Rajkummar Rao on turning Producer with Patralekhaa: ‘It’s Empowering, but also a lot of pressure’

For Rajkummar Rao, storytelling has always been at the heart of his craft. Whether it was Shahid, Newton, Stree, or Badhaai Do, his choice of characters has often reflected a penchant for narratives that challenge conventions and offer something new to audiences. Now, with his latest venture as a producer alongside his wife and longtime collaborator, Patralekhaa, Rajkummar finds himself navigating an entirely different side of filmmaking — one that, as he candidly admits, comes with both empowerment and immense pressure.“It’s a great feeling,” Rajkummar says, reflecting on the experience of stepping into the producer’s chair. “To be honest, it’s a lot of pressure, especially because I was also involved as an actor in the film.” The film he’s referring to is Toaster, a project that marks a significant milestone for both him and Patralekhaa, who has taken on the role of producer. The couple, known for their grounded presence in Bollywood and unwavering support for each other’s work, are now pooling their creative energies to tell the kind of stories they believe in.“It’s all Patralekhaa,” Rajkummar smiles, giving his wife full credit for spearheading their first production venture. “She’s the producer of Toaster, and maybe the next one that we will do.” What draws Rajkummar to producing is the sense of agency it offers. “In a way, it’s very empowering,” he explains. “That you can work with people that you want to work with, you can empower writers, you can empower new voices in the form of directors, and you can tell the stories that you won’t be able to do otherwise.” It’s a sentiment that reflects a broader shift in Bollywood today, where actors are increasingly taking charge behind the scenes to champion diverse, meaningful, and often unconventional stories.Yet, Rajkummar doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the realities of production. “It’s a lot of pressure,” he repeats. “And also, as a lot of producers say, it’s not the most thankful job. You have to just put everything in place and then do all the hard work off-screen, which is a lot of hard work — trust me. It’s months and months of hard work.” Rajkummar believes that in the hierarchy of film credits, producers often occupy a thankless space. “When it comes to the film, I think the producer is the last one that people think of when it comes to the hierarchy,” he remarks. “Sometimes it’s the directors, or the actor, the writer — then comes the producer.” And yet, it’s the producer who pieces together the entire jigsaw puzzle, ensuring the vision materializes on screen.Rajkummar will be next seen in Bhool Chuk Maaf which earlier was supposed to be a theatrical but is now releasing dirctly on OTT, Wamika Gabbi features in it with him.