Stree 2 Actor Rajkummar Rao Explains Why He Changed His Surname: ‘Aisa Koi Rule Nahin Hai’

Rajkummar Rao’s latest movie Stree 2 has seen tremendous success, making a big splash at the box office. His role is paired with Shraddha Kapoor. In a recent talk, he shed some light on his choice to drop ‘Yadav’ from his surname. He assured that his decision was motivated by personal reasons and not industry norms. He clarified that he seldom used his full surname. He decided to simply stick to Rajkummar to avoid getting mixed up with other actors bearing the same name.
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During a recent chat with Shubhankar Mishra, the Stree 2 actor added, “Mere passport mein bhi sirf Rajkummar hee tha (There’s no such rule. I had never used a surname before. Even in my passport, it’s just Rajkummar).” He pointed out that his decision was guided by the confusion that comes up as there are quite a few personalities named Rajkummar in the showbiz industry. By choosing ‘Rao’ as his second name, he was aiming to carve out a distinctive and singular identity.
He added, “This is for people to not get confused as to which Rajkummar you are talking about. Rajkummar Hirani, Santoshi, Gupta, or this one. And Rao is a title which is given to Yadavs, so I started using it.”
Rajkummar Rao opened up about his humble background characterized by economic hardships in a conversation with Raj Shamani recently. Although he admitted to facing financial difficulties during his upbringing, he stressed that his childhood never crossed into extreme deprivation.
Rajkummar belonged to a big family with two siblings, and despite the money struggles, their mother ensured they never felt lacking in any way; familial support often bridged the gap. He openly expressed gratitude towards his school teachers who sponsored his education for a couple of years, witnessing the promise in him. Even though his academic prowess wasn’t one of the best, he was exceptionally good in dance and martial arts.
Rajkummar Rao had quite a bustling year in terms of his acting career, featuring in films such as Srikanth and the sports-focused drama, Mr. & Mrs. Mahi, where he shares the screen with Janhvi Kapoor. Additionally, he’s fresh off the sets from his latest venture, Stree 2, which is a sequel to the hit 2018 film, featuring co-stars like Shraddha Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, and Pankaj Tripathi. Meanwhile, he’s gearing up for his next film, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, also starring Triptii Dimri, set to hit theaters on 11th October.