#SpeakIT: Chotti Bahu To Mary Kom & Ashram, Darshan Kumaar’s Story Is One Of Hope For Outsiders

Mumbai - they call it the city of dreams. Mayanagri, as it is fondly called, offers limitless opportunities to people. It is also a place where thousands of aspiring actors throng everything in pursuit of becoming an actor.

Darshan Kumaar, who is basking in the success of shows like Avrodh and Ashram, says his journey from Delhi to Mumbai was full of ups and downs. His first brush with Bollywood was in Salman Khan starrer Tere Naam, a film he bagged during his college days. With dreams in his heart and an ambition to succeed, when he moved to Mumbai to pursue acting, his journey wasn't all rosy.?

Here’s his story that he revealed in an exclusive interview with Indiatimes:

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Unlike most of us who are mostly bunking classes in school and eyeing for good marks in exams, Darshan knew what he wanted to do. “I started writing poetry at the age of six or seven. I would participate in a lot of stage plays in school.” He says everybody around him realised his potential during his school days.?

"My journey to acting began in school. Growing up, I was always fascinated with Naseeruddin Shah. I would spend the entire night watching his movies like Sparsh, Paar and many more. My mom used to beat me for not studying, and I would tell her, 'Mard ko dard nahi hota', I was so filmy."

Darshan Kumaar

He soon joined theatre and would hone his skills after school hours. Once college was over, he shifted to Mumbai to fulfill his dreams. The journey, however, wasn't easy.

“When I moved to Mumbai from Delhi, my journey wasn't all rosy. I used to dub for an entire day for Rs 500. I would just get six-seven of such opportunities in a month. So that meant I had to survive on Rs 3000-4000 a month. There have been times when I have walked 5-6 kms for auditions. I didn’t even have money to buy tea. If they offered it, I would be so thankful, if not, I always had a pack of Parle-G biscuits in my bag. I would dip it in water and eat."?

Darshan Kumaar

Darshan believes there are no wrong turns. Everything he was going through, he believed, was preparing him for what he asked for. The hectic days of dubbing, he says, has helped him polish his craft. "Now when I dub for my movies or shows, it’s like a cake walk for me.”??When he came to Mumbai,?he had joined Neena Gupta’s theatre group Sahaj. Later, he started working with?Naseeruddin Shah.

"When I came to Mumbai, I knew I wanted to join Naseer sir's theatre group. People told me it was impossible for me to get that opportunity. I was an outsider, but I always believed 'where there’s a will there’s a way'. It has been 10 years now that I have been working with him, and I have learnt a lot from him."?

Darshan Kumaar

Kumaar has featured in a lot of TV shows. He says people still remember his role as Purab and his peculiar way of saying “Kyuki”?in Chotti Bahu, but it was only after Mary Kom, in which he played the role of Onler Kom? alongside Priyanka Chopra, that he felt he had achieved something.?

"I was gaining confidence through theatre, but I was also getting rejected audition after audition. There was a time when I thought of giving up. I was lucky that my parents supported me. I did a few popular shows like Chotti Bahu and Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, but it was only after Mary Kom that I felt I had achieved something. I got a lot of appreciation, and I was nominated for a lot of awards."?

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He was basking in the success and glory of Mary Kom. Audiences finally sat back and took notice of his stellar performance. Several top-notch directors recognised his potential and wanted to work with him. Yet, there were some hiccups in his journey.

"After Mary Kom, I became a recognised face. Five A-list directors approached me for lead roles. They wanted to cast me in their films. What's ironic is - I lost all these movies, because producers were only willing to invest in a superstar. Even after this, giving up wasn't an option for me."

Darshan Kumaar

He has played a variety of roles, but his mom loved him the most in Ashram, he says. "I was good in academics, so she always wanted me to become an IPS officer. She was so happy to see me in the uniform," he quips.?

"I did films like NH10, Sarbjit and web-series like The Family Man, Avrodh the Siege Within and Ashram. OTT opened a new horizon for many actors like me. Now, I have been approached for a few Hollywood projects and if everything goes well, you might see it in a Hollywood movie soon."

Darshan Kumaar's story is indeed the one of hope for outsiders.