Meet actor who struggled to get work due to his looks, earned Rs 3500 as first pay; now charges Rs 100 crore per film

Written By Riya Sharma | Updated: Aug 16, 2024, 06:54 AM IST

Allu Arjun

This actor, who once didn't get work due to his looks, has now become a superstar.

While everyone sees the actors living a luxurious life, very few know about their initial struggles and how they made it to the top. One of the actors, who is now a superstar, once struggled to find work because of his looks. 

The actor we are talking about was criticised for his looks in his debut film and even though the film was a hit, he couldn’t get more offers due to his looks. He is none other than Allu Arjun. 

Allu Arjun is now a pan-India star. The actor enjoys a huge fan following not only in the Telugu film industry but also in the north. He is the son of Allu Aravind, a well-known producer in the Telugu film industry. Allu Arjun completed his schooling at St. Patrick's School in Chennai and later pursued a degree in Psychology at MSR College, Hyderabad. 

After completing his studies, the actor worked as an animator/designer and for that work, he earned Rs 3500 as his first salary. However, he left the job for acting and made his debut with the film Gangotri in 2003, directed by K Raghavendra Rao.

The film though became a success at the box office, the actor didn’t get work because of his looks. He revealed in an interview, “Gangotri was a hit but as I didn’t look good I didn’t get good film offers. Although the film was successful I felt like I had failed as an artist because I couldn’t make a significant impact on anyone. It felt like I went from 0 to low and I was a nobody.”

However, he soon starred in Arya helmed by Sukumar which turned out to be a turning point in his career. Allu Arjun's career graph only went upwards from thereon. He delivered several blockbuster hits like Bunny, Desamuduru, Parugu, Arya 2, Vedam, Race Gurram, Sarrainodu, and Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, among others. He admitted in an interview that it was Sukumar who had changed his life and said, “If there is one person who has changed my life then surely it is Sukumar. Whether I had hits or flops Sukumar helped me find my path as an actor.”

Soon after blockbusters and hits, he had established himself as the leading actor in Telugu cinema. However, with Pushpa: The Rise, the actor became a pan-India star. Now he reportedly charges Rs 100 crore per film and lives in a luxurious bungalow in Hyderabad which is also reportedly worth Rs 100 crore. He is now gearing up for the release of his upcoming movie Pushpa 2 which is set to release in theatres in December.

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