Gajraj Rao Says Irrfan, Manoj Bajpayee Inspire Him To Chase Excellence

MUMBAI — Actor Gajraj Rao has named legendary actors Irrfan and Manoj Bajpayee as his mentors, saying fellow actors in the industry inspire him and push him to chase excellence.

Rao made the comments during the latest episode of the ‘Pehla Pehla’ podcast hosted by actor Gopal Datt, where he reflected on the people and experiences that have shaped his journey in Indian cinema.

“You look for your mentors. I have many mentors. Irrfan, Manoj Bajpayee, they are my mentors. You look at them from a distance and see how they handle themselves. Anil Kapoor maintained himself in the 80s and 90s, and he is still trying to do that kind of work with that energy. Akshay Kumar, people have different opinions. I have worked with him in ‘Jolly LLB 3’, and I have changed my opinion about him”.

Rao said his view of Akshay Kumar changed after working with him and seeing his approach to work firsthand.

“Earlier, I used to hear what kind of person he is. You believe in hearsay. But he is very innocent. He is disciplined. Again, he is continuously working. He might do six things, four of them might be bad. But doing bad things is not a crime. No one has a formula. You never intentionally do bad things”.

The podcast also touches on Rao’s journey in the industry, including his early struggles and the unexpected turns that shaped his career, but his reflections on fellow actors underline the importance he places on observing and learning from those with established careers.

The ‘Pehla Pehla’ podcast episode with Gopal Datt is available to stream on the YouTube channel of IVM Pop. (IANS)