Rajinikanth and other Bollywood stars who defied the odds

Credit : Rupal

Rajnikanth, born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, worked as a coolie and bus conductor before pursuing his passion for acting. Despite family opposition, he enrolled in the Madras Film Institute, and with the support of his fellow conductors, learned Tamil and took on early villain roles that launched his career. He is one of the first big names to bridge the divide between South Indian and Indian cinema

Credit : Rupal

Starting off as a waiter and later transitioning into photographer, Boman Irani's path to Bollywood was anything but conventional. His debut in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. at the age of 44 marked the beginning of an illustrious acting career

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Amitabh Bachchan's journey to stardom had humble beginnings—starting as a voice actor after being rejected by All India Radio, and working as a broker for various shipping companies before his breakthrough with Zanjeer in 1973

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Pankaj Tripathi, graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management in Hajipur, he briefly worked as a chef in Patna before deciding to follow his passion for acting. He joined the National School of Drama, where he developed his craft and ultimately emerged as one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema

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Akshay Kumar, who belongs to New Delhi but shifted to Mumbai later, initially worked as a waiter and dishwasher in Bangkok. But after beating all the hurdles, he achieved success in showbiz. Akshay debuted in Bollywood in 1991 with the film Saugandh. But he got his breakthrough with the suspense thriller Khiladi in 1992 and he has never looked back since then

Credit : Rupal