The affable actor Rajkummar Rao has always come out of his ease to portray every role he delves into. Be it a romantic fool or an idealistic lawyer, a murder detective or a fun guy, Rajkummar Roy is the other name for versatility. His path-breaking performance and noticeable screen presence made him create his niche in Bollywood. Experimentation with roles is his perfect sport. The powerhouse of talent Rajkummar Rao turned 38 today. Here are the five must-watch films, in which the actor won our hearts.

Newton

Amit Masurkar’s Newton was Rajkumar Rao’s masterstroke. The critically acclaimed film Newton centers around a government clerk who’s sent to a conflict-ridden area to conduct fair voting on election day. The man can go to any extent to do his duty despite the tumultuous events and looming fear of attacks. An audacious story telling with stellar performance from Rao, gave the film an official entry to the Oscars.

Aligarh

Though the film held a crown to its leading man Manoj Bajpayee for delivering a plethora of emotional outbursts in the most subtle form, Rajkumar Rao deserves applause for acing the role of Journalist Deepu Sebastian. His sense of humour and contrasting shade was a break to the monotony offering a perfect tint of laugh. Directed by Hansel Mehta ‘Aligarh’ is a biographical drama on Ramachandra Siras, a man who faced mental abuses for being homosexual.

Bareilly Ki Barfi

Ayushman Khurana and Kriti Sanon’s ‘Bareilly ki Barfi’ wouldn’t taste that ‘sweet’ if Pritam Vidrohi wasn’t there. A top notch acting from Rao as he swiftly switched between two shades- a convincing saree salesman and a rustic rowdy. Despite of being a light hearted love story, his whistle worthy performance cheered up the audience at every move. The story revolves around Bitti, a lively girl who falls in love with an author but live takes a twisting turn as she meets Chirag and Pritam.

Stree

Once again Rajkumar Rao proved his versatility with Amar Kaushik’s horror comedy Stree. In a small town of Chanderi exists a woman spirit ‘Stree’ who abducts men in the night. While men live in fear, a tailor falls in love with her. Rao stole the show with his convincing performance. A perfect blend of fear and fun made his character stand out without overshadowing. The film opened new doors to horror comedy in Bollywood.

HIT: The first case

A cop of Homicide Intervention Team (HIT) battling with a traumatic past gets high when his girlfriend goes missing and tries to solve the mystery putting pieces in place. Directed by Sailesh Kolanu the film also stars Sanya Malhotra. Despite of getting mixed reviews, Rajkumar Rao hit a sixer with his path breaking acting. Pulling of a bunch of emotions of anxiety, thrill, lost and fear Rajkumar Rao made it strike the right chords.