Son of the soil Swantantra Bharat hailing from Trikuta Nagar has brought laurels to the State of Jammu and Kashmir by doing character roles on Silver Screen.
Daily Excelsior Correspondent Ajay Raina caught up with the Bollywood star in a coffee shop at Trikuta Nagar who revealed the course of his journey from Jammu to Silver Screen in Mumbai.
A very calm and cool personality, Bharat was born on April 11, 1976 to a couple Late Shivanand and Sudarshana. He did his schooling from RRL Model Academy and SRML Higher Secondary School and later moved to New Delhi in 1994 to pursue Fashion Designing course.
From where did you start Fashion Designing career ?
I started the career in Fashion Designing from Italian Export House in the year 1997, where I worked for five years. As I had jaundice I came back to my home in Jammu.
After recovering from the disease, what did you do as there was no scope for Fashion Designing in Jammu at that time?
As I recovered from the disease, I joined “Samooh Theatre” in Jammu and did stage plays, which were highly appreciated by the audience. At that time I had no plans to move to Mumbai.
We have heard that you went to Pune and then to Mumbai in 2004. Was it a casual visit or your inner conscience asked you to try luck in Bollywood?.
Yes I visited Mumbai in 2004 to try my luck in Bollywood. When I was in a bus from Pune to Mumbai to try my luck in the star studded world of Bollywood I decided to give myself six months to this line. I still remember my first day when I reached Chembur in Mumbai with no directions where to go and where to stay as Mumbai was new city for me. I had no acquaintance in Mumbai so I stayed in a Gurdwara at Chembur. As Mumbai was new to me and I had no approach for work, I asked someone in Chembur to guide me to a production house to work in films. The stranger guided me to go to Worli, but when I reached Worli, I came to know that industry used to be here long before were shifted to Andheri side and later I took a bus and reached Andheri.
Was the arrival in Andheri fruitful as you were unaware about the industry?
With God’s blessings it was the 7th day in Mumbai, when I started working and got a role in ‘Dhaba Junction’ on Sab TV in 2004 with Late Jaspal Bhatee and Upasana Singh.
No family will allow their child to live in shanty conditions as you lived in your early days in Mumbai. Was your family aware about it?
My father during that time was in Mumbai and he wanted to meet me. I was reluctant as I was living in shabby condition during my struggle days. Papa came to me and begged me to come home back as he could not see me in such horrid living. But as I had decided to give six months to this line, so I refused and continued my struggle.
As Mumbai is very expensive and it is said that the industry doesn’t pay hefty amount to new ones. How did you continue with your struggle?
Yes I had to struggle a lot for my day-to-day needs in Mumbai but I never had to face deep struggle for work as I was honest and capable. My capabilities got me work wherever I went. Mumbai gave me fame and soon I enjoyed the feel of being recognized by people on road. Career graph started from here after I started regular work. I did lot of episodes in different characters in Chacha Choudhary Serial on Sahara TV. I was lucky enough that it didn’t take me long to enter movies.
From which movie, did you make debut in film industry line?
My first small break was in “Rang De Basanti” with Bollywood star Aamir Khan. Though “Rang De Basanti” was a small role but it gave shape to my career and after this I got good character roles in films.
In how many movies have you worked till date. Have you worked apart from films?
I am really blessed to work in many big and hit films. Some of the movies, which I remember are Johny Gaddar, Welcome, Singh is King, No Problem, De Dhana Dhan, Yuvraj, Boss, Khiladi 786, Rowdy Rathore, Rambo Rajkumar, Welcome Back, Singh is Bling, Jocker, etc. Apart from Hindi films, I did a Punjabi film “Paaji in Problem”, which was produced by my friend “Akshay Kumar”. A year ago I was approached for TV serial with main lead roles on “Life Ok” channel. “Kaisa Ye ishq Hai” TV serial gave me the character of Choudhary Baldev Singh, which became popular and this Haryanwi character was appreciated by public at large especially Haryana residents. Apart from films and serials, I got the opportunity in promoting brands through advertisement. Currently IPL add is on air as well. South movies are also approaching me and my fans will see me in different ‘Avtars’.
About Bollywood actors you have worked with?
I worked with Akshay Kumar, Nana Patekar, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, John Ibrahim, Paresh Rawal, Sunil Sheety, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Khanna, Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha, Kangana Ranaut, Sushmita Sen, Amy Jackson, Shruti Hassan, etc. To top it all, I was specially blessed to get the opportunity to work with the legendary Feroz Khan.
Tell us something about your family and their support in your struggle to Bollywood.
I belong to a simple middle class family with no one from Bollywood background. My father Late Shivanand was in a white collar job as a Scientific Officer in Jammu University. My mother is a housewife and my sister is a PhD Degree Holder. They all were initially shocked to my decision of a career in Bollywood but they supported and trusted my decision. Today whatever I have achieved is with the love of my family and their trust in me and my family is proud of my achievements in Bollywood. I got married in 2009 in Mumbai and I have a six year old son Aarnav Bharat. My parental and maternal families still dwell in Jammu.
As everyone in Jammu is promoting the Dogri culture through various means, what are your comments over it?
People in Jammu are doing a wonderful job for the promotion of the Dogri culture. I too like to promote Dogri as I am a Dogra and love to hear Dogri folk. I play Dogri songs “Bhalla Siphaiya Dogariya” when I am driving.
Something about future plans.
Lots of plans are in the pipeline. It’s a journey which started a decade ago and I still believe in a theme “A man without ambition is like a bird without wings”. My ambitions are yet to be accomplished. I am blessed with many challenging character roles in Hindi films, with good actors but the role that I wish to see myself is yet to come. I think everyday is a new day for me and will try my level best to accomplish my aims.
As youth in Jammu are also trying their future in movies, serials, etc, any message for them?.
Acting is a thing you can judge yourself with your performance. After every performance in a film or a serial you feel the scope for improvement in yourself. Try to give your 100 per cent as this will repay you.
You are now having a good fan fall. Would you like to say something to them?
Till now I got lot of love from my fans and I wIll always try my level best to keep up to their expectations.
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