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Rajkummar Rao reveals he used to stand outside Shah Rukh Khanâs Mannat when he first came to Mumbai
Rajkummar Rao appeared on Amitabh Bachchan’s Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 alongside Wamiqa Gabbi and Ujjwal Nikam, whose life and career form the basis of his upcoming film Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam.
During the episode, Rao spoke about his admiration for Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan and reflected on how their journeys from Delhi inspired him as an aspiring actor. Bachchan, in turn, shared his own experience of working with Shah Rukh and spoke about the quality he admires most in the superstar.
During the show, Bachchan asked Rao about his admiration for Shah Rukh Khan and pointed out their shared Delhi connection. Rao said, “Sir, since you are from Delhi yourself, and I too had decided at a very young age that I wanted to pursue acting… Also, there used to be a poster of yours in my mother’s room because you have always been number one, and we have all drawn inspiration from you. As I was saying, I was deeply inspired by Shah Rukh Sir’s journey; how a boy from a middle-class family in Delhi started out in theatre, did numerous TV shows, and eventually became a massive superstar. When I first came to Mumbai for a show, though I didn’t get selected, I used to stand outside his bungalow, right in front of Mannat.”
Bachchan then shared his own experience of working with Shah Rukh. He said, “Main batata hoon maine unke saath kaam kiya hai aur woh aise insaan hain ki woh kisi bhi baat par haar nahi maante. Koi bhi samasya ho, woh sirf bolte hain aur saamne wale ka confidence kitna badhaate hain. (I have worked with him, and he is the kind of person who never gives up on anything; no matter the problem, just by speaking, he boosts the other person’s confidence tremendously).”
The conversation comes ahead of the release of Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, in which Rao plays the veteran public prosecutor. Directed by Avinash Arun and also starring Wamiqa Gabbi, Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikandar Kher, the biographical courtroom drama explores Nikam’s career and some of the high-profile cases he handled. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on October 16, 2026.
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