Actor
Harshvardhan Rane, who is currently basking in the success of his latest release "Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat", spoke about his early struggles and recalled the days when he earned just Rs 10 a day along with a plate of chole chawal as his meal.
The actor reminisced about his struggling days, sharing how life has come full circle for him from once delivering a package to John Abraham to now having the star support and promote his latest release.
"After running away from home... I've told this story many times. But after running away from home, the first thing you need is food. For that, you need some money. For that, you need a salary. And for that, you need a job. So, it wasn't all that easy," Harshvardhan told IANS.
The actor said that he was doing odd jobs before making it into the Hindi film industry.
"No one gave me any work. In the beginning, the easiest job you can get is a waiter's job. You don't need any qualification for that; you just have to serve the table. That started with Rs. 10 per day and a plate of choley rice. That was my salary."
The actor took a trip down memory lane and recalled how he got a job maintaining a register in a cyber cafe.
"My handwriting is good, so I used to get those jobs quickly. In the STD booth and cyber cafe, I used to get around ₹10-20 per day. That was in 2002."
In 2004, he was a delivery boy.
"Someone gave me a job delivering a helmet from a bike showroom to a hotel. When I went there, I found out it was for Mr. John Abraham. His manager told me to wait. I thought, 'I hope I won't get into any trouble. I hope I won't get a scratch pass. I hope I won't get scolded'."
Harshvardhan recalled how John came to the lobby just to thank him.
"John came to the lobby. It was the time of Garam Masala - his Dhoom and Garam Masala days. I was feeling a little awkward and nervous because I was sweating. So, with that awkwardness, I handed him the helmet. He stopped me to say thank you."
"That day, something changed in me. I thought, 'Okay, this star can say thank you to a delivery boy.' There was a humanity lesson in those 10 seconds. That's how I met him.
Years later, Harshvardhan starred in a film produced by John.
"Two years ago, I did a film in which he was the producer and I was the actor. And still, when I look at him, he says, 'Harsh, stop calling me sir.'"
It's been 20 years, but Harshvardhan still looks at John like "I have that helmet in my hand, and John Abraham is standing in front of me."
"I'm very grateful that God showed me these 20 years. I respect him more and more every year. The more I meet people from the industry, Sonam, the more I understand what a genuine human being he is. I'm becoming a bigger fan every year. I thought in 20 years I'd become normal - like, 'Yes, I know he's a good guy.' But every year, he surprises me with his real thought process."
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