This actor lost home in floods, had no money for months, installed TV towers, one role made him star, now charges…

Working in Indian cinema and dazzling the audience on the big screen is a far-fetched dream for many. Few bravehearts go to any length to achieve it. Today we will discuss an actor who is a regional star, an OTT star, and now he’s even entertaining the Hindi audience on the silver screen. However, there was a time when this outsider had no money, and not even a house in Mumbai city to survive with his family. Today, Pratik Gandhi needs no introduction, and it is because he truly believed in what he said in Scam 1992, “Risk hai…toh ishq hai.” 

The odd jobs Pratik did to survive

In 2006, Pratik and his family moved to Mumbai after they lost their home in the Surat floods. Pratik along with his family of 5 members stayed in a 1 room apartment in Mumbai city. As Pratik revealed in a conversation with Humans of Bombay, Pratik first came to Bombay after graduation, but since he was not getting any job, there were months without any income. To sustain in Mumbai, Pratik did odd jobs such as installing TV towers and anchoring. After getting married, Pratik decided to take a full-time job, and he would rehearse for 2 hours before work and after. Pratik managed to do plays and continued the same for next six years. 

When Pratik faced huge financial crunches with family’s medical emergency 

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Pratik revealed “Financial trouble, financial crisis, medical trouble, I’ve seen it all. There were some medical emergencies at home, be it my wife’s brain tumour operation, or my father’s cancer. Eventually, we lost him in 2018. Buying a house in Mumbai is a big deal. Even after a decade of being in Mumbai, there was a time when we didn’t have a house, suddenly the whole family was homeless.” Pratik said that he never broke down or felt pressured by the hardships. He always thought about the solutions, rather than thinking about problems. 

When Pratik quit his job despite being in debt

During his full-time job, Pratik managed to get his first Gujarati film. He took a 22-day leave from work and completed the film. Pratik couldn’t even promote the film, yet Bey Yaar became a hit, and Pratik found his footing in the cinema.  At 36, Pratik quit his job, and despite having a home loan, a toddler, and a family he decided to dream big. His hard work paid off when he got a call for the series Scam 1992. Hansal Mehta’s series made him a star. Reportedly, for Scam 1992, Pratik charged Rs 5 lakh per episode. On the work front, Pratik is seen in the comedy Madgaon Express with Divyenndu and Avinash Tiwary. He will next be seen in Do Aur Do Pyaar. 

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