Actor Dharmesh says he had dropped out, worked as peon
Choreographer and actor Dharmesh Yelande rose to fame with the show Dance India Dance, and went on to fulfill his dream of becoming an actor. However, the journey was never easy. In a recent interview, he opened up about his life before stardom and talked about the struggles he and his family have faced in the past. Here is more on what he said.
Dharmesh, who was inclined toward dancing since childhood, had a journey full of obstacles. In a conversation with Humans of Bombay, he disclosed that hardships in their life began after his father's shop was demolished by the municipality. "He opened up a tea stall - he would make Rs. 50-60 a day; feeding a family of four was tough (sic)," Dharmesh said.
While Dharmesh's father tried to support his education along with his interest in dancing by enrolling him for dance classes, he decided to quit college at the age of 19. He then started to work as a peon alongside teaching dance to kids. Later, as he advanced to the senior batches, he quit his job and took up dance full-time.
Dharmesh, who dreamed of entering Bollywood, came a little closer to it after he moved to Mumbai, participated in Boogie Woogie, and won the show. He revealed that he eventually cleared his father's debts by using the cash prize he won on the show. However, winning that show did not translate into lead roles in movies.
Participating in the popular reality show Dance India Dance in 2009 was a game-changer for Dharmesh. Even though he did not win the show, he managed to garner huge love and appreciation from the judges and viewers. He then became a popular face on the small screen and gave guest appearances on several dance shows.
Dharmesh finally bagged his first role as an actor in Remo D'Souza's dance movie ABCD in 2013. Talking about the same, he said, "With my earnings, I bought a house for my family but still, Papa runs the same tea stall. I told him, 'You don't have to work anymore.' But he refuses." He added that his father's "never-give-up attitude" inspires him.
After making his acting debut, Dharmesh went on to feature in movies like ABCD 2 and Nawabzaade, among others. He was last seen in Street Dancer 3D, along with Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Nora Fatehi and Prabhu Deva. He will next be seen in Safalta 0 km, which marks his debut in Gujarati cinema.
