From Fashion Designing to Theatre
Actor-comedian Gaurav Gera is currently riding high on the success of Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge, but the road to this moment was anything but smooth. In a recent chat, Gera got candid about his early struggles, career detours, and the financial crunch that once left him with just Rs 84 in his bank account.
Coming from a family with no film background, Gera revealed that his first love was the performing arts. “Mere yahan koi filmon mein nahi tha,” he said, adding that his interest sparked during school days through annual functions and fancy dress competitions. However, academics took priority back then. “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.
Believing his artistic skills could translate into a career, Gera initially pursued fashion designing at Pearl Academy of Fashion. But the course didn’t 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,'” he shared. True to his word, Gera worked for exactly six months before jumping into theatre.
When Rs 84 Was All He Had
Opening up about the financial struggles post moving to Mumbai, Gera shared a memory that still brings a wry smile to his face. “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 tight. “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,'” he revealed. Despite the hardships, Gera never felt 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,” he added.
Gera also spoke about a letter he wrote 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,” he recalled. Looking back, he feels proud of the maturity 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,” he said.
Keeping Ego in Check After Success
While Dhurandhar has expanded his reach, Gera says success hasn’t 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,'” he admitted.
The actor consciously works 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,” he explained. When asked if 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,” he signed off.