Rahul Sharma on his struggle period: I gave 600 to 800 auditions and didn’t get selected even in one

Actor Rahul Sharma might be in the best phase of his career at the moment, but he never forgets the time when he had to run around for auditions and get rejected right, left and centre. He shares that it was only his patience that brought him here.

“I went through numerous disappointments. In the first one and a half years in Mumbai, I gave around 600 to 800 auditions and failed miserably. Although I was shortlisted for most of them, I was never finalised and it was disheartening. After much struggle, I got one ad and it was a special moment for me because I had gone through a long period with no acting work. However, that ad also never got released. Then, the opportunity for my first show, Kahani Chandrakanta Ki, came and fortunately, I got selected after a meeting with the producer. But once again I had to face rejection as I was fired after shooting the promo for the show,” shares the actor who is currently part of the show Kaisa Hai Yeh Rishta Anjana.

The reason Sharma recalls was that someone the producer that he wouldn’t be able to deliver as an actor. “They believed that acting was beyond my capabilities. But luck played it’s part and one and a half months, something happened in another actor’s personal life, and I was called back. That’s how I eventually got my first show. I learned early in my career that if something is meant to be, it will happen in your life,” recalls the 35-year-old.

While these were the struggles in the industry, Sharma shares that even the decision to become an after leaving college was not an easy one. “I am from Dausa, a small town near Jaipur. People there were not even aware of what theatre is. When I started doing theatre, people called me by various names, questioning why I was spoiling my career or engaging in what they called ‘bhandgiri’ (unproductive activities). It was disheartening at that time, but it also fuelled my determination because I knew deep down that this is what I wanted to do. I didn’t know anything else, and I didn’t know if anything would happen in this field or not, but I was giving my best and willing to pursue it.”

It was only his mother who supported him and took a stand. “She spoke to my dad and convinced him eventually. And thereon I began acting. Those two years in Jaipur, doing theatre and meeting relatives while explaining my career choice were tough. It was challenging to make them understand why I wanted to pursue this path and why I saw it as an opportunity. It was hard to explain it to everyone. However, fortunately, it started making sense to them in the following years. Now, I am happy with the decision,” he ends