The creative journey of Veteran actor Gajraj Rao began in 1994 with Shekhar Kapoor's 'Bandit Queen'. Today he is present across all platforms from big to small screen but what sets him apart is the fact that he is seen in stories with depth and substance. These include films like 'Badhaai Ho', 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan', 'Maja Ma' and a recent Zee Theatre teleplay 'Gunehgaar' where he starred along with Shweta Basu Prasad and Sumeet Vyas. Rao has strong theatrical roots and was thrilled to work with director Akarsh Khurana as he realized he was missing Theatre. 

 He says " I am quite familiar with Akarsh's theatrical work and wanted to work with him for a long time. 'Gunehgaar' was the perfect opportunity to do so. When he offered me this script, I really loved its premise of three interconnected characters and said 'yes' to the role also because I am always drawn to roles that are complex and unusual. This role in particular allowed me to transition through so many different phases of a man's troubled life."  

Talking about what it felt like to reconnect with theatre through 'Gunehgaar', he says, "The last time I was on stage was in Delhi's India Habitat Centre in 1995 and it was a tribute performance for well-known writer Sardar Khushwant Singh. It was directed by Lillete Dubey.  And while working with Akarsh on 'Gunehgaar', I realized how much I had missed theatre. There is no inordinate commercial pressure in theatre and it allows you to express yourself in diverse ways. It has also contributed a lot to my personal and professional life and all my close friends are from theatre. " 

 Commenting on Zee Theatre's initiative to take plays like 'Gunehgaar' to the regional audience, he says, "Regional theatre, be it in Marathi or Gujarati, has a very loyal following and it is good that now even Hindi plays will reach regional audiences. This mission that Zee Theatre has undertaken to mainstream theatre is truly admirable because it preserves plays forever and I hope more and more people will be able to access them anytime they want." This teleplay will be aired on the 30th of April 2023 on Airtel Theatre, Dish TV Rangmanch active & D2h Rangmanch active. 

According to Rao, the new generation of theatre exponents will keep theatre alive and vibrant. He adds, "Talents like Akarsh, Atul Kumar, Makarand Deshpande, Manav Kaul, and many more have contemporary sensibilities, and they have the courage to tell relevant and important stories that concern us. And Zee Theatre of course is doing its bit to make theatre accessible, especially to the digitally savvy younger generation. We also need to expand theatrical infrastructure so that more and more people can enjoy live theatre as well."