There is no denying the fact that actors who don't hail from film families don't get the kind of access and expensive debut films like the star kids do. Nepotism is the ugly side of the Hindi film industry. But there is a far more beautiful and greater side and that is the inspiring struggle of those who slog in commercials, television serials, theatre in the hope they would be cast in the film.?
Bollywood should be supremely proud of its outsiders and celebrate how they have made it to the top. What's common among our short-listed stellar outsiders of the industry is that they are the living proof that hard work, perseverance, and talent can pay off too!
India and the world collectively mourned the loss?of a movie star who was known for his unmatched acting prowess that made him conquer both Hindi cinema and Hollywood.?His passing away came as a personal blow to most of us. It could be because of how Irrfan?proved diligently that Bollywood is not all about lineage.?How talent and hard work have their own unique shine. Mainly, it was his explicable love for acting that made cinema magical for us and that's why this loss will always be personal.?
Almost 14 years ago,?Kangana Ranaut provided glimpses of her acting talent in her debut film,?Gangster. But no one could have predicted her meteoric rise in the years to follow and especially now. Ranaut’s journey in Bollywood is an inspiring tale of survival and the embodiment of self-belief and hunger to succeed. From running away from home because she was an unwanted girl child to landing in Mumbai and being sexually abused by a man of her father's age to then making it as an actress but only to have her English mocked and clothes looked down upon, Kangana Ranaut is truly self-made.? ?
Long before Sushant became a quirky-philosophy quoting phenomenon on social media, even before his foray into the world of Hindi cinema, he was a superstar in his own right. His endearing performances on television made fans all over the country take note of him because there was an actor who was one of us who made it big, a guy who actually had the guts to follow his dreams.? ?
Giving millions of Indians hope that they too can make it big is Shah Rukh Khan. His journey and evolution in the film industry will be one glorious story history books will recount.?He went from being a starry-eyed outsider to the undeniable superstar of his generation. And a decade or so later,? even without a film release in two years, he continues to remain relevant and loved. It's the power of his hard work and talent that fuels the power he still commands.?
If Shah Rukh Khan is hailed as our national pride then Priyanka Chopra is rightfully an outsider with no connections in Bollywood to a global star the whole world is in awe of. Winning the Miss Universe was a true game-changer for her that allowed her to foray into the world of movies but if it wasn't for her determination and the will to never back down, she wouldn't be the sensation she is in Hollywood right now.?
Can you believe the insanely talented Nawazuddin Siddiqui actually worked as a farmer, a chemist, and a watchman before enrolling himself into National School of Drama? After graduating from there he was only offered small roles in theatre plays. A few years later and after moving to Mumbai is when he got his first movie role in Aamir Khan's Sarfarosh in 1999. But things didn't take off then. It was only in 2007 with Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday that Nawazuddin Siddiqui caught the attention of all of us.?
Before Rajkummar Rao made it big, he was busy talking to posters of Shah Rukh Khan as a means to motivate himself that if he can do it, so can Rao. In his initial years of struggle, Rajkummar never said no to any roles no matter how small. He would give countless auditions. He would meet plenty of casting directors and filmmakers because he was always on the lookout for work. Starting with earning Rs 2000 to where he is now, it's a journey to be immensely proud of.??
What most people don't know is that Taapsee Pannu started working in the south film industry and made her way to Bollywood one film at a time. After a stellar debut with Pink, it was established Taapsee is here to stay and with her recent string of releases with Thappad and Badla, she can get the box-office ringing too. How did she do so well for being an outsider? By having immense faith in her art and never giving up.
Radhika Apte's rise in celluloid needs to be celebrated in more ways than one and definitely more than we do right now.? What is noteworthy is how Apte never had the spotlight on her in her early cinematic appearances but back-to-back incredible performances landed her straight into the wishlist of some of the most prominent filmmakers. But what has capitulated Radhika Apte's rise as one of the most dependable actors is that she is terrific at her craft and wants little to do with fandom, a trait only the rare possess in Bollywood.? ?
Ayushmann Khurrana's groundbreaking debut in the film Vicky Donor was when he was 27 years old. If he was a star-kid, he would have had his first film at 18. The unfairness is prevalent but what shines the most is Khurrana's journey from winning MTV's reality show Roadies to than hosting several shows on the channel mixed with being a radio jockey and a model, if anyone deserves to be on the top, it's him.??
Despite being the son of action director Shyam Kaushal, it's hard to call Vicky Kaushal an 'insider'. His debut in Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan truly showcased just how profoundly talented he is. Whether it was in the scenes of innocently wooing Shweta Tripathi or his terrific scene of mourning that had the great line-??yeh dukh kaahe khatam nahi hota be? Vicky Kaushal had established that Bollywood for sure needs him.?