For an outsider the dream of working in Bollywood is next to attaining nirvana. In a country of more than 1.2 billion people, making a mark in the film industry is extremely tough if not impossible. With sheer hard work and perseverance there are quite a few who have made it big. One such actor is the dreamy eyed boy Saket Saurav from Garhwa, whose first film ‘Khaali Peeli’ was released on October 2 on Zee Plex.
Currently based in Mumbai since 2016, the 28- year old Jharkhand boy is seen portraying the character of a friend and supporting the villain- Jaideep Ahlawat is all his deeds. The film has been directed by Maqbool Khan and produced by Himanshu Mehra and Ali Abbbas Zafar. Saurav is also seen sharing screen space with Ishaan Khattar and Ananya Pandey.
“My first experience in a Bollywood movie has been absolutely amazing. By the mercy of God and my hard work I got the chance of playing the role of the supporting actor to the villain in this film. I feel my biggest achievement is that the director has appreciated my work,” said the actor.
Before the release of his debut film movie, Saurav has been a part of a web series titled ‘Dulha Wanted’. It was produced by the entertainment web platform iDiva and was released on the same as well as YouTube in 2018. He has also done television and print commercials for brands like Paytm and modeling assignments at the local level.
Saurav feels that it was way back in 2012 when his dreams started becoming a reality. “I joined Asmita Theatre Group in Delhi and after working backstage and learning the nuances of acting for six months, it was then that I finally got a chance to come on stage and do some serious theatre. Court martial, Ramkali and Hanoosh are some of the plays I was a part of,” he added.
The actor has also done various street plays based on old age homes, elections and blood donation. ‘Dastak’ is one such street play based on women atrocities. Akshay Kumar, Danny Danzongpa, Laurence Olivier, Tom Hanks and Daniel Levi are his reel life inspirations.
“I got inclined towards acting at a very young age. It all started while watching Rangoli and movies, which were telecast over the weekend on Doordarshan. I also used to participate a lot in school plays. In real life my mother has been my true inspiration in all this. She had a great sense of humour and while telling a story about a particular person she would always mimic them. So I feel I have acting in my genes,” remarked a nostalgic Saurav.
Born in Golhatti, Bihar, Saurav moved to Garhwa when he was about a year old. His father Lakshmi Lalan Jha is a private school teacher in Garhwa for the past 35 years while his mother Late Neelam Jha was a home maker. His younger brother Vicky Vikash is banker based in Mumbai.
Saurav completed his matriculation from South Point School Garhwa and his intermediate and graduation from Marwari College, Bhagalpur with a BSc in Physics Honours.
“Coming from a simple family I did my graduation in Physics to get a government job but realized that my calling was somewhere else. Apart from my parents and my brother who have been my constant supporters, Dr Bijaykant Mishra my uncle has also been my backbone and mentor all through my journey. It is with their support and blessings that I have managed to achieve my dreams,” added Saurav.