Pratik Gandhi the male lead actor in the web series Scam 1992, requires no introduction. While he currently gained popularity from the amazing acting skills he has had an equal share of highs and lows as a performer.
Born into a middle-class family, Pratik entry into the film industry was not easy as it seems. Recently, he shared journey and struggles through Humans of Bombay.
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Pratik performed for the first time in his school play when he was in 4th standard.
It was merely a 5-minute role but the excitement and appreciation he received remained with him forever. He continued to act in school plays, but couldn’t take acting as a career as he has constraints of being born in a middle class family.
“Papa was supportive but he’d say, ‘Pehle degree lo, phir jo karna hai karo.’ So I opted for engineering. Still, I’d do small plays–ishq toh acting se hi tha.”
After he completed his graduation, Pratik moved to Mumbai and took small acting assignments on a project basis. There were a lot of times sometimes months when he didn’t have any work at all so he took odd jobs like installing TV towers and anchoring.
After the floods in 2006 his family also shifted from Surat to Mumbai. Together they lived in 1RK and continued to live there for quite a few years. With the increasing responsibilities of family and marriage, Pratik decided to go for a full-time job.
But even at that time, he did not leave acting. He would rehearse prior to his work and did plays post-work hours.
His hard work eventually paid off when he was given a role in the Gujarati film Bey Yaar. He took a 22-day leave from work to finish the film shoot. The movie was a hit and built Pratik as an actor in mainstream Gujarati cinema.
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At the age of 36 Pratik decided to leave his full-time job and focused completely on acting.
“The next time I got a film offer, I took the risk & at 36, I quit my job! Although I had a house loan, & a toddler, it felt right.”
There was no turning back after Scam 1992 released
Pratik’s work was appreciated by film critics and his fandom increased manifold. He was even awarded the Critics Choice Award for his work in the SonyLiv series Scam 1992.
“When Shabana Azmi Ma’am told me it was the best performance she’d seen in 20 years, I was in tears. My wife was ecstatic! And when my parents saw me win an IIFA, they were so moved.”
Pratik told Humans of Bombay that his life completely changed after the release of Scam 1992.
“It’s been 5 months since Scam’s release & my life has taken a 180° turn! People see me as a ‘lead actor’ now. Zindagi ne jaise ek dum se raftar pakad li hai. But all of this happened because at 36, instead of getting comfortable, I decided to take a risk kyun ki… risk hai toh ishq hai!”
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Also read: 15 Facts About Shreya Dhanwanthary, The Actress Who Portrayed Sucheta Dalal In ‘Scam 1992’
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