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To move cities and start a career in Mumbai as an actor is a huge step for anyone. And when actors come to ‘struggle’ in the city of dreams, all they need is a true friend. On Friendship Day, celebs share who their first friend was in the industry who gave them strength and support.
Ridhi Dogra – Vinny Arora
Actor Ridhi Dogra, a Delhiite who made her debut with the TV show Jhoome Jiiya Re in 2007, tells us that her closest friend while starting out was actor Vinny Arora. “My first and closest friend that I made would be Vinny Arora. We met in 2009 on my first day of a small stint I did on a television show but made a lifelong friend in her. I’ll always remember the date because I saw her walking in with a mithai box as her niece was born that morning 29th September and we were both pretty much together post that on set. Till I was shooting with them.”
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“The friendship stayed solid through the years and today she’s married and has a kid. We’re growing together even though we both don’t have a lot of free time to hang like we used to. But, she is one of my most cherished friendships and people in this city that my work has given me,” she adds.
Abhishek Bannerjee – Amar Kaushik
For actor Abhishek Bannerjee, that friend in the industry was director Amar Kaushik. When Bannerjee came to Mumbai from Kharagpur, West Bengal, Kaushik was there for him through thick and thin. “The most cherished friendship I have, is with him (Amar Kaushik). I was a college student when I worked in No One Killed Jessica, that’s where he directed (he was the second unit director) me for the first time when I played a small character of a pick pocket. Then, over the years, we worked on several other projects and our friendship grew.”
He adds: “We used to dance on Govinda’s songs. We are also family friends. He is the only guy who always saw the actor in me. He cast me in Stree, and then we decided and promised each other that ‘Hum kahin bhi pahuchen, we will always keep a check on each other’, so that we don’t change as human beings and that’s what friends are for. Friends are not just there for fun and good times, they are also for bad times. They are the most important critic, we never get offended and we can say anything to each other.”
Also Read: International Day of Friendship: Unforgettable friendships in history
Kubbra Sait – Ali Fazal
Actor Kubbra Sait, who was born in Bengaluru, made her debut with Ready (2011). Mentioning that her first and most special friend was actor Ali Fazal, she says, “I remember distinctly when I met him. I was pretty much blown away. This was 15 years ago, just after 3 Idiots, the whole world knew him and I had just moved to Mumbai. He was sitting very quietly at Prithvi theatre. I walked up to him and started singing ‘Give me some sunshine’ and he was like ‘Who is this person?’ and I think he still asks me the same exact question.”
Sait adds: “Over the years, we have run into each other in different parts of the world. I’ve seen him evolve. Forget everything else, when I got Foundation, he was the only and first person I called because I knew nobody else who had achieved a feat in crossover before. Ali has been one of my favourite people in the world and continues to be. Happy Friendship Day Ali!”
Sonu Nigam – Raju Singh
Singer Sonu Nigam, from Faridabad, Delhi, takes us back to the 90s and shares that for him, it was composer and musician Raju Singh. “When I came to become a singer in Mumbai at the end of 1991, I happened to exchange a smile with a young handsome guitarist at one of Usha Khanna ji’s background score recording in Famous Tardeo studio where I sang a few lines and got my first 500 rupees for the same. Little did I know that this wonderful and talented gentleman called Raju Singh, will be my friend and brother for a lifetime,” the singer says.
“Raju has been a constant in my life here since then and we have literally grown up together. I am fortunate to have a good soul like him as my brother and friend in this industry,” he elaborates.
Anupriya Goenka – Pradeep Sarkar
Actor Anupriya Goenka, who hails from Kanpur, started her acting career after moving to Mumbai in 2009. She tells us, “The one person I feel who has really been there is Pradeep dada (Sarkar, director and screenwriter). He had played a very important role in initiating me. I had done my first ad with him. He flew me from there to the Bharat Nirman ad campaign right after which was a really huge one. I was just getting into acting back then and he showed a lot of faith in me, which helped me in taking this career ahead. He appreciated my work and presence, which gave me a lot of confidence and assurance, that maybe this is the right place for me.”
