Imagine Rosesh Sarabhai on Shak Tank India. That could have happened, had the makers selected actor Rajesh Kumar on one of the seasons of the popular show. The actor has revealed that he had applied to be on Shark Tank India but wasn’t selected after clearing two rounds. He had applied for the show years after he quit acting and started pursuing farming.
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Rajesh Kumar spoke about the time he was without any films and was in the middle of trying everything out– including a shot at getting shortlisted on Shark Tank India. “I had applied for Shark Tank India. I had cleared two out of three rounds. You also had to submit your videos, so I thought, I might get a favour because I am a known face. That here is an actor, who is a social entrepreneur talking about agriculture. My presentation was in Kolkata and it was wrapped within a day. My father paid for the tickets,” he recalled.
The actor said during that phase his confidence was “so shaken” that he had no faith he could get movie offers without auditioning– something he was prepared for when Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Haddi came his way.
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“Just before I left for Shark Tank India, I got a call for Haddi, and they wanted to meet me. My confidence was so shaken, that when I went to meet the casting director at his office, they told me the director would meet me. I thought he will take my audition, then they said the production guys will discuss the money, I though ok after that my audition will happen. Then they said, ‘Sir you are confirmed.’
“I was like, but what about my audition? He said we just want you on board. The director just had one request, if I could shave my head. I said I can, if you pay me one lakh extra, and he did,” he recalled laughing.
Rajesh Kumar currently stars in Binny And Family. The film marks the acting debut of Anjini Dhawan, niece of actor Varun Dhawan. The film, currently in cinemas, also stars Pankaj Kapur and Himani Shivpuri.
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