- Rajkummar Rao transformed physically for his biopic Nikam, gaining 9-10 kgs without prosthetics
- He recently completed shooting for Nikam, a film about prosecutor Ujjwal Deorao Nikam
- Rao clarified his viral look was for Nikam, not his upcoming Sourav Ganguly biopic
Rajkummar Rao is one of the few actors in the Hindi film industry who believes in method acting. To infuse life into his on-screen characters, he has never shied away from experimenting with physical transformations. Whether it's his character in Trapped or Bose: Dead/Alive, Rajkummar Rao is always at it.
After the Internet started talking about his viral look, the actor issued a clarification, revealing it was for his upcoming biopic Nikam. While a large section of the Internet assumed this look was for the Sourav Ganguly biopic, Rao confirmed he will now prep for it after wrapping up Nikam.
Rajkummar titled his long post: "My being is through my art."
He wrote: "Just finished shooting for my next biopic #NIKAM and yes, it has demanded that I change physically—which I love doing. I'm not a believer in prosthetics as long as I can achieve the look through my hard work, which I've done in Nikam—be it gaining weight or looking old (to play a certain age), or making my hair thin (which my hair stylist was very much against), but everyone told me not to go half-bald for Bose also, and to gain that much weight, or not stop eating and lose so much weight for Trapped, or not behave like a visually impaired person even when cameras weren't rolling during Srikanth."
"For Nikam, I had to gain around 9-10 kgs, and I was eating 2 pizzas, lots of sweets, and my fav aloo parathas and biryani—and not using anything glam to look the part. Hopefully, when you see the film, which will release soon, you'll see all that hard work on screen."
Sharing an update about the Sourav Ganguly biopic, Rajkummar wrote: "And now it's the transition phase and time to lose these extra kgs and get ready to slip into Ganguly mode. Our very own Dada. Will always work the hardest to engage you and entertain you through my work. Much love."
About Nikam
Though details of Nikam have been kept under wraps, the film is reportedly based on Ujjwal Deorao Nikam, an Indian special public prosecutor who has worked on prominent murder and terrorism cases. He was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India, representing the field of law, in 2025.
Sourav Ganguly Biopic
Confirming he's playing the titular role, Rao told NDTV: "Now that Dada has already said it, let me also make it official—yes, I am playing him in his biopic."
He admitted to being "extremely nervous" about the role, adding: "I am nervous... It's a huge responsibility, but it's going to be a lot of fun." He also expressed confidence in mastering the Bengali accent for the film.
Rajkummar Rao was last seen in Maalik in 2025.