Rajkummar Rao says he would have joined the armed forces if not an actor: ‘I get very fascinated seeing soldiers’

Rajkummar Rao has become one of Bollywood’s most versatile and respected actors, known for powerful performances in films like ‘Shahid’, ‘Newton’, ‘Stree’, ‘Trapped’, and ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi'. While promoting his next film, ‘Bhool Chuk Maaf’, the actor made an unexpected and heartfelt confession about a dream he’s held close.In a chat with Hindustan Times, Rajkummar opened up on what he would have done if he hadn’t become an actor.While most fans expect their favourite stars to have a backup plan, his answer was honest and clear, “Since I was little, this is the only thing I’ve wanted to do (acting), and I’ve worked hard only towards this. I’ve never thought of a Plan B. Yeah… there was never a Plan B, to be honest. Plan A was there, and Plan B was to make Plan A work.”This kind of passion is what has made Rajkummar such a force in Indian cinema. But what he said next came as a surprise.A secret dreamAlthough he never had a backup plan, Rajkummar did reveal what he might have done if acting hadn’t worked out, “I think I would be in the armed forces only. It is, yeah, I get very fascinated seeing soldiers.”On ‘Operation Sindoor’Following the tragic Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed the lives of 26 innocent people, India responded with force through ‘Operation Sindoor’, striking terror camps across the border.Addressing this subject, Rajkummar said, “Whatever decision that our administration is taking, we are with them in it, because what has happened, should not have happened. It made us all very, very angry, very sad. So absolutely we are in it together as a nation and we are extremely proud of our armed forces.”Co-star Wamiqa was equally moved. She joined him in expressing her love and support for the country and its armed forces, “That’s exactly how all three of us (Rajkummar, Wamiqa, and Karan) are feeling, and I think the whole nation is feeling. And yeah, we are with them, I mean hum hi toh hain. Toh bilkul. Jaise bhi hai, jo bhi, we are with the nation. For sure.”A love story with a twist of timeWhile emotions run high in real life, the two stars are ready to bring some laughter and love to the big screen. Their film ‘Bhool Chuk Maaf’ is a romantic comedy with a unique twist – a time loop. Set in the colourful city of Varanasi, the film follows Ranjan (played by Rajkummar) who is eager to marry his love, Titli (played by Wamiqa). But things take a strange turn when he finds himself stuck living the same day – the day before their wedding – over and over again.‘Bhool Chuk Maaf’, directed by Karan Sharma and is all set to hit cinemas on 9 May 2025.