Growing up in Middle Class Environment Helps Any Actor, Says Gajraj Rao

Mumbai: Gajraj Rao credits his middle class upbringing for inspiring some of his most celebrated roles, but the actor says despite having a rich bank of observations he never feels too self assured. Starting out with minor roles in acclaimed films like “Bandit Queen”, “Dil Se”, “Black Friday”, Rao gained popularity with The Viral Fever’s series “Tech Conversations with Dad” in 2018. The actor got widespread acclaim with the National Award-winning “Badhaai Ho!” which released the same year, playing the middle aged man Jeetendra Kaushik grappling with unexpected parenthood. Rao said a habit that has stayed with him since his stage play days is feeling nervous before a performance. “I never get overconfident with my work. Even during theatre, I would remember all my lines but just before the show, I’d go to the washroom, wipe my sweat. Even today, I get anxiety a day before the shoot about how things would unfold,” he told .