New Delhi: Actor Harshvardhan Rane, who is currently enjoying the success of his latest release “Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat”, talked about his early struggles and recalled the days when he used to earn only Rs 10 a day with a plate of chickpea rice as his meal.
The actor recalls his struggling days and how his life has completely changed from delivering packages to John Abraham to now getting the star’s support and promoting his latest release.
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“After running away from home…I have told this story many times. But after running away from home, the first thing you need is food. For that you need some money. For that you need a salary. And for that you need a job. So, it was not that easy,” Harshvardhan told IANS.
The actor said that before coming into the Hindi film industry, he was doing odd jobs.
“Nobody gave me any work. In the beginning, the easiest job you can get is a waiter’s job. You don’t need any qualifications for this; you just have to serve tables. It started with Rs 10 per day and a plate of chickpea rice. That was my salary.”
The actor took a trip down memory lane and recalled how he got a job maintaining registers in a cyber café.
“I have good handwriting, so I used to get those jobs quickly. In STD booths and cyber cafes, I used to get around ₹10-20 per day. This was in 2002.”
In 2004, he was a delivery boy.
“Someone gave me the job of delivering helmets from a bike showroom to a hotel. When I got there, I found out it was for Mr. John Abraham. His manager asked me to wait. I thought, ‘I hope I don’t get into any trouble. I hope I don’t get a scratch pass. I hope I don’t get scolded.’
Harshvardhan recalled how John came to the lobby just to thank him.
“John came into the lobby. It was Garam Masala time – his Dhoom and Garam Masala days. I was feeling a little awkward and nervous because I was sweating. So, with that awkwardness in place, I gave him the helmet. He stopped me to say thank you.”
“That day, something changed inside me. I thought, ‘Okay, this star can say thank you to a delivery boy.’ There was a lesson of humanity in those 10 seconds. That’s how I met him.
Years later, Harshvardhan acted in a film produced by John.
“Two years ago, I did a film in which he was the producer and I was the actor. And even now, when I look at him, he says, ‘Harsh, stop calling me sir.'”
It’s been 20 years, but Harshvardhan still looks at John like, “I have that helmet in my hand and John Abraham is standing in front of me.”
“I’m so grateful that God has shown me these 20 years. I respect him more every year. The more I meet people from the industry, Sonam, the more I understand what a genuine person he is. I’m becoming a bigger fan every year. I thought in 20 years I’d be normal – like, ‘Yes, I know he’s a nice guy.’ But every year, he surprises me with his actual thought process.”