‘Recognition Feeds My Soul'

Small-town boy Harshvardhan Rane worked as a phone operator, a carpenter and a DVD salesman before he made it as an actor. Nikita Sawant gets his film-worthy story

- Nikita Sawant

My Wikipedia Page in My Words

Child’s play

I was born in a small town in Andhra Pradesh called Rajahmundry, and was raised in Gwalior. As a child, I always felt out of place. I wasn’t  very attentive in school and would keep staring out of the window. The only time I enjoyed school was when we were asked to work on science projects. I’m dyslexic, but I used to make really good 3D models that they show kids in my school even today.

Small-town guy

My dad was a doctor and had a very small practice, so it was taken for granted that I would follow in his footsteps. But when I asked myself if I wanted to be a doctor, the answer was no. That, I think, was the first honest answer I’d given myself. In Gwalior, acting wasn’t considered a profession, per se. If you told people you act, they would say, ‘Oh good, but what do you do for work?’ But I always wanted to give it a shot.

Humble beginnings