar Rao just nails it. From being in jail to fighting for justice, there is a journey depicted by the actor.
He won the Filmfare in the Best Actor (Critics) category and National Award for his performance in Hansal Mehta’s ‘Shahid’.
3. Newton
2017 was Rao’s year, where he delivered back-to-back fine performances and was loved both by the audience and the critics. In the complex political drama based on elections in Naxalite areas, Rao plays a character named Netwon Kumar, who has the responsibility to conduct the elections in such turmoil. He delivers a complex performance with so ease and his chemistry with his co-actors Pankaj Tripathi, Anjali Patil and Raghuvir Yadav is something to watch out for.
He won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for his performance. The film was directed by Amit Masukar and is available on Amazon Prime Video.
4. Judgementall Hai Kya
The film follows the story of two quirky individuals whose lives pivot between reality and illusions. Playing a really tough character in a psychological thriller was not an easy task. He portrayed a flawed and dark character with ease. A fine performance was also delivered by Kangana Ranaut in the film.
Though the film did not do well at the box office, it is a one-of-its-kind film and a one-of-its-kind acting performance.
5. Omerta
Hansal Mehta surely takes out the best in Rajkummar Rao. In the film, he played the British-born terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who kidnapped and murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. There is a story where he got so deep into the character that he got a bit happy seeing terrorist attacks. Reportedly he also kept videos and pictures of some terrorists on his mobile phone.
His dedication can be seen in his performance. Playing a terrorist in a biopic with such perfection was something only he could have delivered.
6. Bareilly Ki Barfi
In a funny and messed-up love story, Rajkummar Rao played the most interesting character of his career. He puts himself into the shoes of Pritam Vidrohi, who is a different personality in the first half and completely different in the second. With Ayushmann Khurrana, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi and Seema Pahwa delivering some fine performances, it was Rao who stood apart for everyone.
The rom-com directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari is available on Netflix. Rajkummar won the Filmfare for Best Supporting Actor. The film is streaming on Netflix.
7. Stree
The horror-comedy made Rao an actor for the masses and critics. With this film, he not just delivered a fine performance, but he also delivered numbers at the box office and became a household name. The film also helped to change the outlook with which women are seen in society and Rao played a pivotal role in it.
The film is streaming on Disney+Hotstar and is a joy to watch.
Special Mentions
Apart from these seven, the actor has delivered various cracking performances in films. Here are some special mentions:
- Shamshad in Gangs of Wasseypur
- Deepu Sebastian in Aligarh
- Govind in Kai Po Che
