Saiyaara actor, 51, recalls facing bankruptcy, says he spent final Rs 250 on cheap booze and Chinese food, had zero money for three full days: ‘I don't wear those days as a medal'

Indian Express

3 days ago

Saiyaara has turned not only the Hindi film industry's fortunes around, it has also impacted the careers of everybody involved. Starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, the movie is directed by Mohit Suri. It opened around a month ago, and has so far made more than Rs 500 crore globally, breaking several records along the way. The romantic drama also features veteran actor Varun Badola in a supporting role. In an interview, Varun spoke about the film's success, and admitted that he didn't see it coming. He also spoke about Ahaan and Aneet's talents, and looked back on his own days of struggle.
He told Nayandeep Rakshit on YouTube that even in his worst days, he maintained an integrity. 'I've never asked for work. And I've never spent lavishly. I had no need for multiple cars or a large house. I lived in Goregaon, I didn't have extra cars, and I lived within my means. To this day, it's not like I have to go out for dinner thrice a week. I have kept my expenses down to the lowest minimum possible,' he said.
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He said that he hit rock bottom despite spending carefully because life throws so many unexpected hurdles in your way. Plus, he didn't want to take up jobs just for money. There were time when people came to him for help, and he helped them out. 'It's not that I wear those days as a medal on my chest. I don't. But it happened. Many times, I wouldn't know what would happen after two months. I was an assistant director back then,' he said.
Recalling an anecdote about those days, Varun said, 'A friend and I were living together. We only had Rs 250 left, and we had absolutely nothing else. We decided to go out and splurge on Chinese food. After that, we went to a quarter bar and shared a drink. We didn't have money for three days after that. We got work after that, and got through another month with that Rs 3000 or Rs 4000. But these things happen.' Varun said that he has his passions, and that he has spent on an expensive motorbike and a sound system. But that's about it.
In a past interview with Siddarth Kannan, Varun had said that bankruptcy keeps knocking on his door every few years. 'I was actually down to one and a half or two months of savings. I would've had no more than Rs 2 lakh in my bank account. This was in around 2015. It was me, my wife, our four-year-old child, my parents, and two dogs. It was a family of seven, and most people don't realise this, but when you have a young child at home, your expenses goes through the roof. And then you add the dogs; it's very expensive to take care of them. I was almost down to my last penny,' he said.
Coincidentally, Varun isn't the only member of the Saiyaara cast who has experienced financial hardships in their career. Not too long ago, Rajesh Kumar opened up about being Rs 2 crore in debt after investing his savings in farming. He said in a post-Saiyaara interview with Meri Saheli, 'Bankruptcy, yes. The incoming and outgoing flow had gone for a toss. There was no incoming, and I had exhausted all my reserves because of the outgoing. I went under debt of Rs 2 crore. (Bankruptcy) is a big word, but definitely, I had that feeling with me for a long time. I was not able to generate money for survival also. This was definitely a phase.'