Parents wanted job security, daughter chose acting after engineering. Today, she is among Bollywood's highest-paid actresses with net worth of Rs 82 crore

Kriti Sanon is currently receiving praise for her performance in the recently released Cocktail 2, alongside Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna. Long before she became one of Bollywood's biggest stars, however, Kriti was on a very different path. An engineering graduate with a job opportunity in hand, she chose to leave behind the security of a conventional career and move to Mumbai without any film industry connections. Today, the National Award-winning actor, producer and entrepreneur has opened up about on the risks she took to follow her dream of becoming an actress.

From engineering graduate to one of the Bollywood top actresses

In a conversation with Humans of Bombay, Kriti Sanon spoke about the life-changing decision she made after completing her engineering degree. She revealed that she had received a job opportunity through campus placements, but deep down, she felt drawn towards acting instead.

Kriti explained that moving to Mumbai was a leap into the unknown. She did not know anyone in the city or in the film industry, and she was stepping into a profession where success was never guaranteed. Looking back, she admitted it was an unconventional choice, especially because she came from a family with no connections to the entertainment world.




The actress shared that her mother is a professor, her father is a chartered accountant, and she herself studied engineering. She said that announcing she wanted to become an actor naturally raised questions, as it was completely different from the career path everyone had expected for her.

According to Kriti, many people would consider the decision irrational, particularly in a country where a stable job is often seen as the safest and most desirable option. She said that job security is given immense importance in Indian families, making her decision even harder to explain.

Parents had doubts, but they stood by her

Going forward, Kriti recalled that her parents had genuine concerns when she decided to pursue acting. Since they did not belong to the film industry, they worried about the uncertainty that came with the profession.

She said they wondered what would happen if she failed to land a film, or if years passed without any opportunities. They were also concerned about what would happen if she got one successful film but struggled to find work afterward. According to Kriti, there were countless "what if" questions surrounding her decision.

Despite those fears, the actress said her parents ultimately chose to support her. She credited their encouragement for giving her the confidence to leave everything behind and give acting an honest chance.

Kriti also reflected that, without fully realising it at the time, she was constantly visualising the future she wanted. She believes that trusting her instincts, working hard and believing in herself helped turn what once seemed like an impossible dream into reality.

About Kriti Sanon's education and work front

For the unversed, Kriti Sanon completed her schooling at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, before earning a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from the Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT), Noida.

She made her acting debut in 2014 and has since established herself as one of Bollywood's most successful leading ladies. Over the years, she has delivered several commercially successful films while also earning critical acclaim for her performances.

Her biggest career milestone came with Mimi, which won her the National Film Award for Best Actress. She has since starred in successful films including Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, Crew and Tere Ishk Mein, further strengthening her position in the industry.

Apart from acting, Kriti has expanded her career into film production and entrepreneurship, making her one of the most prominent self-made stars in Bollywood today.

According to a CNBC-TV18 report, Kriti Sanon's estimated net worth stands at around Rs 82 crore. The report also states that she reportedly charges between Rs 4 crore and Rs 8 crore per film, placing her among the highest-paid actresses in the Hindi film industry.