Why Did Rajkummar Rao Drop Yadav From His Name?

India-West News Desk

MUMBAI – Rajkummar Rao is basking in the success of his latest film, Stree 2, which has garnered widespread acclaim. The movie, co-starring Shraddha Kapoor, has further solidified Rao’s position as one of Bollywood’s most talented actors.

Amidst his rising popularity, Rao addressed questions about his name change, a practice common in Bollywood where actors often adopt stage names. For instance, Kiara Advani changed her name from Alia to avoid confusion with Alia Bhatt, a well-established actress in the industry.

He explained that with multiple Rajkummars in the industry, including well-known directors Rajkummar Hirani and Rajkummar Santoshi, he wanted to ensure his name stood out. “There’s no such rule. I had never used a surname before. Even in my passport, it’s just Rajkummar. This is for people to not get confused as to which Rajkummar you are talking about… And Rao is a title which is given to Yadavs, so I started using it,” he said.