The 40-year-old actor played Vicky in 'Stree' (2018) and later reprised his role in 'Stree 2' (2024).
We all knew 'Stree 2' would perform well as the first part, 'Stree', was a rollercoaster ride of thrill, laughter, and emotions. However, the sequel has gone way beyond our expectations and has literally set the box office on fire. It's been over two weeks since the film hit theatres - and there's absolutely no sign of it slowing down.
We won't delve into the ongoing debates regarding who deserves the most credit for 'Stree 2's mammoth success. It actually belongs to everyone involved - from writers to the director to the technicians to the music composers to the ensemble cast. Having said that, it also goes without saying that the heart of the film is Rajkummar Rao as Vicky Pleej. His brilliant performance in both films leaves us in laughter riots like no other, and we can never get enough of it! Whether it's his timing, expressions, dialogue delivery, or dance moves - Rao hits the bull's eye effortlessly in every frame that he appears in.
It's Rajkummar Rao's 40th birthday today.On this occasion, let's learn an interesting fact about how he prepared for his role in ‘Stree’.
Rajkummar Rao is a method actor, and he draws inspiration from real life for his roles. For his role as Vicky in the 'Stree' franchise, he was inspired by a bus conductor in Haryana for some mannerisms.
In his own words, "I pick up a lot from life. The way I say ‘Hello!’ in 'Bareilly Ki Barfi', that’s how my brother-in-law speaks. Whenever I called him, he would say ‘Hello’ in that typical style of his and I found it very fascinating. So I decided that I was going to use that for one of my characters. Then I used to travel from Gurgaon in Haryana Roadways buses to do theatre in Delhi and you meet so many kinds of people there. I used to have this diary, in which I would make notes whenever I found someone interesting. This one time, I saw a conductor who would keep saying ‘Theek, theek, theek, theek’. He would say, ‘Kahan jaanahaiaapko, Dhaula Kuan? Theek, theek, theek, theek’. I used that in 'Stree' much later.”
Rajkummar Rao was mostly confined to serious roles (the only exception being 'Bareilly Ki Barfi') before 'Stree' happened. With the 2018 supernatural thriller directed by Amar Kaushik, the actor showcased his prowess in the mainstream arena, carving out his place as an A-list star. Also, the film grossed an estimated ₹181 crore at the box office against a budget of ₹23–25 crore. On the other hand, it received ten nominations at the 64th Filmfare Awards.
Speaking about the success of 'Stree 2', Rao shared in a recent interview, "We were sure that the film would get lot of love because of the love that Stree 1 got. There’s a big fan-following for Stree, including me. I am a huge fan of Stree myself. But these numbers are way above our expectations. We are glad and super elated. There’s a lot of gratitude that this is happening with a film like Stree because it is a content-driven film."
Happy Birthday, Rao. Best Wishes For All Your Upcoming Endeavors!
