IIT To Bollywood: Actors Who Skipped Regular Jobs To Pursue Their Love For Acting

IITians Turned Actors: amidst the loud voices of the family and society to study a conventional subject to secure a stable 9 to 5 job and settle as early as possible in life, these Bollywood rising stars listened to their hearts. Bollywood has numerous skilled and talented actors and actresses proving their mettle with their performance and passion on screen. While some are scrutinised for having familial ties in the industry others are glorified for taking the road less travelled. Among the ones who took the untrodden path are some of the popular names surprising the audience with their simplicity allowing them to connect with them on a human level. Dive into such rising names who are making it big in Bollywood after turning away from IIT. 

Jitendra Kumar 

An alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur, Jitendra Kumar’s fame catapulted with a show based on the IIT aspirants preparing to appear in the entrance exams of Indian Institute of Technology, JEE Advanced- ‘The Kota Factory’. With Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Panchayat’ Kumar has charmed the audience with his unostentatious demeanour and plainness. Over the years, with his roles, Jitendra has also redefined the perception of the “Bollywood Hero” with the help of OTT content of course but also with his relatable and earthly social media persona. 

 

 

 

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His notable works include ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan’ where his nuanced portrayal of a queer guy in love was momentous in Bollywood films. 

Amol Parashar 

Bewitching his audience with his portrayal of Chitwan, a fun, quirky, and daring sibling of Chandan and Chanchal in TVF’s ‘Tripling’ Amol Parashar has aced a diverse genre of shows and films. Most recently, he amazed everyone with his compelling character of young Bhagat Singh in the Vicky Kaushal starrer ‘Sardar Udham.’ Parashar is known for his simplicity and frankness on the internet. He has been a part of Netflix's ‘Feels Like Ishq’,  ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare’. 

 

 

 

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He was an IIT-Delhi graduate who quit his job to do what he liked best, acting and performing. 

Varun Grover 

A man with many talents, Varun Grover is an actor, comedian, lyricist, comedian, poet, filmmaker, National Award winner, and an alumnus of IIT- Varanasi. He has been behind the addictive and profound lyrics for movies like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Dunki’, ‘RRR’, ‘Fan’, ‘Merry Christmas’ and more. He won great applause for his performance in Netflix’s ‘Qala.’ 

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Mayoori Kango 

The former actress known for films like 'Papa Kehte Hain' and the hit song 'Ghar se nikalte hi', Mayoori Kango was an entrant at IIT-Kanpur after her selection through the entrance. But she decided to forge a path in Bollywood where she was rising to fame with each role. And then she married and shifted to the US where she started her MBA in Marketing and Finance on a fresh slate and landed a role in Google as India's industry head – agency business for Google India. 

An inspiration to many budding talented actors in India, these emerging stars’s journeys serve as iconic stories to many of us.