Rajkumar Rao: A unique identity
Rajkumar Rao is one of those actors of Hindi cinema who has created a distinct identity through his chosen characters. He has played a variety of characters, ranging from serious social issues to inspirational life stories. Amidst the buzz about his new film 'Prahar', the performance of his previous biopic films is also gaining attention. The stories of these films have been based on real persons or events, but not all have achieved similar results at the box office. Some won the hearts of the audience even with limited budget, while some did not earn the expected amount despite good acting. Let's take a look at his four major films and their commercial performance.
'Shahid': earnings and national honor
The 2012 film 'Shahid' is one of the important films of Rajkumar Rao's career. In this he played the role of human rights lawyer Shahid Azmi. Despite the limited budget and getting fewer screens, the film received positive response and accordingly, it grossed around Rs four crore.
The film was directed by Hansal Mehta. Rajkumar's impressive performance was widely appreciated and he even received the National Film Award for Best Actor for the role. This film is an example of the fact that even a small budget story can make a mark on the basis of strong acting and theme.
'Omerta': Challenging character, but lack of earnings
Rajkummar Rao played the role of terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh in 'Omerta', released in 2018. This character was quite challenging due to its subject matter and psychological complexity. The film was directed by Hansal Mehta and the actor's performance was also appreciated.
However, the film did not receive the expected audience in theatres. As per available data, its turnover was around Rs 4 crore and it was considered weak from commercial point of view. It shows that serious subjects and an artist's hard work don't always translate into big box office results.
'Aligarh': Received praise, but earnings did not increase
Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkumar Rao's film 'Aligarh' was released in 2016. Its story was based on the life of Professor Srinivas Ramchandra Siras of Aligarh Muslim University. The film raised sensitive issues such as homosexuality, privacy and social discrimination.
Manoj Bajpayee played the lead role, while Rajkummar Rao played the role of a journalist. The film received praise for the acting and theme, but as of now, its business was around Rs 2.5 crore. It was not considered commercially successful.
'Srikanth': Story of success through struggle
'Srikanth', released in 2024, was based on the life of industrialist Shrikant Bola. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, the film starred Rajkummar Rao as a visually impaired entrepreneur who sets up his business despite difficult circumstances.
Other actors including Jyotika were also seen in the film. As per the available box office figures, it earned around Rs 63 crore and was declared a semi-hit. The film also got good response from the audience on OTT.
The difference between acting appreciation and earning
It is clear from these films of Rajkumar Rao that the performance of the artist in the biopic and the commercial success of the film are two different parameters. 'Shahid' brought him national recognition, while 'Omerta' and 'Aligarh' received limited earnings despite appreciation for his acting. 'Srikanth' performed relatively well commercially with an inspiring story. Now the audience remains interested in 'Prahar' and the proposed biopic of Sourav Ganguly. It will be interesting to see how Rajkummar Rao portrays his characters on screen in these projects.