Actor Rahul Bose revealed that he grew up in a household that defied gender norms. Rahul said that while his father was more concerned about looks and clothes, his mother was more career-oriented and forced him to play sports. Rahul Bose said that he was a useless child, and his mother’s harsh upbringing helped forge who he is today. Rahul Bose told ANI, “I was woke way before the word came up because my mother never cooked, my father cooked. My mother slapped me every day for 5 years. I was such a nikamma (useless) that it only helped me. And you can’t say that these days, but believe me, I was such a nikamma those days that it only helped. She forced me to play Rugby and box.” Rahul shared, “I boxed in school, and my father was appalled. He wanted me to wear a cap so that I wouldn’t get too dark in the sun. He wanted me to play cricket and be a gentleman. He saw me playing rugby and never looked at the field when he would walk in… I am the product of a father who would ask what we should wear to a wedding and a mother who asked what I should do with my career. This is exactly opposite.” Rahul Bose has carved a unique niche as a thoughtful actor and director. His breakout came with the indie cult classic English, August (1994), in which he debuted as Agastya Sen—an earnest IAS officer grappling with existential dilemmas. Bose made his official Bollywood debut in Jhankaar Beats (2003), playing one-half of a duo obsessed with R.D. Burman, in a film that unexpectedly hit it off in urban multiplexes. Among his most notable films are Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002), Chameli (2003), 15 Park Avenue (2006), Pyaar Ke Side Effects (2006), and Antaheen (2009). His latest screen appearance was in the spy thriller Berlin (2023), alongside Aparshakti Khurana and Ishwak Singh. As a filmmaker, Bose debuted with Everybody Says I’m Fine! (2001), a Mumbai-set ensemble that premiered at TIFF and won acclaim. He later directed Poorna (2017), the inspiring true story of the youngest girl to summit Everest.