- Home
- Entertainment & Celebrity
- Gajraj Rao on Being Overlooked ...
Actor Gajraj Rao, best known for his breakthrough role in Badhaai Ho, recently shared his past frustration over not being approached by top filmmakers like Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. However, a reality check from his wife changed his perspective, helping him find contentment in his career journey.
A Shift in Perspective
In an interview with Fever FM, Gajraj Rao revealed that for a long time, he tried to catch the attention of big-name directors like Karan Johar, Bhansali, and Rohit Shetty but felt ignored. His frustration grew until his wife gave him a candid piece of advice.
“She told me, ‘You aren’t even on their radar. Karan Johar’s world is made up of other people. Instead of chasing them, consider the filmmakers who actually want to work with you as your own Karan Johar or Bhansali,’” he recalled.
Letting Go of the ‘Khatarnak Urge’
This realization became a moment of enlightenment for Rao, who admitted that his earlier obsession with working with certain filmmakers had been emotionally draining.
“For years, I held on to the hope of working with Karan and Bhansali, and it was eating me up inside. I would try to reach out to them, but for whatever reason, they didn’t respond. Then I thought—Hitesh Bhatia is my Rohit Shetty, Sonam Nair is my Bhansali. It’s not that I don’t want to work with Bhansali anymore, but it’ll happen when it happens. That desperate urge is gone,” he said.
Embracing His Own Path
Currently starring in Dupahiya on Prime Video and Dabba Cartel on Netflix, Rao has accepted that there are limited roles for middle-aged actors. However, his newfound perspective has freed him from unnecessary competition.
“I’ve always avoided the rat race. I’d rather be the tortoise than the rabbit. I don’t like the hassle anymore,” he added.
Last year, Gajraj Rao appeared in Maidaan, Bad Newz, and Yudhra, proving that he continues to carve out his own successful path in the industry—on his own terms.
