Meet the actor who balanced engineering by day while theater by night, faced homelessness and conquered OTT with single role

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Today, we shine a light on an exceptional talent who bucked the traditional Bollywood trend. Prior to enthralling viewers with his portrayal of Harshad Mehta in Scam 1992, this performer was balancing a demanding engineering career, lengthy commutes, and late-night practice sessions. His rise to stardom wasn’t sudden; it was fueled by his unwavering love for the craft. The individual we speak of is none other than Pratik Gandhi.

Pratik Gandhi, born on April 28, 1980, in Surat, Gujarat, came from an educator family. He studied Industrial Engineering at North Maharashtra University and entered the workforce with the National Productivity Council in Satara after graduating in 2004. His career path eventually led him to Reliance Infrastructure in Mumbai, where he worked until 2016. Yet, even with a busy professional life, Pratik’s passion for acting never waned. He would rise at 5:30 AM for rehearsals, work all day, and then head to the theater in the evening. This relentless dedication was driven by his enduring love for performing.

2006 brought a series of tough times for him, as the Surat floods destroyed their home and forced them to move to Mumbai. His family, which included his actress wife Bhamini Oza, resided in a small, one-room kitchen apartment. Their financial struggles were exacerbated by personal tribulations, such as his wife’s brain tumor surgery and his father’s cancer battle, resulting in his father’s passing in 2018. Despite these hurdles, Pratik stayed committed to his acting aspirations.

His big chance came with the 2014 Gujarati film “Bey Yaar,” which received positive reviews and helped him gain traction in regional cinema. Yet, it was his performance as Harshad Mehta in Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992 that brought him nationwide recognition. To bring the intricate character to life, Pratik delved deeply into research, learning financial terminology and studying Mehta’s habits. He also put on 18 kilograms to convincingly portray the role accurately.

The show’s success was remarkable, bringing Pratik much praise from all corners and significantly altering the course of his professional journey. Looking back, he shared his appreciation for the natural progression of its popularity and the chance to bring such a complex character to life.

After that, Pratik has consistently demonstrated his versatility by partaking in various roles. He graced the screen as the protagonist in the action-thriller “Agni” (2024), a film that honored firefighters, and assumed the role of social reformer Jyotirao Phule in the biopic “Phule” (2025). His unwavering dedication to tackling diverse and complex roles highlights his passion for acting.

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2025-05-07 01:37