Rajkummar Rao (born 31 August 1984) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He has received a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award from three nominations.
Born and raised in Gurgaon, Rao graduated in arts from the University of Delhi and later studied method acting at the Film and Television Institute of India. After graduating, he moved to Mumbai for a film career and made his film debut with the 2010 experimental anthology film Love Sex Aur Dhokha. After starring in brief roles in several of the highly successful Hindi films of the following two years, he achieved success for his breakout role in 2013 with the drama film Kai Po Che!, for which he was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. That same year, he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Shahid Azmi in the biographical drama Shahid. In 2014, Rao played the leading man in the successful dramas, Queen and CityLights. Rao received critical acclaim for portraying a journalist in the biographical drama Aligarh, which earned him a second nomination for Best Supporting Actor at Filmfare.