‘I was no Ranbir Kapoor or Ranveer Singh’: Gajraj Rao recalls wife’s reaction to his apprehensions on doing Badhaai Ho

Actor Gajraj Rao has revealed his wife, Sanjana Rao’s reaction after he shared his apprehensions about his role in the 2018 film Badhaai Ho with her. In a recent interview, he recalled that she called him neither ‘Ranbir Kapoor or Ranveer Singh’ and that he should take on the role. 

Helmed by Amit Sharma, Badhaai Ho revolves around a woman in her 50s who gets pregnant and has to face the wrath of society. The film features the late Surekha Sikri, Ayushmann Khurrana, Neena Gupta, and Sanya Malhotra. It completed three years on Monday. The film has bagged several National Awards.

In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, he said, “Badhaai Ho changed my life! Amit Sharma (director) and I have known each other for more than two decades. When he narrated the script to me, I found it amazing. My first thought was, ‘Is this for real? Am I actually getting this offer?’, before realising that it indeed was real… But then, my apprehensions kicked in and I was conscious if I could do justice with the character of Jitendra Kaushik because never before was I offered such a big role. But Amit was hellbent on casting me.”

Speaking on his wife’s reaction, Gajraj Rao said, “When I told my wife that it was a story about a couple expecting a child in their 50s and that people might make fun of me, she blatantly stated that I was no Ranbir Kapoor or Ranveer Singh, and even if the film does not work, it won’t affect my career or image. So I decided to go ahead with it.”

Also Read | 3 years of Badhaai Ho: Remembering Surekha Sikri through her hit dialogues from the film

Meanwhile, Gajraj Rao will be next seen in Maidaan which will release in cinemas on June 3, 2022. Helmed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma, it also features Ajay Devgn and Boman Irani.