Actor Raghubir Yadav became a household name with the iconic Doordarshan show Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne and later impressed audiences with performances in films such as Salaam Bombay!, Lagaan, Peepli Live, Newton and Sui Dhaaga. In a recent conversation with ABP Live, the actor opened up about his difficult early years, revealing how he ran away from home, slept at bus stations and survived on just ₹2.50 a day.
Raghubir Yadav recalls his days of struggle
Raghubir recalled that his journey into acting began after he became convinced that he would fail his exams. Determined not to return home, he left with a friend and reached Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, where a theatre company run by actor Annu Kapoor’s father was performing.
Raghubir said, “Pehle din humne natak dekha aur fir vahin bus stand pe sogye. Subah uthe toh dost ke fufaji ke ghar gaye. 3-4 din mera dost mujhe chodhke bhaag gaya. Toh main yeh natak company ke malik, Madanlal Kapoor, ke pass gaya aur btaaya ki aisa aisa hai, ab main kya karun. I told him I can sing and auditioned with the song Badli teri nazar to nazare badal gaye. Toh unhone 2.5 rupay rojana main mujhe rakhlia (On the first day, we watched a theatre performance and then slept at the bus stand. The next morning, we went to my friend’s uncle’s house. After three or four days, my friend abandoned me and left. So I went to the owner of the theatre company, Madanlal Kapoor, and told him about my situation and asked what I should do next. I told him that I could sing and auditioned with the song ‘Badli Teri Nazar To Nazare Badal Gaye’. After hearing me, he hired me for a daily wage of two and a half rupees).”
He further recalled the hardships he faced while working with the company. “Kehne ko dhai rupay tha, par milta tha ₹1 rupay, aur kabhi baarish aa jaati thi toh 8 aane pakda dete the. Hum 4 aane ki roti, 4 aane ke tamatar laake roti chutney banake ped par rakh dete the. Vahan jua khelne waale bhi hote the, usmein haar jaate the toh humari roti khaa jaate the, hum shaam main bhookhe sote the (It was supposed to be two and a half rupees, but I would get only one rupee, and sometimes if it rained, they would hand me just eight annas. We would buy bread for four annas and tomatoes for four annas, make a simple bread-and-chutney meal, and keep it on a tree. There were also gamblers around there, and when they lost their bets, they would eat our food. As a result, we often went to sleep hungry in the evenings).”
Raghubir revealed that he returned home after six months but left again after a relative’s remark left him embarrassed. He eventually returned home two decades later, by which time he had earned recognition and awards for his work in Massey Sahib.
Raghubir Yadav’s recent work
Raghubir was most recently seen in The Narmada Story. Directed by Zaigham Imam, the film also stars Mukesh Tiwari and Ashwini Kalsekar. It was released in cinemas on June 12.
He will next be seen in Panchayat Season 5, directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra. The series also features Jitendra Kumar, Neena Gupta, Faisal Malik and Chandan Roy in key roles and is expected to release later this year.