With regards to independent stars in Bollywood, we frequently quote the instances of Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh or Anushka Sharma. Be that as it may, there are such a large number of different examples of overcoming adversity of individuals who began without any preparation, had no godfather in the film industry and nobody to back them if an undertaking didn’t progress admirably; but then, they proceeded with their steady endeavors, scaled extraordinary statures and today, they’re commended by millions for their specialty.
1. Rajkummar Rao
Rajkummar Rao is the uncontested underdog of Bollywood. Today the actor has many awards including a National Film Award to his name, but success didn’t come easy to him. According to a report in NDTV, there was a time when Rajkummar Rao had only Rs 18 left in his account. However, the actor overcame all the obstacles to become a force to be reckoned with in the Indian film industry. He made his Bollywood debut with Dibakar Banerjee’s Love, Sex Aur Dhokha and we’ve all witnessed his incredible journey of establishing himself as one of the most stupendous actors from then on.
2. Siddhant Chaturvedi
Siddhant Chaturvedi was planning to follow his father’s footsteps and become a Chartered Accountant (CA) before he took up acting. We guess his fans are glad for the choice he made else we might have not got MC Sher. His phenomenal performance in Gully Boy also earned him awards for best debut and best support actor. According to a report in Hindustan Times, it all started in college when he joined theatre and people started noticing his talent.
3. Abhishek Banerjee
Abhishek Banerjee first appeared in Aamir Khan’s Rang De Basanti in 2006. In the following years, he played second fiddle to the hero in movies like Stree, Dream Girl, Bala and Made In China, where his true potential wasn’t realised. However, it all changed when Anushka Sharma’s Paatal Lok released. Needless to say, his character Hathoda Tyagi is going to be etched in our memories for a long to come.
4. Jaideep Ahlawat
Jaideep Ahlawat played a lead role for the first time in Paatal Lok and his exceptional performance as Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary makes us wonder – “What took the filmmakers so long to recognise this genius actor’s talent?” Prior to this widely acclaimed Amazon Prime Video web series, the FTII graduate has appeared in movies such as Raees, Raazi, Vishwaroopam, Baaghi 3 and Gangs of Wasseypur.
5. Sayani Gupta
Sayani Gupta is one of those underrated actors, who deserve more credit and attention than what they’re getting right now. It’s not easy for someone to draw people’s attention when you’re working alongside actors like Ayushmann Khurrana, Nassar, Manoj Pahwa, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Kumud Mishra but Sayani Gupta made a lasting impression on the audience with her terrific performance in Article 15. She has also worked in Jolly LLB 2, Parched, Axone, Posham Pa, Margarita with a Straw and Four More Shots Please!
6. Amit Sadh
Amit Sadh is one of the few actors who dared to take the leap from television to Bollywood and managed to make a place for himself in Bollywood. He made his debut in 2010 with Phoonk 2 and since then has featured in several blockbuster movies like Kai Po Che!, Guddu Rangeela, Sultan, Gold and Super 30. He won praises for his earnest performance in the web series Breathe alongside R. Madhavan.
7. Vikrant Massey
Before he found his calling in acting, Vikrant Massey had tried his hands at various odd jobs. According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, he was one of youngest dancers in Shiamak Davar’s dance troupe. He even took up a job of cleaning tables at a café in Versova. In 2004, he made his television debut with Kahaan Hoo Main and acted in shows like Balika Vadhu, Dharam Veer and Qubool Hai. He eventually found his way in Bollywood through movies like Lootera, Dil Dhadakne Do, A Death In The Gunj and Half Girlfriend. It 2019, his talent was recognised when he was given the lead role in a web series titled Criminal Justice. In 2020, he was paired opposite Deepika Padukone in Chhapaak.
8. Kirti Kulhari
The Times of India quoted Kirti Kulhari saying, “If you are talented and hardworking you will always succeed and this is not just for our industry but it’s everywhere.” And her notable performances in Pink and Uri: The Surgical Strikes speak volumes about the same. Kirti made her first Bollywood appearance in the comedy film Khichdi: The Movie and went on to act in several movies and shows like Shaitaan, Mission Mangal, Four More Shots Please! and Indu Sarkar.
