Sonu Sood, Kangana Ranaut, Yash: Stars who left home to chase their Bollywood dream

What do stars like Sonu Sood, Kangana Ranaut and Yash have in common? Well, besides the fact that they are living the fab life with plush houses, swanky cars, huge paycheques and big blockbusters to their credit, these stars risked it all to chase their Bollywood dream. We have drawn up a list of actors who left home far behind to chase their dreams of becoming Bollywood stars.

Sonu Sood was dubbed India's real-life hero when he helped immigrant workers reach home during the pandemic. Did you know that the star left his home about 20 years ago in search of the Bollywood dream? "I still remember the day when I boarded the 'Deluxe Express' from Ludhiana to come to Mumbai to fulfil my dreams and bought a Filmfare magazine from Ludhiana station. Today after 20 years I'm on the cover and realized it's never too late to achieve your dreams," he said in a tweet. The actor revealed in previous interviews how his parents weren't too keen on his aspirations to be a film star. However, there was no turning back for him once he boarded his train to the big city on an unreserved ticket.

Controversies aside, Kangana Ranaut's journey to becoming one of the biggest Bollywood actresses is nothing but remarkable. Kangana left home at age 15 to chase her filmstar dreams. As her father refused to help her in her struggle, she was determined to make it on her own. Recalling her ordeals, she said, "I was captured by underworld mafia at 16. At 21 I had squashed all villains in my life, was a successful actress a national award winner, owner of my first house in Mumbai city posh location Bandra."

She is now one f the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood and has been pushing the envelope to direct and even produce her films.

Rocking star Yash is now a household name, but there was a time when he and his acting dreams were shunned by his family. Yash revealed that he had left his home to follow his dream of becoming an actor as his father, wanted him to become a government officer. Coming from a middle-class background his family didn't quite believe his superstar dreams would ever take flight. With only Rs 300 in his pocket and sheer determination and hard work, he rose the ranks and is now a pan-India star with a list of films awaiting its release, including 'KGF: Chapter 2'.

Kartik Aaryan is living the life of a Bollywood star. The actor has been raking in the big bucks, enjoying box office success, buying the latest cars and a loyal fan-following around the world. But, like the other stars on this list, Kartik also roughed it out and shared an apartment in Mumbai with 12 other boys while secretly chasing his Bollywood dreams. The actor revealed that his parents weren't aware of his struggles auditioning for roles, only to later get rejected. After years of hard work, he finally cracked the code and bagged Bollywood films. However, it was only after he starred in three films that he was finally able to rent a place of his own and indulge in the finer things in life.

Naseeruddin Shah has not only made a name for himself in Bollywood but has also starred in Hollywood films. In his autobiography 'Then One Day', he revealed that he actually left his home and his family at the age of 16, to chase his dream to be an actor. Since then, there has been no looking back for the veteran star.