Fresh off wrapping ‘Nikam,’ Rajkummar Rao reveals the grueling yet gratifying physical prep for playing Ujjwal Nikam, the tenacious lawyer behind convictions in 26/11 Mumbai carnage, Gulshan Kumar slaying, and Bombay blast trials.
Opting out of makeup wizardry, Rao engineered a 9-10 kg gain fueled by two pizzas daily, mithai mountains, beloved aloo parathas, and biryani binges. To age convincingly, he overrode his stylist’s objections for a noticeably thinner hairline.
In a candid post, Rao reflected: ‘Nikam’s look needed real changes, ones I dove into headfirst. I shun prosthetics for self-made transformations – bulking, aging, hair loss – no matter the pushback from my hair guy.’
Pattern holds from prior hits. ‘Bosechand’ defied no-gain, no-half-bald rules. ‘Srikanth’ prep featured off-script blind mannerisms in lightless confines, embodying impairment fully.
True to form, Rao bans superficial fixes, chasing unvarnished truth. With ‘Nikam’ behind him, Ganguly biopic beckons, post a weight trim. Audiences can bank on his sweat equity delivering a powerhouse performance that honors Nikam’s legacy.