- Gaurav Gera plays an Indian intelligence agent undercover in Dhurandhar set in Karachi
- Gera studied fashion at Pearl Academy but left to pursue theatre acting
- He faced financial struggles in Mumbai, surviving on limited support from his father
Actor Gaurav Gera has received praise for his role as Mohammad Aalam, also known as Aalam Bhai, in Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar. In the film, he plays an Indian intelligence operative working undercover in Karachi, posing as a juice seller in the Lyari area to conceal his identity.
In an interview with Jist, Gera spoke about his journey into acting, his early struggles, and how he found his path despite having no film background.
What Gaurav Gera Said
Reflecting on his upbringing, he said, "Mere yahan koi filmon mein nahi tha. Nobody from my family was in films." (No one in my family was connected to films.)
He shared that his interest in performing arts began during his school years, where he participated in annual functions and fancy dress competitions. Talking about his academic life and creative inclination, he said, "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. Meri sketching achhi thi. Maine College of Arts mein apply kiya tha, but hua nahi. Phir fashion mein gaya aur Pearl Academy of Fashion join ki."
(I used to get A-plus in art and craft, but in studies I was an average scorer. I felt that what I was good at wasn't being encouraged. I was good at sketching and had applied to the College of Arts, but didn't get in. I then joined Pearl Academy of Fashion.)
However, he soon realised it was not his calling. "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.' Exactly aadha saal job kiya aur phir theatre join kar liya."
(I realised this wasn't what I wanted to do. I told my father to save the money as it was an expensive course. He asked me to finish it, work for six months, and then do what I wanted. I did that and then joined theatre.)
Speaking about his family's support, Gera added, "Mere papa IIT-BHU se engineer hain, bhai software engineer hai, but mujh par kuch thopa nahi gaya. Iske liye main thankful hoon."
(My father is an engineer from IIT-BHU, and my brother is a software engineer, but nothing was forced on me. I am grateful for that.)
The actor also opened up about his financial struggles after moving to Mumbai. "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."
(I had just Rs 84 in my account. I would pass by a bank and jokingly ask it to take care of me.)
He recalled how his father supported him despite limited means. "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.'"
(My father was a salaried employee. I still have his letters where he would write that he was sending Rs 2,000, and that was all he could afford.)
Looking back, he said he did not feel burdened despite hardships. "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."
(At that time, I didn't feel the struggle. If I didn't have money for an auto, I would walk. I wanted to be someone who gives, not takes.)
He also recalled writing a letter to his family during that phase. "Letter mein likha tha ki abhi paise ke front par kuch materialise nahi hua hai, but please have faith in me. Future is bright. I need to learn more."
(I wrote that nothing had materialised financially yet, but asked them to have faith in me as the future was bright.)
Reflecting on it now, he added, "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."
(I like the tone of that letter-it had no arrogance, only honesty. If I meet someone like that today, I would support them.)
Despite gaining renewed popularity with Dhurandhar and its sequel, Gera emphasised that success has not changed his approach. He admitted that there was a brief phase when he took praise too seriously. "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.'"
(A few years ago, I started believing it when people called me a 'legend', but then I realised I had to break that mindset.)
He added that such thinking can lead to ego. "Greatness wali feeling ahankaar laati hai. Main us zone ka nahi hona chahta tha. Isliye main apne aap ko check mein rakhta hoon."
(The feeling of greatness can bring arrogance. I did not want to be in that space, so I keep myself in check.)
On whether the success of Dhurandhar has affected him, he said, "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."
(It doesn't affect me now. Maybe it would have 10 years ago. Now it feels like just another job that people liked.)
Gera concluded by saying that the industry itself teaches humility. "Aaj aap rocking ho, kal nahi ho. Maine itne ups and downs dekhe hain ki ab farq nahi padta."
(Today you are successful; tomorrow you may not be. I have seen enough ups and downs that it no longer affects me.)
Also Read: Dhurandhar Production Designer Found Guilty Of Sexual Assault By POSH, Credit Removed From Uncut OTT Version