Did You Know THIS Sholay Actor Once Sold Soap And Sifted Rat Sh*t to Eat Bread Crumbs!

News18

23-07-2025

Sholay actor Jagdeep once lived on the streets, sold soap, and sifted rat droppings from bread crumbs to survive. His journey is truly inspiring.
Sholay is one of the most loved films in Bollywood to date. The action drama didn't just receive praise but is adored to such an extent that people remember each and every scene of the movie by heart. While Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, and Hema Malini's characters received high acclaim, the actors who played supporting roles, including Asrani and Jagdeep, also received immense love from the audience.
But did you know Jagdeep, whose character Soorma Bhopali is still remembered for his dialogue, 'Humara naam Soorma Bhopali aise hi nahi hai," had to fish out bread crumbs from a pool of rat faeces during his struggling days? His journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a well-known comedian is nothing short of inspirational.
Jagdeep was born in Gwalior during the pre-Partition days, and after his father's demise, his mother took him to Karachi. They later shifted to Mumbai. When one of his brothers abandoned them, and with no money in their pockets, they had to take shelter on the streets of the city.
'My father saw the bloodshed in the trains, the riots… When he came to Bombay, somehow there was no connect with his brothers. He lived on the streets with his mother," his son and actor Jaaved Jaaferi shared with Rediff a few years ago.
Jagdeep once lived under a bridge in Byculla, selling soaps and kites to earn whatever little he could. His mother worked as a cook at an orphanage, while he took up odd jobs to help make ends meet.
'When they did not have money, a bakery would sell the bread crumbs fallen on the floor for one paisa in a newspaper. But before eating, they had to take out the rat and cockroach sh*t from the crumbs," his son recalled.
Jagdeep got his first break in films when someone came looking for kids for B.R. Chopra's Afsana. He jumped at the chance after hearing he'd earn Rs 3 for the role. On set, he discovered that those who could speak Urdu would be paid Rs 6, so he seized the opportunity eagerly. Interestingly, up until that point, Jagdeep had never even seen a film.
Jagdeep rose to prominence for his role as Soorma Bhopali in Sholay. Sholay (1975) is a landmark Bollywood action-drama directed by Ramesh Sippy. Set in the fictional village of Ramgarh, it follows two ex-convicts, Jai and Veeru (played by Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra), who a retired police officer hires, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar), to capture the ruthless dacoit Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan).
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