John Abraham, who is gearing up for his upcoming film Veda, has been a part of the Hindi film industry for the past two decades. In 2003, John made his debut with Jism, and later ventured into action and comedy films. He gained recognition after playing a villain in Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom. John recently revealed that he got his first salary of Rs 6,500 after completing his MBA, and in 1999, he used to spend Rs 6 on lunch.
During YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s latest podcast, John Abraham recalled his struggling days before entering Bollywood. After completing his MBA, John joined a company where he was paid a remuneration of Rs 6,500. He was then promoted as a media planner in an advertising agency.
Talking further about it, the Veda actor said that he later participated in the Gladrags Manhunt contest in 1999, where he was judged by Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Karan Johar and Karan Kapoor.
John, whose take-home salary was Rs 11,500, recalled winning the competition and receiving a cash prize of Rs 40,000. The actor recalled how he was surprised to win a “huge amount”.
The 51-year-old actor was asked about his expenses and how he managed with limited money. He said, “My expenses were very low. I used to have 2 chapatis and dal fry for lunch, this was in 1999, and my meal cost me Rs 6.25.”
The Vedha star recalled that he used to have breakfast at home and then skip dinner as he had to work late in the office. Apart from food, his expenses also include petrol for his bike. John recalled the days when he did not have a mobile phone and used to travel using train passes.
The actor revealed that he used to invest his money in equity-based mutual funds at the beginning of his career.
Directed by Nikkhil Advani, Veda is set to release on August 15 on the occasion of Independence Day. The film also stars Tamannaah Bhatia, Sharvari Wagh and Abhishek Banerjee in pivotal roles. The upcoming action-drama film is said to be inspired by true events.
John’s notable works include Paap, Housefull 2, Taxi No. 9211, Salaam-E-Ishq, etc.
Also read: EXCLUSIVE: John Abraham and Nikkhil Advani’s film Veda finally gets censor certificate; trailer to release this week
