MUMBAI : Gajraj Rao has been in the industry for almost two decades but gained fame only in 2018. Actor Gajraj Rao has no complaints that recognition came his way a little late in life. Rao made his Bollywood debut in 1994 with Shekhar Kapur's "Bandit Queen" and was later seen in films like "Dil Se...", "Black Friday", "Talvar" and "Rangoon". But 2018 changed the game for him after he featured in "Badhaai Ho". 

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Gajraj Rao has now spoken about his dark days of struggle and why he refuses to slash his fees. He said in an interview, “He told me to reduce my fees, saying it’s only 20 days work. I told him I wasn’t even charging for those 20 days, I was working for free. I told him that I was charging for all the years of ‘homework’ that I’d done to get here. This was my fee for all those days when I survived on 20 chais, slept hungry, listened to abuse, I used to walk on foot from Town to Andheri… These 20 days are free.”

Gajraj Rao further said, “I did a lot of jobs, and I didn’t have the proper support system around me to guide me in the right direction. At one point, the financial situation was very difficult. It’s easy for me to say this now, in an air-conditioned environment, but when you don’t have food, all your dreams and fantasies go for a toss. And it was important at that time to provide for the family.”

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Gajraj Rao said further, “I like having financial security now because I’ve worked hard for 25-30 years. I like expensive phones, traveling, and staying in nice hotels, I have no shame in admitting this. I don’t want to feel bad about staying in 5-star hotels and traveling business class. I want it for myself, and I want it for my family; I want to give them the best possible. I don’t want to be in two minds if someone falls ill and needs a hospital.”

On the work front, Rao was last seen in Satyaprem Ki Katha playing Kartik Aaryan’s father. He will next be seen in Ajay Devgn starrer Maidaan. 

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Credit-DNA