Arshad Warsi, one of the most versatile actors of recent times, celebrated his 54th birthday on Tuesday. The actor, who left his imprint with the evergreen character of Circuit in the Munnabhai series, has an unmatchable comic timing.
Characters like Madhav from the Golmaal series and Aadi from the Dhamaal series are a testimony to it. He is equally adept at playing serious roles like in Asura and villainous roles like the one in Zila Ghaziabad. However, Arshad had no plans of being an actor. Do you know what he used to do before becoming an actor? On the occasion of his birthday, let us trace his inspiring journey.
Born in Mumbai, Arshad lost his parents at a very young age. He had to fend for himself at a young age and hence he took up the job of a salesman at a tender age. He used to go door to door selling cosmetics. One talent that he had even then was great dancing skills and that led to an offer to join choreographer Akbar Sami’s dance group. This is where Arshad’s journey as a choreographer began. Choreography enhanced his connection with the world of cinema. He later worked as an assistant director in two films, Thikana (1987) and Kash (1987). Both the films were directed by Mahesh Bhatt.
Arshad got his break with Tere Mere Sapne in 1996, which was produced by Amitabh Bachchan under his production house. Although the film did well and Arshad was appreciated, he was not getting a lot of offers. The few films he did like Jaani Dushman and Hogi Pyaar ki Jeet were duds. According to media reports, there was a time in Arshad’s life when he did not get any work for almost three years. When Arshad was out of work, his wife Maria Goretti was working. Their daily needs were taken care of by Maria’s salary.
However, soon, Munnabhai MBBS happened and it ended the drought in Arshad’s career. After the Munnabhai franchise, Arshad’s role in the films Golmaal and ‘Dhamaal’ made him even more popular. In 2006, Arshad also hosted the first season of the reality show Bigg Boss. He most recently appeared in Bachchan Pandey alongside Akshay Kumar and Kriti Sanon.
