Kapil Sharma Show star reveals he grew up in one room home, mother had to stitch clothes for a living: ‘We couldn’t even pay…’

Today, Rajiv Thakur is a well-known name in both Bollywood and Pollywood. Known for his impeccable comic timing , Thakur is a comedian who had made a name for himself in popular TV shows such as The Kapil Sharma Show and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. But his road to success was far from smooth. In a chat with Vaibhav Munjal, the actor-comedian opened up about the economic difficulties he faced. Recalling his past life, he revealed he lived in poverty, grew up in a one-room home, studied under a single 40 watt bulb.

He recalled his father was thrown out of his ancestral home after he got married. Their fortunes changed overnight and they had to shift to a dreary one-room home.

The tiny space functioned as their bedroom, sitting area, cooking space, and even a makeshift bathroom. Three siblings grew up in those difficult conditions, with the entire family sharing the same room. Whenever one person needed to bathe, everyone else had to step outside and wait, making privacy almost impossible. Looking back, he said the house felt less like a home and more like a public washroom because of the lack of space and basic facilities.


He also spoke about the devastating impact of the 1984 unrest on his family's livelihood. According to the comedian, his father's thread manufacturing business in Amritsar was destroyed during the violence, leaving the family without a dependable source of income. With the factory gone, his father remained unemployed, and the household slipped into deep financial hardship. Their situation became so desperate that paying the monthly rent was often beyond their means.

Recalling the conditions inside their home, he said the room was illuminated by just a single 40-watt light bulb. Since he had grown up surrounded only by its dim yellow glow, he had never experienced the brighter white light produced by tube lights. As a child, he would visit other people's homes and be fascinated by the bright lighting they enjoyed. Those visits made him dream of the day his own family could afford the same simple comfort. For him, something as ordinary as a tube light became a symbol of a better life and a reminder of the financial difficulties his family endured during those years.

He revealed how his mother would stitch clothes ti support the family. In an earlier interview with Hindi Rush, the comedian recalled how, in their household 50 grams of butter was considered a luxury.

Besides being a big name in the comedy scene, Thakur had appeared in films such as Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar, Tutak Tutak Tutiya, Lahoriya etc. According to a Siasat.com report, his networth is Rs 10-12 crore today.