Ranbir Kapoor and Ajay Devgn's co-star set up an omelette stand for extra income, couldn't afford a bicycle or buy tea for his friends
Asked about the incident in an interview with Hindi Rush, he said, 'In the evenings, a few of us would set up an egg stall. I would also accept contracts for college plays, setting up music and dance performances. One day, one of my students showed up at my stall. He was shocked to see his 'sir' selling eggs. I was mortified. I didn't know how I could show my face at the school. The kids respected me. I skipped the next day. Then the kid showed up again, this time with his father. They came on a scooter. He told his dad, 'He's our teacher'. The dad looked at me, but didn't say anything. One of my seniors then told me not to be ashamed about it. 'You aren't stealing, are you? Then why are you ashamed?' he said.'
Also read – 'Ranbir Kapoor told Imtiaz Ali that his team will do my hair and makeup,' Tamasha actor recalls Ramayana star's humble gesture
Ishtiyak said that the town he comes from reminds him of decency, and that everyone isn't cruel in the world. 'All my friends knew that I have no money. Not once did they ask me to pay for tea. My friend's bicycle was as good as my own, because I didn't have one. Same with my friend's scooter. They never made me feel as if I didn't have a right over it. I learned to be a good person because of the environment I grew up in. Had I grown up around hatred, perhaps I wouldn't have been a nice person.
Ishtiyak said that he was friends with people from all walks of life, which is why, when he moved to Mumbai, he was upset by the discrimination he saw around him. 'I was friends with everybody, from the rich kids to the ones that people wouldn't interact with at all… In Mumbai, some people wouldn't lease out houses to Dalits and Muslims… It was a huge culture shock for me,' he said. Ishtiyak has also appeared in films such as Tees Maar Khan, Maidaan, and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video.
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