I’d be a fool to think Stree 2 worked because of me: Rajkummar Rao

In an industry obsessed with numbers and faces on posters, Rajkummar Rao stands as a rare voice of humility. As Stree 2 went on to become one of the biggest hit of Hindi Cinema last year, during his chat with ETimes , he makes one thing clear — success, he believes, belongs to stories and the collective spirit behind them, not to any single individual.Stree 2 was directed by Amar Kaushik and featured names like Shraddha Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurrana, Abhishek Banerjee, Pankaj Tripathi and guest appearances by Akshay Kumar and Tamannaah Bhatia and it went on to collect almost Rs 600 crore in India.

“Stree became Stree,” he says, a warm smile lingering on his face, “because people loved Stree so much. And I would be a fool to think that Stree worked because of me.”

For an actor who has delivered one memorable performance after another — from Shahid to Newton, Bareilly Ki Barfi to Badhaai Do — Rao’s groundedness is as endearing as his on-screen personas. Even with Stree, a film that became a cultural phenomenon and redefined horror-comedy for mainstream Bollywood, he refuses to take singular credit.

“No,” he shakes his head thoughtfully. “It worked because of the story, because of the love the part one got. Of course, did I contribute as an actor? Yes, I did a lot. As Bikki, yes, I did a lot. But so did Amar, so did Deenu ( Dinesh Vijan) , so did all the departments that were involved in making that film.”

It’s a rare and refreshing admission in an industry where stars often claim ownership over blockbusters, sometimes brushing aside the massive ecosystem of writers, directors, technicians, and marketing teams that shape a film’s destiny. Rajkummar believes in acknowledging every cog in the wheel — from the spot boy on set to the person splicing together the final edit.

“Because we being the faces on the posters, people start saying Stree, this Stree, that Stree,” he reflects. “But yeah, everybody works for the film. It’s a team effort. But that doesn’t mean every film is going to be like that. Because every film is different. Every film has its own destiny.”

It’s perhaps this belief in destiny — a notion both romantic and practical — that keeps Rajkummar unfazed in the face of both triumphs and setbacks. His career has been a masterclass in balance: indie gems alongside commercial hits, intimate dramas alongside masala entertainers.

“As long as my films are making enough money for my producers, you know, to not go in losses, and we keep telling these stories — I’m very happy with that,” he says.

Rajkummar is now gearing for his next big release Bhool Chuk Maaf with Wamiqa Gabbi- the film is slated for release on 9th May.