19 hours ago
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First look at this picture..
The person seen in blue kurta in the picture is actor Vivek Dahiya. TV actress Divyanka Tripathi is with him. Both of them got married in 2016. Vivek has worked in TV shows like Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, Kavach, Nach Baliye. He played the lead role in the film Chal Zindagi, released in 2023.
Vivek had a normal childhood, but his life thereafter was full of struggle. At an early age he had to work in a bar and tissue paper factory. When he went to Mumbai, the hardship was such that he spent many nights eating only Parle ji biscuits.
Read the story of Vivek Dahiya's struggle in his own words…
Vivek was born on 8 November 1984 in Chandigarh. Vivek told that his childhood was also spent like a normal child.
Vivek told that he was fond of acting since childhood, but the family environment was such that he could not decide to become an actor immediately after graduation. Regarding this he said, 'I had the bug for performance since childhood. Be it home or school, he always entertained people. It can be said that I always liked being in limelight. However, at that time there was no thought of becoming an actor.
With increasing age, the lifestyle of the stars started attracting after watching films. I started feeling like dancing, singing and doing strange stunts like a hero, but I did not have the courage to tell this at home. Papa's thinking was always different. It was not easy for him to establish himself as a lawyer in Chandigarh after coming from a village in Haryana. It took him 30-35 years to complete this work.
This was the reason why he wanted me to carry on his legacy and become a lawyer. Apart from becoming a lawyer, there were other options too, but it was clear that I should go into a field which has job security. In such a situation, I had given up the idea of becoming an actor for some time.
Vivek Dahiya with father, mother, sister and wife in one frame.
Vivek had given up the idea of becoming an actor and went to England for a master's degree. Here he did Business Management from De Montfort University. This journey of Vivek was also not easy. Here too he had to work hard to earn his living.
Regarding this journey, Vivek said, 'It was my wish to go to England and the struggle there was also my own. My first job there was in a tissue paper factory. I joined the company in a small position, because there was a rule that they did not give client facing jobs to international people. My job in that company was to count tissue paper. I used to count 5000 tissue papers every night at night. I left this job after working for 2 months.
I did my second job in a bar. I joined there as a bar tender, but got the job of glass collector. On the first day, when I spent the whole night collecting glasses that had fallen on the floor, my back condition worsened. He was not able to even stand straight, but it was a compulsion so he continued working. The good thing was that I had to go to work only on Friday and Saturday in the week. In such a situation the body got rest.
After some time, I left this job and took up a third job in a retail shop. Here I had to put size labels on the clothes. This work was very comfortable. Then did the fourth job in a call center. I had no intention of leaving this job, but after about 3 years the company laid off all the international people and laid off me too.
Destitute, I was wandering from place to place in search of a job, when my eyes fell on a board on which it was written – Domino's Pizza is looking for a delivery boy. Without wasting any time I went to inquire about the job. After some discussion the job was confirmed. Worked here for 6 months, then left it too.
The biggest reason for leaving this job was that I was going crazy with the smell of pizza. Just pizza-pizza in the morning and evening. He used to eat only pizza for lunch and dinner. As if the veins were filled with pizza instead of blood. After this, he worked in a call center, then after completing his master's degree, he came back to Chandigarh.
Vivek further said, 'When I came to Chandigarh, I did not get the job I was looking for. There was still some desire left in my mind to become an actor. There was a fear that Papa would still not be ready for this. He used to give examples of one or two boys and say – Look, he had set out to become an actor, he wasted so many years of his life in Mumbai, but even after this he could not do anything big.
Amidst this turmoil of thoughts, one day mother said- When you are not getting the job of your choice here, then go to Mumbai. I was filled with joy after listening to my mother. Couldn't believe he said that. Papa still had to be convinced.
I told my father- I want to go to Mumbai just for 6 months. If something happens in these 6 months then fine, otherwise I will come back. I also have 6-7 years of work experience. After coming back from Mumbai, I will look for work on this basis. Hearing this from me, father agreed and I came to Mumbai.
Vivek was 30-32 years old when he set foot on Mumbai soil. Unaware of the world of acting and casting, Vivek had to stumble at every step. Many people also wanted to break his morale. About this journey he told, 'I did not know anything when I came to Mumbai. He used to go for auditions after asking people. He would make acquaintances with people there also. By doing this, a network was formed and people started getting acquainted.
At that time there was not much craze for casting directors. We had to contact the coordinator directly. Many times his statements were so objectionable that the mind became disturbed. At that time I did not even know the meaning of NOT FIT.
For the first time when I was called NOT FIT, I was surprised. Couldn't understand why after being so fit it was said NOT FIT. After some time, it came to light that if one does not fit as per the look, one gets the tag of NOT FIT.
In the struggle of Mumbai, we also had to face financial crunch. I came to Mumbai with very little money. Didn't get any work for 6-7 months. Money also started running out. House rent had to be paid on the first day of the month. He started getting worried from 27-28th onwards. Due to poverty, he had to spend many nights eating only Parle biscuits.
There was a bread shop near where I lived. The rule of that shop was that they used to throw away the leftover food of the day at night. I knew this. In such a situation, I became friends with the manager of the shop. Then he would ask for the day's leftover food, which consisted of bread or cupcakes. That used to be my dinner. I have spent many nights doing this also.
Vivek tried his luck in films at the beginning of his career. But he had failed. Vivek said, 'I had auditioned for Sonam Kapoor's film Khoobsurat, released in 2014, but was rejected. Actually, someone told me that I fit the kind of boy the makers wanted. After listening to that person, I went to meet the casting team.
They were very impressed by the conversation in English and his look. Next he asked for a look test. Then when I came in front of the camera, I started getting nervous. Couldn't do anything. Then they gave him a script and asked him to go home and practice.
This was a big opportunity for me. I didn't want to lose it. Prepared for this the whole night. Every scene was prepared perfectly, but when he went to the set the next day, he changed the script. I was shaken after seeing all this. Couldn't do anything in front of the camera. Got drenched in sweat. Then they said- Vivek, you need to learn acting. This kind of work will not be possible.
I pleaded a lot, but he did not agree. What he said was also not wrong. I was never introduced to the acting skills which are taught in NSD and FTII. Because of this I had to lose such a big project. After me, actor Fawad Khan was cast for this role.
There is also an incident that I was selected in the top 5 in the film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Fawad Khan finally got the role for which I was selected. It is a strange coincidence that I was replaced by Fawad Khan in both the films.
When things didn't work out in films, on people's request I started working in the TV industry. Thought I would perfect myself by working here, then go back to films. But it did not happen. When he went back to ask for work in films, people tagged him as a TV actor and rejected him. It was a really bad moment.
The situation is still the same. Hopefully, something better will happen in the future.
