Dhurandhar actor Gaurav Gera says he had only ₹84 in his account when he moved to Mumbai: 'Bank ko mattha tekta tha'

Amid the success of Dhurandhar, Gaurav Gera looks back on his struggling days in Mumbai and his journey into acting.

Actor Gaurav Gera is currently enjoying the success of Dhurandhar. The actor, who essayed the role of Indian spy Aalam in the film, received immense praise for his performance. In a chat with Jist, Gaurav recently recalled his journey into acting and his initial struggling days in Mumbai, when he had only ₹84 in his bank account.

Gaurav Gera played the role of Alam in Dhurandhar.

Gaurav recalled that he was better at arts and crafts in school than academics. He initially wanted to apply to the College of Arts but could not secure admission. He then pursued fashion studies at Pearl Academy of Fashion, but the course failed to ignite his passion. Although he wanted to quit, his father asked him to complete the course and work for at least six months. After doing so, Gaurav decided to pursue theatre.

Gaurav Gera recalls his struggling days

He then recalled his days of struggle when he first moved to Mumbai. "Uss time mere account mein ₹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 jata tha. Papa salaried person the. Unke letters abhi bhi mere paas hain jahan likha hota tha, ' ₹2,000 bhej raha hoon, isse zyada nahi hai.' (At that time, I had only ₹84 in my bank account. Whenever I passed by an HDFC Bank branch, I would look at the building and say, 'Please take care of me.' I would almost bow my head to the bank every time I walked past it. My father was a salaried employee. I still have his letters, in which he would write, 'I am sending you ₹2,000. I don't have more than that')."

Helmed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a two-part spy-action thriller starring Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun in key roles. The first part of the film earned over ₹1,300 crore worldwide at the box office, while the second part, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, emerged as an even bigger success, collecting over ₹1,800 crore worldwide.

About Gaurav Gera

Gaurav Gera began his career with television shows such as Ssshhhh...Koi Hai and later rose to fame with his portrayal of Nandu in Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin. He has also appeared in films including Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na, The Shaukeens and Neal 'n' Nikki. In recent years, he gained immense popularity on social media through viral characters such as Chutki, Shopkeeper, Billi Maasi and Pammi Aunty, becoming one of India's most recognised digital comedy creators.