Rajkummar Rao in 2026: Toaster, Prahaar and a Producer's Hat

Rajkummar Rao has two 2026 releases and two very different roles. In Toaster, a Netflix black comedy, he is lead and producer. In Prahaar, he plays the real-life prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in a theatrical drama. This profile covers what is confirmed about both.

Toaster

Toaster arrived on Netflix on April 15, 2026. Vivek Daschaudary directs. Rao is the lead and also a producer, with Patralekha and Tarun Bali, under their KAMPA Films banner. Sanya Malhotra is the female lead, taking the role after Sonakshi Sinha. Seema Pahwa, Abhishek Banerjee, Archana Puran Singh, Farah Khan and Upendra Limaye are in the cast, according to Wikipedia.

Firstpost gave it 3 out of 5, calling it refreshing but saying the script thins out. As a streaming film, it has no box office figures.

Prahaar

Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam opened in theatres on October 16, 2026. Avinash Arun directs for Maddock Films. Rao plays Ujjwal Nikam, the special public prosecutor. Wamiqa Gabbi, Lalit Prabhakar, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher, Ashish Vidyarthi and Nassar are also in the cast.

Sacnilk and the Times of India put the day-one India net at ₹2.35 crore, with a gross of ₹2.77 crore and a worldwide gross of ₹3.52 crore, across 4,133 shows with about 13 per cent occupancy. Reviews were in the range of 3.5 to 4 out of 5, and Rotten Tomatoes lists 60 per cent from 10 reviews. Some critics noted Rao's Marathi accent.

Aamir Khan was initially set to play Nikam and stepped down, according to published reports.

The release history

The release moved from August 7 to September 4 and then to October 16, in each case to avoid a clash, according to the reports we found.

Producer and performer

Producing Toaster gives Rao a role in what is made, and it is a notable step for an actor who has worked mostly in other people's productions. Nothing in the sources we reviewed gives a statement from him about his plans as a producer, so we do not describe them.

Where the numbers stand

Prahaar's opening is modest, and the first weekend will say more. We did not have weekend figures at the time of writing. Readers should check Sacnilk and Koimoi, which often differ by a few crore on early estimates.

The cover photograph

The cover photograph is a close portrait of Rajkummar Rao. It is a licensed image of the actor, and is not from either film.

Two kinds of audience

Toaster was released to Netflix's global subscribers in India and elsewhere, while Prahaar was sold ticket by ticket. Different measures apply to each: critics and viewers' lists for the first, collections and occupancy for the second. For Prahaar, the 4,133 shows on day one is a useful base for judging how the film was positioned.

Maddock Films

Prahaar is produced by Maddock Films under Dinesh Vijan, the same banner behind Cocktail 2 in June. That means the same producer has had both a romantic comedy and a courtroom drama in theatres within four months.

What we do not know

We do not know Toaster's viewership. We do not know Prahaar's budget or its eventual verdict. And we do not know what Rao will do next, because we found no confirmed announcement.

The bottom line

Rajkummar Rao's 2026 is a streaming black comedy in April and a theatrical drama in October, with different reception and different scales. Toaster has a 3 out of 5 from one outlet and no numbers. Prahaar has a quiet ₹2.35 crore opening and a positive early critical response.

Sources

*Cover photo: Deepak Naik, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Actor_Rajkummar_Rao.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Actor_Rajkummar_Rao.jpg)* (CC0).*