The young star who brought Chhota Bheem to life

Growing up, I was always captivated by Hollywood films. I remember being around 7 or 8 years old, sitting in front of the TV, mesmerized by the actors on screen. The larger-than-life characters, the emotional performances—everything about it sparked something inside me. I didn’t just want to watch movies; I wanted to be in them. I told my father that I wanted to become an actor, and naturally, he thought I was just being a kid with wild dreams. But when I kept asking and insisting, my parents finally understood that I was serious.

In 2017, my father made a life-changing decision—he resigned from his job, and my mother shut down her salon. They decided to support me wholeheartedly, and as a family, we moved to Mumbai, the city where dreams are said to come true. But the road was far from easy.

The first few months in Mumbai were tough. We lived in a very small flat, barely enough room to turn around, but I was determined. Every day after school, I would spend two hours traveling to auditions, sometimes getting back home at midnight. We had no idea where auditions were happening, so my dad, ever resourceful, would ask random strangers on the streets if they knew anything. Some thought he was crazy, but others gave us helpful hints, guiding us to the audition hubs. We walked miles, often exhausted, but hope kept us going.

After four or five months and over a hundred auditions, I finally landed my first role. It was a cameo in a TV show called Mere Sai. It wasn’t a big part, but it was my entry into the world of acting. From there, things slowly started to fall into place. I began landing ad assignments and making small appearances in popular TV shows like CID , Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, and Krishna Chali London.

But my real breakthrough came in 2020 when I secured a role in the film Panga. I played Adi, the son of Kangana Ranaut and Jassi Gill’s characters. It was an incredible experience working on set with such talented actors. After that, I went on to work in a TV show called Yeh Hai Chahatein and landed two more film roles with titular characters in Bal Naren and Bishwa.

One of the most exciting moments of my career so far was landing the lead role of Chhota Bheem in the film Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan. As a huge fan of Chhota Bheem growing up, getting the opportunity to bring the character to life in a live-action film was a dream come true. My dad and I were both thrilled when we received the audition call for the film. Although we were nervous, I was determined to give it my all.