Rajkummar Rao responds to a fan's plea to avoid doing propaganda movies

Rajkummar Rao recently posted details about his physical transformation for the character, gaining weight and embracing a thinner hairline for realism.

Rajkummar Rao recently addressed a fan comment on Instagram, emphasising his commitment to authentic storytelling as he prepares for his upcoming biopic, Nikam. In the post, Rajkummar shared details of his physical transformation for the role, including intentional hair thinning and weight gain, to realistically portray celebrated public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.

Rajkummar Rao recently shared details of his physical transformation for the character in his upcoming film Nikam, while also responding to a fan's request not to make propaganda films.

Rajkummar reacts when fan asked him not to work in propganad films

In his caption, Rajkummar explained that for Nikam, he gained around 9–10 kilograms, embraced a thinner hairline, and avoided prosthetics wherever possible. He reflected on his process for previous roles, including Bose, Trapped, and Srikanth, stressing that physical preparation is central to his approach to embodying characters. “My being is through my art,” he wrote, underlining his dedication to authenticity.

The post was filled with supportive comments from fans and industry colleagues, many praising Rajkummar’s commitment to fully inhabiting his characters. Among the responses, one fan politely requested that he avoid making “propaganda films,” commenting: “Please do not do propaganda films sir (folded hand emoji).” Rajkummar replied emphatically yet respectfully, writing “NEVER,” signalling that he would never take on projects of that nature.

A screenshot of the comments section of Rajkummar Rao's latest post on Instagram.

The discussion comes amid ongoing social media conversations about films perceived by some viewers as politically charged or propagandistic. Recently, films like Dhurandhar, a spy thriller starring Ranveer Singh, have been described by certain online commentators as “propaganda,” sparking debates about representation and storytelling in contemporary Indian cinema.

Rajkummar Rao's upcoming projects

Nikam, directed by Avinash Arun and produced by Maddock Films, chronicles some of Nikam’s most notable cases, including the 1993 Bombay blasts and the 2008 Mumbai train attacks. The biopic is expected to release later in 2026, with Rajkummar Rao already preparing for his next major project: portraying former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly in a much-anticipated biopic directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, set to go into production in early 2026.