Ramayana star had to borrow money to come to Mumbai, had only Rs 85 in his pocket. He is known for playing villains but is a hero in real life – he has paid fees for poor children for over 13 years: ‘I have refused…’

Today, he is starring as one of the most revered Indian saints, Agastya, in Ramayana, the most expensive Indian film ever made. However, there was a time when Mukesh Tiwari earned only Rs 3500 per month. In a chat with Divya Marathi, Mukesh spoke about his journey to Bollywood. Born in a middle-class family in Madhya Pradesh, he did not have money to travel by car and used a bicycle to go to college. During his time at the National School of Drama, he had to survive on a Rs 600 stipend, and he only had Rs 45 left each month. After he graduated from the National School of Drama, he got into theatre. While he was with Rangmandal, he was earning only Rs 3500 per month. He was half in mind to go back to Sagar and become a farmer.

His Bollywood journey began when he impressed veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah through his performance in a Girish Karnad play. . Having previously taught him at the National School of Drama (NSD), Naseeruddin had witnessed his early struggles with speech and communication. He was particularly pleased to see how the young actor had progressed from struggling to speak confidently to taking on lead roles in major theatrical productions. He also appreciated his transformation and praised his acting skills.

A few days later, the actor received a call from Rajkumar Santoshi’s office regarding a role in the film China Gate. Initially, he dismissed the call as a practical joke, assuming someone was trying to fool him, much like he often did with others.


However, three days later, Naseeruddin Shah contacted him and reprimanded him for not responding seriously. He informed the actor that Rajkumar Santoshi was waiting to hear from him and had requested some photographs. Following this, the actor sent pictures from his play Agni Aani Barkha to the filmmaker’s office. He was subsequently asked to board a flight to Mumbai the very next day.

With his meagre salary, he couldn’t afford a flight to Mumbai. He had to borrow money from his watchman, Sadbir to go to Mumbai. When he went to Mumbai, he had only Rs 85 in his pocket and survived on vada pav. He eventually went on to make his acting debut in the action film China Gate. He eventually made a career for himself as a villain. Throughout his career, he has frequently portrayed villains and stern, authoritative characters in movies such as The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), Aarakshan (2011), Chakravyuh (2012) and Gangaajal, among others.

However, it was the 2006 comedy movie Golmaal that made him a household name – his performance as Vasooli Bhai won hearts across the country.

According to Daily Hunt, Tiwari’s networth is about Rs 47 crore ($5 million). When he’s not wowing audiences with his performances as villains, Tiwari is a hero offscreen. For years, he has financed the education of poor children in one school each in Bhopal, Aurangabad, and Mumbai. He has paid their fees.

"Those children do not know that I pay their fees. I have refused to tell the administration. Two of these girls are going to become doctors,” he told Divya Marathi.

Made on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore (across two movies), Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi as Lord Ram and Mata Sita. It also features KGF star Yash as Ravan.