We’re all under the impression that stardom comes to those with luck and the right connections. Even though that may be the case for many of the stars, there are some who really have worked their way up the ladder of success. We here at BollySpice thought it would be interesting to look back and see what sort of odd jobs some of our favourite stars had on their journey to stardom!
Akshay Kumar
Nowadays known as “Jubilee Kumar” for his famous lucky streak at the box office, he’s one of the biggest names in the film industry. However this is one actor who has worked hard and has climbed a very long ladder to reach where he is today. Akshay Kumar, prior to stardom, has studied martial arts in Bangkok. And more surprisingly, his occupation at the time was of a chef. Yes, you read right, the action hero we know today was the king of taste buds on a cruise ship! Talk about versatility!
Shahrukh Khan
This may be common knowledge by now; however, one that still amazes everyone. The King Khan has had his fair share of struggles before being declared the Badshah of Bollywood. Prior to his debut on the big screen in Deewana, SRK appeared in several television serials. One in particular was directed by Aziz Mirza. SRK’s life story brings hope to all actors struggling to make it big. If he can do it then there is no reason someone else with the same amount of talent (and of course, luck) cannot!
Ritesh Deshmukh
The politically correct heartthrob is well known for his many acclaimed performances, and of course, his feminine side in Apna Sapna Money Money! However Deshmukh is not just about jokes! Many don’t know that Ritesh also has a very serious side to him. Qualified as an architect, he has practiced architecture in New York City. However acting was forever on his mind because, even while he was practicing architecture, he studied acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. Way to go Ritesh!
John Abraham
Okay, we know what you all are thinking now, and that is “Yeah, he’s a model. Old news.” However to many people’s surprise, the dashing actor started off his career with media planning with a firm called “Time & Space Entertainment Promotion LTD” which closed down due to financial difficulties. Later on he joined “Enterprises Nexus”. It was when he was working at Enterprises Nexus that he got the chance to model; a model had backed out and his boss suggested he fill in. And the rest like they say is history!
Shahid Kapoor
In “Om Shanti Om” it took Om two whole lifetimes to make it from a junior artist to a hero. Our very own Shahid Kapoor has achieved this in a matter of years. The young actor who is known to have stolen millions of hearts with his first movie, Ishq Vishk, was seen prior to his launch as a background extra in Subhash Ghai’s Taal (Kahin Aag Lage sequence). Also before making his big debut, Shahid was seen in a Pepsi advertisement alongside Shah Rukh and Rani. But wait there’s more. He also featured in some music videos! So ladies and gentlemen, here is one fine actor to make you believe that anything is possible with talent and dedication!
Soha Ali Khan
Since she hails from a “filmi” family, you wouldn’t expect Soha to have thought of a career apart from movies. Well, Soha proves us wrong! After graduating from The London School of Economics and Political Science with a masters in International Relations, Soha worked for the Ford Foundation (charitable organisation in NY to promote democracy) and Citibank. Along with acting, she serves on the Advisory Board for a new public entrepreneur group, Res Publica. Way to go, Soha!
Rahul Bose
The award winning actor, who pledges his loyalty to art house cinema, has had his share of variety in life too. In his college days, Rahul was well known for participating in boxing, football and theatre (talk about variety)! Later on, he pursued a job at Redfussion as a creative director. However, he quit this occupation in order to become a serious actor, director and writer. Now that is what we call dedication!
Shreyas Talpade
In Dor, he played a man of many disguises. Now it seems he’s been through this trend in his off-screen life too. The actor today is well known for his versatility after impressing the critics in comic, dramatic and romantic roles. However Shreyas’ past clearly says that stardom doesn’t come easy no matter how talented you are. For all those who don’t know about Shreyas’ struggle in the world of cinema, it might interest you to learn that Shreyas originally started in the world of cinema through Marathi soap operas. Not only that, he has also featured in stage shows across Maharashtra. Now how’s that for versatility?!
Madhavan
Commonly known as Maddy, Madhavan has had one hell of an interesting background prior to films. In 1988, Maddy represented India as its cultural ambassador from his college to Canada after graduation. Later on, he even won an award as Maharashtra’s Best Cadet, which led to a trip with three others to England. On this prestigious trip, he received Royal Army, Navy and Air Force training. Maddy had planned to join one of these prestigious leagues; however, he missed the age cut-off by six months. Now aren’t we all glad for such strict rules! Because if it wasn’t for that, then we wouldn’t have such a fine actor amongst us today!
Mallika Sherawat
She’s one of the most talked about actresses of Indian cinema today. However it comes to everyone’s surprise when they discover the nature of her first profession. Prior to pursuing her acting career, Mallika was serving tea and coffee on planes. Yes, she was an air hostess! It was during this phase of her life that she met her now ex-husband, Karan Gill, who was a pilot. Mallika also has a degree in Indian Philosophy from Delhi University! So it is quite obvious that this woman is forever full of surprises!
Even without any connections in the film industry, the stars described above show that it is possible to reach stardom through talent, hard work and sheer determination alone. We hope that you enjoyed this feature and we hopefully uncovered a few new facts. If you have anymore interesting facts to add, please feel free to leave a comment and enlighten us all with something interesting about your favorite celebrities!
