Anushka Sharma 'exits' Rajkummar Rao from NH10; Will National awards turn his fate now?

Rajkummar Rao has won the National Award for his outstanding performance in Shahid, and this might just prove to be a sorry story for Anushka Sharma, who showed Rao the door out of her maiden production, NH10, in favour of the Shaitan star Neil Bhoopalam.

NH10 is a story of a road trip that's taken the wrong turn. The film, originally starring Rajkummar Rao and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles, went on floors in January this year. Directed by Navdeep Singh, who previously made Manorama Six Feet Under, the film is jointly produced by Anushka's Clean Slate Films and Phantom Films, co-owned by Anushka's Bombay Velvet director Anurag Kashyap.

The decision to oust Rao from the film could just be another pothole in the film's bumpy ride to the box office. Rao, who was already riding high post the success of Queen, is now on cloud nine after his outstanding performance as real life murdered lawyer-activist Shahid Azmi in last year's critical hit Shahid was awarded the biggest honour of the film industry.

DNA in its review of the critically acclaimed Shahid, had said, “Raj Kumar Yadav has time and again proved how meticulously he takes to his characters. Give him any genre or role, he takes to it like a chameleon camouflaging in a lush landscape. Shahid works largely because of his ability to become this person and eat sleep and breathe his life.”

Even for Queen, Rao received strong positive reviews. With all this positivity coming his way, Rao is surely up the beat for his future projects. He will be seen in Vishesh Films and Fox Star Studios next 'City Lights', and also in Arbaaz Khan's 'Dolly ki Doli' with Sonam Kapoor.