Bollywood never ceases to amaze, from the films we watch to the series we binge, it all hinges on a willing suspension of disbelief. We’ve readily accepted 60-year-olds playing 24-year-olds on screen, because cinema has the power to shape not just stories but also an actor’s image. That’s exactly what happened to Gajraj Rao after Badhaai Ho. In a recent episode of Mid-day’s podcast series The Bombay Film Story, the actor talked about how he began receiving offers to play elderly roles, including the father of stars like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, who are, in fact, older than him.

Gajraj Rao on playing father to older actors

While sharing how he’s become the go-to elderly man on screen, Gajraj Rao said it’s less about age and more about approaching each role differently. “There are very few roles written within the framework of someone in their 50s,” he explained. He also revealed that he has been offered roles to play the father of actors who are actually older than him, adding, “Obviously, I’m not as smart as Salman or SRK, or even Akshay Kumar, who is slightly older than me but looks much younger, youthful, and lively.”

Gajraj Rao has no complaints

That said, Rao has no complaints about the roles he gets, as he understands the nature of the industry and the competition. “I have no complaints about that. I’m an actor, and 5,000 other people are ready to take that part. It’s not like someone is forcing me to do it,” he asserted.