‘I had Rs 84 in my account and would bow to the bank every day’: Gaurav Gera opens up on struggles before Dhurandhar success
Actor-comedian Gaurav Gera is currently enjoying the love coming his way following the success of Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge. But the journey to this moment was far from easy. In a recent conversation, Gaurav opened up about his struggles, career choices, financial hardships and the lessons that have kept him grounded.Reflecting on his early years, Gaurav revealed that no one from his family had any connection to the film industry.“Mere yahan koi filmon mein nahi tha. Nobody from my family was in films,” he told Jist, adding that his interest in performing arts began during his school days through annual functions and fancy dress competitions.However, academics took precedence in his school. “Art and craft mein mere A-plus aate the, but studies mein main 72%, 80%, 82% wala student tha. Mujhe lagta tha jis cheez mein main achha hoon, usko encourage hi nahi kar rahe,” he recalled.
From fashion designing to theatre
Believing his artistic skills could translate into a career, Gera initially pursued fashion designing.“Meri sketching achhi thi. Maine College of Arts mein apply kiya tha, but hua nahi. Phir fashion mein gaya aur Pearl Academy of Fashion join ki,” he shared.But the course failed to ignite his passion.“Mujhe laga ye woh nahi hai jo main karna chahta hoon. Maine papa se bol diya, ‘Paise bacha lo, bada mehenga course hai. Main nahi karunga.’ Papa ne kaha, ‘Finish it. Aadhe saal job kar lena, phir jo mann mein aaye karna.’ Exactly aadha saal job kiya aur phir theatre join kar liya.”Gera said he remains grateful that his parents never imposed their ambitions on him.“Mere papa IIT-BHU se engineer hain, bhai software engineer hai, but mujh par kuch thopa nahi gaya. Iske liye main thankful hoon.”
‘I had only Rs 84 in my account’
Opening up about the financial struggles he faced after moving to Mumbai, Gera shared a memory that still stays with him.“Mere account mein Rs 84 the. Main HDFC Bank ke saamne se guzarta tha aur bank ko dekh kar kehta tha, ‘Mera khayal rakhna.’ Main aate-jaate bank ko mattha tek ke jaata tha,” he said with a laugh.The actor explained that while his father supported him whenever possible, money was limited.“Papa salaried person the. Unke letters abhi bhi mere paas hain jahan likha hota tha, ‘Rs 2,000 bhej raha hoon, isse zyada nahi hai.’”Despite the challenges, he never considered himself deprived.“Us waqt lagta tha takleef nahi hai. Paise nahi hain auto ke, toh paidal aa jayenge. Main thoda khuddar type tha. Main dene wala banna chahta tha, lene wala nahi.”
The letter that still inspires him
Gera also spoke about a letter he had written home shortly after arriving in Mumbai.“Letter mein likha tha ki abhi paise ke front par kuch materialize nahi hua hai, but please have faith in me. Future is bright. I need to learn more.”Looking back, he feels proud of the maturity reflected in those words.“Mujhe us letter ki tone bahut achhi lagti hai. Na usmein ghamand tha, na yeh tha ki mujhe sab aata hai. Agar aaj mujhe waisa bachcha mile, toh main usko support hi karunga.”
Success and keeping ego in check
While Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge have expanded his reach, Gera says success has not changed him.“Kuch saalon pehle mujhe lagne laga tha ki log mujhe ‘legend’ bol rahe hain aur shayad maine usko thoda seriously le liya tha. Phir mujhe laga, ‘No, I have to break it. I have to kill it.’”The actor admitted that he consciously worked on keeping his ego under control.“Greatness wali feeling ahankaar laati hai. Main us zone ka nahi hona chahta tha. Isliye main apne aap ko check mein rakhta hoon.”Asked whether the overwhelming appreciation for Dhurandhar has led to arrogance, he replied, “Ab nahi aata. Shayad 10 saal pehle aa jaata. Ab lagta hai ye bas ek kaam hai jo maine kiya aur logon ne pasand kiya. It’s one of the jobs that I did.”Gera believes the entertainment industry teaches humility.“Aaj aap rocking ho, kal nahi ho. Maine itne ups and downs dekhe hain ki ab farq nahi padta.”
