Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao, who appeared at an event recently, sparked headlines for his new look. Featuring a short hairstyle and patchy stubble and moustache, Rao’s face looked a bit fuller. After the video went viral, Rajkummar took to his Instagram to share that his transformation is for his upcoming biopic on public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. Check out his new look:
Internet reacts to Rajkummar Rao’s viral new lookMassive transformation loading! 🔥#RajkummarRao is gearing up to play Sourav Ganguly in his upcoming biopic.
— Bollywood Talkies (@bolly_talkies) February 16, 2026
Recently, he also shot for the biopic of prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. pic.twitter.com/oAG3b7v9jE
Credit: X/bolly_talkies
Rajkummar Rao looked completely unrecognisable as he recently appeared at the Bolti Khidkiyaan Short Film Festival organised by casting director Mukesh Chhabra in Mumbai. His new look sparked concern and shock amongst netizens who speculated reasons for the drastic transformation.
In the viral clip, Rao is seen wearing a black shirt. He paired it with a pair of distressed jeans, white sneakers and rimless glasses. Fans noticed a visible change in his hair, with some speculating that he has been facing significant hair loss. Fans also commented on his uneven, patchy beard and moustache.
While some said, he underwent more procedures, some said he gained weight for his role in Sourav Ganguly’s biopic.
Calling it overly polished and artificial, an X user said that Rajkummar Rao’s new look shocked her. Her caption read, “Honestly, he never had conventional charm. What he had was uniqueness. Now even that feels replaced by something overly polished and artificial.”
Different shades of Rajkummar Rao… but this latest look genuinely shocked me.
— Sapna Madan (@sapnamadan) February 15, 2026
I could barely recognise him. Honestly, he never had conventional charm. What he had was uniqueness. Now even that feels replaced by something overly polished and artificial. pic.twitter.com/X1TNVrFWlI
Credit: X/ sapnamadan
An X user said, “Nonsense all of you, it's his get up for Saurav Ganguly's biopic”
Another wrote, “He is in Ganguly's biopic perhaps”
Another user defended the actor and wrote, “This appears to be a look for a film. This is too specific. The common man hair, the glasses, the subtle expression. We know he doesn’t appear like this in public as Rajkumarr.”
A fan also commented, “Aree bhai log hota hain its better to age naturally instead of pressuring yourself or others to take medications or go under the knife to look a particular way.”
What Happened To Rajkumar Rao 😱
— POSITIVE FAN (@imashishsrrk) February 14, 2026
Too Much hair loss All of a Sudden 😱pic.twitter.com/bY98AZ3yvW
Credit: X/imashishsrrk
Rajkummar Rao responds to trollingView this post on Instagram
Credit: Instagram/rajkummar_rao
After the clip went viral, Rajkummar Rao took to his Instagram to share that his transformation is, in fact, for his upcoming biopic on public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. Stating that he does not believe in altering appearance for films with prosthetics, the actor went on to list all the times he went the extra mile to change his look for his films.
In the caption, he wrote, “My being is through my Art. Just finished shooting for my next Biopic #NIKAM and yes, it has demanded me to change physically which I love doing. I’m not a believer in prosthetic as long as I can achieve the look through my hard work which I’ve achieved in Nikam be it gaining weight or looking old (to play a certain age)or to make my hair thin which my hair stylist was very much against but everyone told me to not go half bald for BOSE also and to gain that much weight or to Not stop eating and lose so much weight for TRAPPED or to not behave like a visually impaired person even when cameras weren’t rolling during SRIKANTH. For Nikam I had to gain around 9-10 kgs and I was eating 2 pizzas and lot of sweets and my fav Aloo Parathas, Biryani and to not use anything glam to look like the part. Hopefully when you will see the film which will be releasing soon you will be able to see all that hard work in the film.”
He further said that after gaining weight for Ujjwal Nikam’s biopic, he will begin his transformation for Sourav Ganguly’s biopic.
He added, “And now it’s the transition phase and time to lose these extra kgs and get ready to slip into Ganguly mode. Our very own Dada. Will always work the hardest to engage you, entertain you through my work. Much Love.”
This isn’t the first time Rajkummar made headlines for altering his appearance. A while back, he sparked strong reactions online after he was spotted with a sharper chin that changed his complete face cut. Fans criticised it, saying his chin filler job went wrong.
Rajkummar Rao is all set to essay the role of the former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly in an upcoming biographical film. The film’s shooting is expected to begin around March 2026. He also confirmed that he has finished shooting for the biopic on renowned public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam.
Social and lead images credits: X/sapnamadan
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