Raj Koothrappali

Dr. Rajesh Ramayan "Raj" Koothrappaliis one of the main characters from the Big Bang Theory series.

Raj is an astrophysicist and Howard Wolowitz's best friend. He often hangs out at Leonard and Sheldon's apartment, though he has his own apartment (the Raj Mahal) in Pasadena. Raj fell in love with astronomy while attending Cambridge University. Originally from New Delhi, Raj has an Indian English accent and, ironically, dislikes Indian food and culture. He frequently portrays himself as having come from humble origins and growing up in poverty in India, only for his friends to remind him that his father is a gynecologist, drives a Bentley, and has a house full of servants. For the first six seasons, his principal characteristic was a case of selective mutism social anxiety disorder, which did not allow him to talk to women outside of his family. This condition could be suppressed through alcohol (or if he thought he was drinking alcohol) or experimental social anxiety medications; however, the former usually ended up changing his personality, making him more obnoxious and overbearing, while the latter tended to have unpredictable side-effects.

Appearance
Raj is a man of ideal weight and is also average height for an indian man, originally in his mid-twenties, but he is in his late thirties by now. He's 5'7" (1.70 m), with black hair and brown eyes. He is normally seen wearing a layered combination of a shirt, a sweater vest, and a windbreaker with cargo pants and skate shoes; he wore a red baseball cap in the Pilot.

Personality
Raj is slightly clueless about American culture and idioms, and dislikes Indian food and his home country. Sheldon even disputes his knowledge of Indian customs and Hinduism, and reveals Raj's native language is English, while he seems to speak fluent Hindi. Raj stated that the reason he puts up with Sheldon is so that he could be reborn as a "well-hung billionaire with wings", according to his Hindu belief of being rewarded after reincarnation for suffering willingly; to Raj, karma is "practically Newtonian".

On the rare occasions when he actually gets homesick, he picks up the latest issue of "Bombay Badonkadonks" and performs Bollywood dancing. He is hypocritically sensitive to others' racist jokes about India, though he is not above making derogatory remarks about India, or, in his view, "Gandhi-ville". Raj also claims he can hold out from noxious gases because he grew up in India. Raj likes to say that he comes from the "exotic" subcontinent of India and had to overcome poverty and prejudice, to make himself appear interesting and mystical, especially when he is womanizing. More often than not, he likes to be associated with Slumdog Millionaire, except when Howard's mother says it. Much like how Howard rarely follows kosher, Rajesh eats beef and believes that some of the Hindu Code of Manu is crazy.

Raj also has an extremely ambiguous attitude and opinion of his own country and upbringing, which primarily depends on the situation he finds himself in and how it would benefit him. He believes that his most flattering quality for women is not an aspect of his own character, but the fact that he has vastly rich parents. As stated before, he enjoys portraying himself as a child of poverty who heroically journeyed to America to reach for the stars, but what puts him at the opposite end of this spectrum is his rich parentage. He portrayed himself as such because it makes him appear heroic. Rajesh also tends to heavily rely on his family's wealth for his own lifestyle, often wielding the family fortunes extravagantly. He enjoys his privileged lifestyle to such an extent that, when he wanted something off his father he offered to cut off the cleaning lady so that he could provide for himself, then muttering to Cinnamon that they were both going to be living like animals. Much like Howard would only consider that either his mother or Bernadette would do housework, or any work around his living space, Raj essentially never pays to survive - his parents pay his insurances and rent and he pays someone to buy food and even walk his dog. This leads to the speculation that, even though Raj is an adult, he acts like a spoiled child.

In addition, Raj could be extremely pompous when it suited him: he referred to Priya as his baby sister, and when he discovered Leonard was having an affair with her, he verbally forbade it and voiced that he apparently had authority over their relationship. In this same incident, he used Sheldon's claim that Indian women's relationship could be controlled by the older male relative (Meaning that, in order to adhere to this rule that he would have to be loyal to Indian custom), only to arrogantly brush aside Priya's pointing out that he was currently eating meat not permitted in his culture (He claimed, when faced with this, that he could avoid certain regulations of his culture if he considered it crazy). His protectiveness of his sister, or his view of her in general, is laughable in some respects - when he tells Howard to stay away from Priya and stated that she was way hotter than Howard's girlfriend, the exact second after Howard agreed with him Raj snapped, "Dude, that's my sister you're talking about!'; later on, when he learns of Howard's pact with Leonard that prohibits them from interest in Priya, Raj is sated when Howard says that they 'pinky-swore' on the pact, but later on he explosively stated that defiling Priya superseded a pinky-swear.

He used to have a psychological condition called selective mutism, a recognized social anxiety disorder which rendered him unable to talk to women (with the exception of family members, who were seemingly unaware of his condition, and deaf women, as seen in "The Wiggly Finger Catalyst" when he could talk in front of Emily), although he quickly learned that he was able to temporarily overcome this problem by consuming either alcohol-containing foods and medicine or experimental anti-anxiety medication. Unfortunately, the alcohol altered his personality and the medications tended to have side effects, such as involuntary face and hand motions, loss of rationality, or jovially stripping naked in public without cognizance of its inappropriate nature. Raj was also able to speak in the presence of women if they were part of a crowd, if he was unaware of their presence, or if he believed that he has been drinking alcohol (a placebo effect, as seen in "The Terminator Decoupling" when he was able to talk to Summer Glau while drinking beer, but when Howard pointed out that the beer was non-alcoholic, he could no longer speak to her). Raj noted, however, that this obstacle was an improvement over his previous affliction, in which the presence of women would cause him to lose bladder control, a condition mostly remedied by the meditation methods of ancient Indian gurus. (He does still have a "nervous bladder" in the sense that he gets an urge to relieve himself when under stress.) When Lucy broke up with him In the season six finale, "The Bon Voyage Reaction," he discovered while talking to Penny that he was... well, talking to Penny, even though he had not consumed any alcohol since the previous night, which made him realize that breaking things off with Lucy seemed to allowed him to finally overcome his selective mutism. As of season 7, he no longer requires alcohol in order to speak in front of females.

One of Raj's primary personality quirks beside his selective mutism is his tendency to speak or act inappropriately in most situations. One primary example of the latter was when, in "The Love Car Displacement", he enters Leonard and Penny's room while they are about to have sex, climbs into bed and goes to sleep, completely unaware of what he interrupted. On another occasion, he openly acknowledged having had crushes on Penny and Bernadette directly in front of them, simultaneously making them uncomfortable and making Amy upset, and fails to recognize Amy's change in mood despite Penny and Bernadette's discreet efforts to indicate it to him. Seen in "The Santa Simulation".

He complains that he is lonely, which leads to Raj hating himself and needing to be reassured of his value. While usually sweet, Raj sometimes smiles at his friends' misfortunes. Whenever Raj gets an idea or wants to say something slightly controversial in a conversation, he whispers it in Howard or someone else's ear whenever a woman is around. Howard does refuse to say it out loud because he finds it stupid, offensive, or inappropriate, but he ends up saying it anyway through scoffing at Raj. He also has arguments with Howard often, being akin to those of a married couple. He is noted for using "gangsta" slang, such as "fo' shizzle" and repeatedly using the word "dude".

He enjoys reading DC Comics, as do his friends, but he dislikes Aquaman. Raj often obsesses over almost-insignificant details in fiction, such as how toilets work in Atlantis, the possible symbolism of ponytails in Avatar, whether Wolverine's prostate is made of adamantium, what zombies would eat if humanity was exterminated, how vampires would shave themselves since they can't see their reflections, etc. He has experienced gaming addiction and, like Howard, he idolizes Stephen Hawking. Unlike the other guys, Raj has shown great interest in some non-geeky things likes John Grisham novels and Archie comics, the latter being shared with Zack. Raj also has an interest in a number of books and TV shows which are generally targeted towards the female demographic, such as Twilight, The Good Wife, Grey's Anatomy, Sex and the City, Eat, Pray, Love, and Bridget Jones's Diary. He follows his parents wishes and relays on them for money as seen in the episode with his drone. He parents heavily follow their religion which Raj also follows however breaks it whenever he is drunk.

Trivia

 * Raj was the only one of the four (Howard, Leonard, himself and Sheldon) whose father appeared until Leonard's father made his first appearance, so it is now Raj and Leonard of the four who have a present father figure. Howard's father has only been mentioned and Sheldon's died shortly before the start of the series, but Raj sees his father with his mother through his webcam.
 * He has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics. George Cooper Sr.
 * The baseball cap Raj wears in the Pilot bears the number 42 (the answer to life, the universe, and everything) on it.
 * Raj is 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) tall and the height of Kunal Nayyar. This measurement is two-and-a-half inches below the average height for males in the U.S. and two inches above the average height for males in India. In "The Transporter Malfunction", he states that, next to Howard and Bernadette, he looks 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) tall.
 * Until season 10, He lives in an apartment, which he calls his "Raj Mahal".
 * Raj is not at all serious about his Hindu faith and eats beef, which is frowned upon by most Hindus.
 * Raj calls his skin tone "Melt-In-Your-Mouth Caramel".
 * Raj, much like Howard, despises many of Sheldon's antics, and the two managed to get Sheldon]] on a date with Amy Farrah Fowler on a dating website in "The Lunar Excitation", much to Sheldon's dismay.
 * Raj's case of selective mutism was first evident in the Pilot episode.
 * "Rajesh" is a common given name in southern India; however Raj claims that he is from New Delhi, suggesting either that his family moved from their native area, or ignorance on the part of the creators. His surname, "Koothrappali", however is unheard of. This is most likely assumed to be a surname used in South India, particularly Tamil Nadu.
 * Whenever Raj gets an idea or wants to say something slightly controversial in a conversation, he whispers it in Howard's ear if a woman is around. Howard never wants to say it out loud because he finds it stupid or offensive, but he ends up saying it anyway through scoffing Raj. Sheldon hates him talking in his ear altogether, although he does appreciate Raj's words.
 * Raj says that he "struggles with Batman,"
 * He regularly communicates with his parents (V. M. Koothrappali and Mrs. Koothrappali) back in India via webcam. When they become meddling or judgmental, he often "brings his parents" into Leonard and Sheldon's Apartment 4A via his MacBook Pro, to seek his friends' support in the discussion.
 * He has a mug that says 'World's Best Astrophysicist'. It was given to him by Sheldon.
 * His father is a gynecologist and drives a Bentley.
 * Raj shares his interest in monkeys with Amy and trains with Sheldon.
 * Rajesh often has married-couple-like arguments with Howard and, when nervous, often whispers into his ear leaving him to translate to everyone else.
 * As with Howard, the others in his circle of friends often refer to him by his surname. He frequently wears a purple jacket and a sweater vest.
 * Rajesh's selective mutism even applies in dreams. Most notable is with Siri. ("The Beta Test Initiation").
 * Rajesh performs vocals when playing Rock Band (albeit extremely badly), which could possibly be a joke because he suffers from selective mutism. Though in a Season 2 promotional photo, he is playing with a guitar controller, so he is either playing the bass or the lead.
 * He despises Guitar Hero because he feels it is lame, though he still plays it.
 * Raj is considered the attractive one of the group because women find him foreign and exotic, plus his selective mutism makes him a very "good listener."
 * He worked with/for Sheldon.
 * He has been featured in People Magazine ("30 Under 30 to Watch!").
 * He has a MySpace account.
 * In seasons 1 - 6, he has problems talking to women unless he is drunk. In "The Porkchop Indeterminacy", he tried an experimental medication for his problem, but stopped taking it because of the side effects. In "The Wildebeest Implementation", he tried another medication he got from a friend at Caltech's school of pharmacology, but gave up on it too because it removed his inhibitions to the point that he stripped naked in the middle of a coffee shop.
 * Unlike the other guys, Raj has shown great interest in some non-geeky and sometimes feminine things, such as Grey's Anatomy, The Good Wife, Sex and the City, Eat Pray Love, Bridget Jones' Diary and John Grisham's novels. He also likes Archie comics along with Zack and likes Twilight.
 * Raj is addicted to internet pornography.
 * He dislikes Aquaman, as he is always chosen to dress as Aquaman when they have a costume competition.
 * Raj often obsesses over almost-insignificant details in fiction, such as how toilets in Atlantis in Aquamanwork, the possible symbolism of ponytails in Avatar, whether Wolverine's prostate is made of adamantium, what zombies would eat if humanity were exterminated, how vampires would shave themselves if they can't see their reflections, etc.
 * English is his native language, though due to being from India, he speaks fluent Hindi. Raj doesn't actually speak Hindi as mentioned in "The Cognition Regeneration".
 * Raj doesn't need to be drunk to talk to women: he just has to think he is drunk (Placebo Effect), as shown in "The Terminator Decoupling".
 * Raj takes Pilates classes and Aerobics and claims to, as a result, have "very well-trained abs".
 * In one scene, when his parents arranged a blind date, he refused and Sheldon explains that Indian arranged marriages result in a peaceful bond. Raj then says "I know my own culture", leaving Sheldon silenced.
 * In one episode, Sheldon joins Penny in jogging, and Howard tells Penny that Raj always watches her from his car with binoculars.
 * Like the common geek, Raj was bullied as a child. He once got a penis drawn on his forehead on his first day of cricket camp, with the testicles drawn around the eyes. One person who bullied him was Lalita Gupta, who used to kick him in the nuts and call him "untouchable." They dated as adults, where a drunk Raj insults her by saying she used to be so, so fat as a child.
 * His favorite number is 5,318,008. The reason for that is that when entered in a calculator, turning the calculator upside-down will read "BOOBIES".
 * Raj is terrified of bugs. As he is also afraid of women, Sheldon jokes that ladybugs must render him catatonic.
 * He was angry when Leonard and Priya decided to date again which means he is overprotective towards his baby sister, and is worried how terribly this could affect the friendship he has with Leonard.
 * He is a fan of country-pop singer Taylor Swift and bought a jersey at her concert at the Staples Center.
 * In "The Roommate Transmogrification", Raj had a drunken sexual encounter with Penny, which they both apparently regretted instantly. (It is later on revealed, in the premiere of Season 5, that it wasn't consummated.) This would later become the catalyst of conflict between Penny and Emily Sweeney.
 * It is revealed in two episodes during Season 4 and the Season 5 premiere that Raj has a huge crush on Bernadette.
 * Sheldon revealed that Raj's family is not just rich, but is "Richie Rich" rich.
 * He is afraid of spiders, which is revealed in "The Alien Parasite Hypothesis".
 * Even though Raj does not adhere to Hindu dietary restrictions, he does take certain aspects of his religion seriously and has brought up Hindu gods more than once in a conversation.
 * Raj's selective mutism doesn't seem to apply to his female family members such as his mother and his sister Priya.
 * Raj is the group's "historian", being able to keep record of many actions - for instance, in "The Hawking Excitation", Raj was able to recount how many times Sheldon has begged in the past.
 * Raj is addicted to pedicures.
 * Raj has had one threesome in his life. It was with Howard and a 200 pound girl in a Sailor Moon costume during a trip to Comic-Con.
 * According to Lakshmi, the woman Raj goes out on a date with in "The Transporter Malfunction", there is a rumor back in New Delhi that Raj is "comfortable in a sari" (i.e. he is gay).
 * In "The Bakersfield Expedition", Raj dressed as the a Klingon from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
 * Raj's drink of choice has remained the grasshopper since he was first served it in "The Grasshopper Experiment": he can be seen drinking one in numerous episodes thereafter.
 * Raj owns a female Yorkshire Terrier named Cinnamon. She was given to him by Howard and Bernadette in "The Transporter Malfunction" to console him over his failed date with Lakshmi. Raj spoils Cinnamon terribly, feeding her elaborate home-cooked meals and pushing her around in a baby stroller.
 * It is revealed that in "The Prestidigitation Approximation" that Raj keeps a Uhura costume on hand in his closet; a source of great shame for his family. "Leonard: Hypothetically, if I had access to a lieutenant Uhura uniform, would you wear it? Priya: Leonard, it is a source of great pain to me and my family that my brother has that outfit in his wardrobe."
 * Bernadette]], Raj]], Leonard]], Penny]] and Amy]] are the only characters of the social group/main castwhose parents have both been seen on-camera - Sheldon's father died when Sheldon was a child, Howard's father abandoned him and his mother when Howard was eleven, Stuart's mother and father have been mentioned and are both alive, Emily's father has been mentioned and it is not known if he is dead or alive and there has been no appearance or mention of Emily's mother or Leslie's mother and father to date.
 * Raj is the only member of the guys not to commit an illegal act or be arrested. Leonard nearly committed treason by nearly showing rocket fuel to Joyce Kim, and blew up the elevator by accident with his rocket fuel. Howard destroyed the Mars Rover, not to mention other illegal activities such as using government property for his personal use. Sheldon was thrown in jail for insulting a judge in traffic court, and has had several restraining orders filed against him by various celebrities (such as Stan Lee and Leonard Nimoy). In "The Convention Conundrum", it was revealed that Raj fears being arrested out of fear of being deported back to India. However, Raj has had several incidents with Human Resources at the University.
 * He drives a BMW with seat warmers.
 * Regarding Bollywood actresses, Raj describes Aishwarya Rai as a "goddess" and prefers her over Madhuri Dixit.
 * Raj, Leonard, Sheldon and Howard are the only characters of the current main cast who have appeared in every episode (not counting the Unaired Pilot).
 * Raj may be an olfactophile which is shown in "The Gothowitz Deviation".
 * Tighty-whities are his underwear of choice, as seen in "The Wildebeest Implementation" and "The Monster Isolation". He mentioned he wore Boxer Shorts in season 1 in "The Grasshopper Experiment", but you actually see him wear it.


 * The only episode where Raj does not talk in at all is the Season 3 episode "The Maternal Congruence".
 * In "The Allowance Evaporation", Raj's friends about talking about where he would live, if he had to move out of his apartment. He was the only person in the series, who lives alone. Howard and Bernadette don't want to live with him and neither does Leonard and Penny. Because he is too difficult to live with and he is a lot worse to live with than Sheldon Cooper.
 * In season 10, "The Escape Hatch Identification" Raj moved out his apartment, since he can't afford to live their anymore since he cut himself off his parent's finances in "The Allowance Evaporation". Mostly he is staying with Leonard and Penny apartment temporary, until he can find a place to stay. Even though Howard and Bernadette and Leonard Penny don't want to live with him, since he is difficult to live with than Sheldon Cooper. One time, Leonard and Penny will let him stay with him temporary until he finds a place of his own.
 * Raj's job earns average $55,000 to $93,000 annually in the US. Therefore, it is unknown why he has to depend on his dad for money all the time.
 * Raj is right-handed.
 * Raj loves trains, just like Sheldon.
 * Raj in season 11, had a good relationship with his parents when he was growing up. When he was an adult, mostly they have an estranged relationship and usually threatened to cut him off. Mostly they always trying to arrange an Indian girl for him to marry. In season 10, they gave up on him on finding a girl.
 * Season 12 Rajesh Koothrappali and Stuart Bloom are going to be the two oldest single guys in the season. Since half of the main cast are married or in a relationship. Both have girlfriends in the last season.