4 min readNew DelhiApr 10, 2026 02:36 PM IST
Actor Aayush Sharma has spoken candidly about his journey to Bollywood, which is quite different from the usual “outsider struggle” narrative. Before making his debut with Loveyatri (2018), produced by Salman Khan Films, Aayush admits he entered Mumbai with comfort, not hardship. The actor, who is married to Arpita Khan, comes from a politically influential family. He is the son of BJP leader Anil Sharma, an MLA from Mandi, and the grandson of former Union Minister Sukh Ram.
In a conversation with Cyrus Broacha, Aayush spoke about arriving in Mumbai with a dream to become an actor but with no understanding of what it takes to become one. Ayush says financial backing was never his immediate challenge.
‘I didn’t struggle, I can’t even glorify it’
Aayush said his move to Mumbai was to become a hero. He enrolled at Jai Hind College and shifted to the city. But unlike the typical outsider narrative, his early days were far from difficult.
“I came to Mumbai for the first simple thing, hero banna hai. It was just one craving in the heart. I used to live in Bandra, I didn’t struggle. Sad part about my life is I can’t even glorify my struggles.”
He described a lifestyle that many would associate with success, not struggle.
“The first thing was where to stay. I didn’t want to stay in town as I love non-veg. The first battle was where I have to reside. So I convinced my dad that I wanted to stay in a solo place so that I could study well. I got Superstar Apartments, Perry Cross Road. I had an Xbox, a house help—life was good.”
Even his attempt to experience Mumbai’s local trains lasted just a day.
Story continues below this ad
“I experienced the Mumbai train for one day. I was pushed into the train and very soon I was about to be pushed out. So I was like, ‘ye nahi ho payega.’”
Instead, he turned to a more comfortable alternative.
“Then I wanted to get a car for myself. After a lot of convincing, I managed to get a Maruti Ritz. I still have the car.”
Aayush shared how convenience shaped even his college routine.
“The first time I took the car, I parked it away from college as there was no parking nearby, and then took a cab to college. So I used to pay for parking and then take a cab and pay again.”
Story continues below this ad
‘I paid Rs 1.5 lakh for acting workshop’
Despite the comfort, Aayush admits he had no roadmap to becoming an actor. “I wanted to be an actor but had no clue how to do it. I didn’t know anything.”
He enrolled in an acting workshop after spotting an advertisement promising a “60 percent success rate.”
“I paid Rs 1.5 lakh for three months in 2009 for an acting workshop.”
‘My first audition was horrible’
His first real brush with the industry came with an audition at Yash Raj Films.
Story continues below this ad
“My first audition was for YRF. Shanoo Sharma was taking the audition. I reached there and I was very bad. I was horrible, I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Even then, he turned down a small role, believing he was meant for more.
“They cast me for a role where there was no dialogue. I refused it. I thought I was meant for bigger things.”
Aayush and Arpita Khan have two kids, Ahil and Ayat, born in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Aayush was last seen on 2024 film Ruslaan.
