Rajkummar
Rao
Writes..
"Growing
up,
I
was
fascinated
with
Shahrukh
Sir-I
used
to
stare
at
his
posters
and
often
think
that
if
an
outsider
could
make
it
as
big
as
him,
then
maybe
there
was
hope
for
me.
It
wasn't
rosy
though-I
didn't
get
a
lot
of
work
after
I
came
to
Mumbai.
I
only
managed
small
ads
here
and
there.
Things
you
won't
even
recollect-I'd
be
like
the
10th
person
standing
in
some
ad!"
Despite
All
The
Struggles,
Rajkummar
Never
Gave
Up
"I
made
about
Rs.
10,000
a
month--but
still,
there
were
days
where
I
didn't
have
money,
and
I'd
call
my
friends
asking
to
share
their
meal.
Giving
up
was
never
an
option.
There
was
never
a
plan
B
for
me.
I
was
constantly
on
the
hunt
for
auditions
-
I
met
with
countless
ADs
and
casting
directors."
Rajkummar
Was
Persistent
&
One
Day,
He
Finally
Got
A
Call..
"They
would
call
me
in
for
the
smallest
of
roles
and
I
would
try
to
convince
them
to
at
least
let
me
try
out
the
bigger
parts...but
I
was
turned
down.
But
I
didn't
let
any
of
it
demotivate
me.
I
believed
that
someone
would
see
my
talent.
I
was
also
very
persistent
-
I
remember
constantly
following
up
with
Atul
Mongia
till
he
finally
called
me
for
the
audition
of
Love
Sex
Aur
Dhokha."
Rajkummar
Witnessed
The
Doors
Opening
For
His
Dreams..
"I
did
around
3-4
tests.
A
week
went
by
and
I
hadn't
heard
back
-
and
finally
it
happened...everything
I
had
worked
for
culminated
in
that
one
moment.
I
was
alone
at
home,
when
I
got
the
most
important
call
of
my
life.
The
words
were,
‘Ho
gaya
hai.
You
got
the
film.' I
fell
to
my
knees,
called
my
mother.
The
movie
released
and
I
got
a
lot
of
love...
that's
when
the
doors
opened."
Rajkummar's
First
Encounter
With
SRK
"But
I'll
tell
you
a
stand
out
moment
for
me
-
I
think
it
was
after
the
release
of
Queen.
I
was
shooting
in
Mehboob.
And
I
heard
that
Shahrukh
sir
was
also
shooting
there.
So
I
thought
this
was
my
chance--maybe
I
could
go
meet
him.
I
sent
a
message
across
to
him--I
didn't
think
he'd
know
me,
but,
he
called
me
to
his
trailer
-
he
knew
my
entire
bio!"
And..
It
Was
Every
Bit
Special..
"He
(Shahrukh
Khan)
made
me
feel
so
special.
I
was
already
a
fan,
but
that
day
I
was
probably
his
biggest.
I
was
nervous
and
in
awe
throughout.
I
once
spoke
to
his
posters...and
now
there
he
was,
in
front
of
me.
How
can
I
even
explain
what
that
felt
like?
Rajkummar
Followed
Only
One
Mantra
-
He
Believed
In
Himself
"What's
ironic
is,
that
the
people
who
in
the
beginning
weren't
interested
in
me
for
a
lead
role
-
today
offer
me
films.
I'm
the
same
actor,
the
same
person,
but
now
I'm
being
offered
the
roles.
I've
believed
in
my
craft,
even
when
things
weren't
going
well.
I
just
knew
-
I
put
it
out
in
the
Universe
and
attracted
it
all.
Remember,
no
matter
what
anyone
else
says,
no
one
is
going
to
believe
in
you,
the
way
YOU
do
-
so
hustle,
and
let
the
Universe
do
the
rest."