The Success Stories Of 14 Outsiders Who Made It Big In Bollywood!

Bollywood industry is just like any other industry where children follow their parents’ footsteps and pursue the same career path. But don’t all profession have some headstrong outsiders who carve a niche for them by making a mark in their own merit?

Bollywood, too, has some celebs who made it big without any connections in the film industry and their stories are very inspiring. 

1. Shah Rukh Khan

Did you know that Delhi boy SRK always wanted to join the Indian Army? He never dreamt of coming on the big screen, but fate had a different plan for him altogether. He started with a TV show and was later titled the Badshah of Bollywood.

2. Priyanka Chopra

After winning the Miss World pageant at the age of 18 in the year 2000, Priyanka struggled in the movies. Her initial films were critical and commercial failures until Andaaz came along. There has been no looking back ever since.

3. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aishwarya was nowhere near to the glamorous world of Bollywood when she was crowned Miss World in 1994. Her constant persistence to strive for excellence and success made her walk her own path.

4. Ranveer Singh

Ranveer always wanted to become an actor, but he had no connections to make him get noticed. He started off as an assistant director and gave multiple auditions. Shanoo Sharma, the casting director of YRF, spotted him and the rest is history.

5. Deepika Padukone

For the uninitiated, Deepika played badminton at a national level (her father is a badminton player too). She was told by her friends to take up modelling. That’s how she moved to Mumbai and landed Himesh Reshammiya’s music video. This is when Farah Khan signed her for Om Shanti Om.

6. Anushka Sharma

Anushka was enjoying her career as a model when her manager told her to audition for Bollywood. She then auditioned for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi without knowing that it was a YRF film. Aditya Chopra loved her confidence and roped her in.

7. Katrina Kaif

Katrina was dismissed by various filmmakers for having a very prominent English accent and bad Hindi diction. The diva worked her way up as she learned the language to make a mark in the industry. She is known to be one of the most hard-working actors in the business.

8. Madhuri Dixit Nene

Madhuri made a mark in the industry when she was only 17. The industry which was otherwise ruled by men made way for the beautiful actress with an infectious smile and expressions that could give any actor a run for their money.

9. Kangana Ranaut

Kangana is the one who began the much spoken of nepotism debate. She ran away from home to Mumbai at the age of 16. She auditioned for Gangster but was rejected for being too young. Later, they reconsidered her and she made her way into the industry.

10. Akshay Kumar

We all know Akshay used to be a chef and waiter in a hotel in Thailand. He obtained a black belt in taekwondo in India, changed his name from Rajiv Bhatia to Akshay Kumar and became the ultimate Khiladi of Bollywood.

11. Vidya Balan

Vidya was offered a Malayalam film opposite Mohanlal which led to 12 more films down South. However, the movie stalled and she was labelled ‘jinxed’ and got kicked out of all 12 movies. She was then cast by Pradeep Sarkar in one of Euphoria’s music videos which got her Parineeta. She was also in Ekta Kapoor’s Hum Paanch.

12. Sidharth Malhotra

Sidharth took up modelling at a young age. Luckily, he got a chance to assist in My Name Is Khan. He got noticed by Dharma production and landed a part in Student Of The Year.

13. Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant struggled in his initial days and then landed a role in Ekta Kapoor’s soap opera Pavitra Rishta. However, he quit the show because he wanted to try out his luck in Bollywood. After struggling for long and working at various coffee shops, Kai Po Che happened.

14. Ayushmann Khurrana

Ayushmann started his career at the age of 17 in a reality show on channel VPopStars in 2002. He won various awards for shows he hosted. He always wanted to become an actor. He won Roadies and made his way into Bollywood with Vicky Donor.

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