Gajraj Rao won accolades for the 2018 social comedy Badhaai Ho, co-starring Neena Gupta and Ayushmann Khurrana. The actor, who has been in the Bollywood industry for years, witnessed a major change in his career after the success of the film. Directed by Amit Sharma, the film was based on Nakul (Ayushmann), a 25-year-old man, who is shocked to discover that his parents (Neena and Gajraj) are expecting their third child in their early 50s. 

On Badhaai Ho’s second anniversary, Gajraj told a leading daily in an interview, “When we were shooting, I somewhere knew that it will be a good film and will be received well, but it was Ayushmann Khurrana who always said that Badhaai Ho will change Neena Gupta and my life. At that time, I thought that he was only motivating us. But when I saw people queueing up outside theatres, I realised how true his words were.”

Recommended Read: Rajkummar Rao's and Bhumi Pednekar's Badhaai Do to go on floors in January 2021

Gajraj also revealed how his wife instilled confidence in him about playing Jeetendra Kaushik. He said, “When I told my wife that it was a story about a couple expecting a child in their 50s and that people might make fun of me, she blatantly stated that I was no Ranbir Kapoor or Ranveer Singh, and even if the film does not work, it won’t affect my career or image. So I decided to go ahead with it.”

Gajraj has claimed his life after the film’s release has “just been magical”. Opening up about the change it brought about in his career, he said, “Today, I get offers for playing the central characters in films. I would not say that the roles which I played before 2018 were not good. But at that time, I used to feel like those spices and condiments in an exotic dish. I was never the main ingredient. And that is the main thing which has changed after 2018.”

(Source: Mumbai Mirror)