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My father was a self-made man. He gave in his blood and sweat to erect a flourishing business from scratch and had created an atmosphere conducive enough for me to take up entrepreneurship. But I was busy exploring different niches. Eventually, acting was the one, I put my finger on.
But having been brought up in a family that considered cinema a waste of time, I could never really gain command over the core concepts of cinema. In my first attempt, I failed to get a seat at FTII. To enhance my preparedness, I enrolled myself in a 3 month long acting workshop in Hyderabad.In the successive attempt, I got a seat at FTII but the acceptance letter brought with it a fair share of tumult.
Unwilling to ask for more money from my father, taking into account my several failed attempts, I had decided to slip away when my father would be on a business tour. But something held me back and I called him to tell my side of the story. Extremely disappointed ,he asked me to leave before his return.Borrowing my tuition fees from my friend, I left. Although I missed my family, long hours in the giant auditorium and the mystery of cinema unfolding before me made it manageable.
After college, when I moved to Bombay, reality hit me hard. Although the stories of many people stuffed in a tiny room is quite cliche, that’s the most authentic picturisation of one’s struggle. I remember falling sick once and keeping it under wraps.My first paycheck from an ad filled my hospital bills. Despite knowing that it would take some time for things to settle between me and my father, I realized the urge of convincing him that I find the real pleasure in paving my own path.
I poured my heart out in a letter and sent him. The answer came back after a few years when Rangrezz happened. He had read about me in the local newspaper and had even gone to watch it. The day we met, he handed me the ticket stub which will forever be my priceless possession. Though torn and creased, it will always be the embodiment of the values my father passed on to me. Just like him, I took the road less travelled by and that has made all the difference.
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