Meet actor, who once lived on Rs 6 lunch, was labelled ‘finished’, had no work for 4 years; then gave Rs 1000-crore film

Written By Riya Sharma | Updated: Aug 15, 2024, 07:19 AM IST

John Abraham childhood pic

This outsider, who was labelled 'finished' by the industry, later gave Rs 1000-crore blockbuster.

Many artistes enter the film industry with big dreams to become stars, however, not everyone is able to achieve this feat. One of the outsiders, who used to live on Rs 6 lunch, the family had no money for food, has now become one of the most bankable stars in the industry. 

The actor we are talking about started his journey as a model but later went on to become an action star in Bollywood. He had no work for 4 years, but later, he gave Rs 1000-crore hit. He is none other than John Abraham.

John Abraham started his career as a model. His first salary was Rs 6500, when asked how he spent his salary, John revealed, "My expenses were very low. My lunch would cost Rs 6 and I would have 2 chapatis and dal fry this was in 1999. I would skip dinner as I would be working late in the office. My expenses included petrol for my bike, I didn’t have a mobile, I had a train pass and the little food I had, that’s all."

After a successful modeling career, John Abraham made his acting debut with the erotic thriller film Jism, a sleeper hit. However, the actor rose to prominence with his film Dhoom and then went on to star in several comedy films like Garam Masala, Taxi No. 9211, and Dostana. 

Later, John Abraham established himself as an action hero with films like Race 2 and Shootout at Wadala and Madras Cafe. However, after his film, Welcome Back, the actor had no work for 4 years. He revealed in an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, how he was declared 'finished' by Bollywood after this film and said, "Before Parmanu when I didn’t work for four years, a lot of newcomers came into the industry. I was told I’m done, I’m finished, I’m out. When Parmanu was released, I didn’t even understand if I was in or out. It worked. Just keep working. Even when I was ‘free,’ I never stopped working. Just work hard; people will see your honesty." 

He made his comeback with two back-to-back hits, Pramanu and Satyamev Jayate, and later impressed everyone as a villain in Pathaan. The film which also starred Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan, became an all-time blockbuster and collected Rs 1050 crore at the box office worldwide. He is currently seen in Vedaa alongside Sharvari.

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