Actor Sunny Hinduja, who is a popular name on OTT today, hasn't had an easy ride in showbiz. It has been a rollercoaster full of rejections, setbacks, and disappointment before he finally tasted success with Brij Mohan Amar Rahe in 2017.
In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, Sunny opens up about his struggles, upcoming projects, and more.
Sunny decided to be an actor at a very young age after watching Govinda, Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar on screen. “My first stint in films was back in 2006 when I was in the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). I shot for a film called 'Cycle Kick' and thought it would be released by the time I walked out of the institute. But it didn't see the light of the day for the next five years, and was eventually released in 2011,” he shares.
But his ordeal didn't stop here. He featured in five more films which were relegated to the cold storage of filmmakers' vaults. “I used to approach filmmakers with my showreel. I shot for around five more films, but none of them hit the theatres. There was this lull between 2011 to 2016, and it was the most difficult phase of my career. It felt like I was digging through a never-ending tunnel. However, I finally found the light on the other side of it and 'Brijmohan Amar Rahe' happened,” he adds.
Sunny Hinduja in 'Aspirants' |
Sunny then went on to bag 'Aspirants' and 'The Family Man', and became a fan-favourite with his performances. But, despite facing hardships, quitting was never an option for the actor. “There was a phase when financial issues made me want to give up. There were days when even a hand-to-mouth situation was a luxury for me. But, I looked for other avenues to earn money, so that I could continue to act because I did not want to give up,” he states.
Currently, Sunny has an impressive lineup of films in his kitty. He will be next seen in a slice-of-life drama called 'Thai Massage', which also stars Gajraj Rao and Divyenndu Sharma. It tells the story of a 70-year-old man suffering from erectile dysfunction. “I am playing Gajraj sir's son in the film, who is a simple family guy from Ujjain. He loves to abide by the rules of society and leads a peaceful life. He is not the rebel kind,” he reveals.
Sunny will also be playing a key role in Kartik Aaryan's next titled 'Shehzaada', and calls the latter “a director's actor”. “We have shot only for a couple of scenes so far and are to shoot some more. Kartik is a down-to-earth actor and it's a delight to work with him,” he avers.
Apart from movies, he also has a couple of web series in the pipeline.
