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Meet actor who once survived on biscuits and frooti; worked as dance teacher to make ends meet; now he is one of most bankable stars
Let's take a look at the journey of an actor who once struggled and survived with just Rs 18 in his bank account during his early days in Mumbai and is now hailed as one of the most bankable stars!
This actor, who began his career in 2010, is now a well-known figure in the industry. He has also experienced times when he struggled financially, even being unable to pay his fees. Throughout his 14-year career, he has appeared in numerous films, with some becoming hits while others flopped at the box office. In the early stages of his career, he took on several supporting roles before eventually carving out a place for himself as a leading actor.
We are talking about none other than Rajkummar Rao. The actor has been enjoying a successful streak in 2024, with films like Stree 2, Srikanth, and Mr and Mrs Mahi, among others, receiving positive reviews from both critics and audiences.
While it was not all glitter and gold for Rao, during an appearance on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Rajkummar shared some deeply personal stories about his early struggles. He revealed that for a period of three years, his school teachers helped pay his and his siblings' fees due to financial difficulties at home.
He mentioned that his mother would sometimes ask relatives for assistance with schoolbooks and tuition. "There was a period when our teachers contributed to our fees. They didn't want us to be taken out of school, so they chipped in to support us," he said.
Moving forward, the Srikanth actor also recalled how he began preparing to be an actor after school. At 18, he joined the Sri Ram Centre in Delhi, an acting school. He shared that a friend advised him to attend college to get a bus pass and save on travel costs. "Before I knew that, I would ride a bicycle for 70 kilometers to get to my acting school," he said.
Opening up about his early years in Mumbai, The Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video actor revealed that he once had only Rs 18 in his bank account. During those tough times, he survived on Parle G biscuits and Frooti.
"I remember having only Rs 18 left in my account in Mumbai, and I lived very frugally. There were three of us living in one flat, and I used to skip lunch, having just one Parle G biscuit and Frooti for Rs 4," he shared.
In the podcast, the Shahid actor shared that his first job was teaching dance to a seven-year-old, for which he earned Rs 300.
He explained that he was in high school when he started teaching and expressed how happy he was to receive that amount, considering the difficult financial situation at home.
Rajkummar also proudly recounted how he used his first salary to buy groceries for his family, mentioning that after purchasing everything they needed, he had some money left, which he spent on desi ghee. He noted that it was a special treat for them to have ghee on their rotis at the time.
On the work front, Rao will be next seen in Maalik, helmed by Pulkit. The action-thriller film will see Rao portray a gangster.
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