Deepak Kalra is unbothered by Gumraah’s box office debacle: Maine thodi na paise lagaye hai

Aditya Roy Kapur-starrer Gumrah hit the theatres a few days ago, however, the movie turned out to be quite a disaster. Despite it being a remake of a hit flick, the movie couldn’t set the box office on fire. Actor Deepak Kalra who plays an integral part in the movie is unfazed by it’s fate. “The film did wonders for me. I got to be on The Kapil Sharma Show due to this movie. All the reviewers are saying good things about my performance. Everyone who has seen the film has liked it,” Kalra shares.

So did the film not minting money not affect him? He quickly retorts, “Bilkul nahi. Maine thodi na paise lagaye hai. I’m an actor and my job is to give a good performance which I did. People are still watching the movie, it is soon going to be streamed on an OTT giant. I am certain once it’s out on the digital platform, it will get its due. Also, I have also got a brother in Aditya through this movie. So I’m happy.”

The Delhi lad says he is living his ‘Bollywood dream’ in Mumbai. While he has shared screen alongside biggies like Shah Rukh Khan (in Fan) started his career as a junior artist in Imtiyaz Ali’s Rockstar.

“I began my career as a junior artist in the film Rockstar. I was paid ₹750 for that gig. Even my mother was in the scene. All I ever wanted was to reach the big screen. When a coordinator called me for the Rockstar shoot, my mother and I were so happy as if I was offered the lead role. I still remember on the day of the shoot I told Imtiyaz Ali that, ‘Main bhi ek rockstar hoon’,” Kalra recalls.

After that Kalra’s real struggle to bag projects began. “Bohot rejections hote the. Back then people would just look at you and say fit or not fit. I used to get happy even if I used to get shortlisted. Main bahut roya hoon zindagi mein. I used to cry whenever I used to not get work and it used to happen quite often. I would be shortlisted for six projects in a day and none would work out,” the 28-year-old laments.

While he may have been rejected for several projects the Guilty Minds actor shares that most of the projects that he was evicted out, never saw the light. “I was doing a movie which was from a big banner and was supposed to be shot in the US. I had invested 1.5 years in that movie, however, one fine day mujhe pata chalta ki mujhe nikaal diya uss film se. Without any reason. Main ek hafta roya. There was another film that was under Karan Johar’s banner. And even that movie got shelved. Now I feel agar mujhe nahi loge, toh film hi band ho jaayegi,” he quips.

He is glad that success didn’t knock on his door early in his career. “If main star ban jaata toh shayad rude, arrogant hota and within two years I would have packed my bags and would have been back to my family business,” he says.

As for his personal life, Kalra states that he is single and also the “most eligible bachelor” in Mumbai. “I don’t drink, I’m very gharelu aur kya chahiye?” he signs off.