In this freewheeling chat with Brut, Jitendra Kumar spoke about how he followed his heart to be where he is today.
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00:00I was convinced from inside that I am not a good engineer.
00:03I had started theater there.
00:05So, I used to get time for that.
00:07Complete studies plus theater or extra effort was required.
00:11I mean, all my attention was on theater.
00:13The rest of the things were like, yes, it will be done.
00:15I will have to find something else.
00:17Now what else will happen?
00:18Either I go for UPSC preparation or go for teaching.
00:21Because a lot of people who pass out from IIT,
00:24they go to Kota and teach.
00:26You know, that is also an opportunity.
00:28Before that, you also did a job, right?
00:30Yes.
00:31Then how did you come to Bombay all of a sudden?
00:33Why Bangalore?
00:34How do you know about that job?
00:35Because I have done research.
00:43Whose dream was IIT?
00:44Dad's or yours?
00:46Everyone in the house is a civil engineer.
00:48Dad, uncle, cousin, they are also civil engineers.
00:51And there are a couple of civil engineers in the family around me.
00:55So, there is an atmosphere of civil engineering in the house.
00:57So, from there, you know, from some college,
01:02then from some other better college.
01:04So, there was one thing that no one has gone to IIT.
01:06Then for the first time I heard such a thing that
01:08there is a place called IIT, which is a very big place,
01:11a very premium place.
01:12I got to know such an atmosphere of IIT.
01:16Then it came a little that yes, I will go for it.
01:19I will try for it.
01:21But whenever we used to talk, you know,
01:24we used to feel that it is very tough, it is very difficult.
01:27Even there will be no selection in the coaching institute.
01:29They also have entrants.
01:30Coaching institutes also have entrants.
01:32They are so difficult that leave IIT,
01:34there will be no selection there.
01:35So, there were such talks.
01:37Whenever you talk about IIT,
01:39with friends or classmates or schoolmates or seniors,
01:42whenever you talk, there was a very scary image of IIT.
01:46It is very difficult to go there.
01:49But it was that yes, I will give it a try.
01:51When you were in engineering college,
01:53as it was shown in three days,
01:55is it as strict or is it shown a little more in that
01:58or is it a little less?
01:59In our IIT, my department was a little strict
02:03because the professors were strict.
02:04Generally, civil is a little chill in other IITs.
02:08But somehow in our IIT,
02:10there were 2-3 very strict professors.
02:12So, because of them, the environment was a little scary,
02:15it was strict and rules had to be followed a little.
02:19But overall, the environment of IIT Kharagpur was a little chill.
02:23I started theater there.
02:25So, did you get time for that?
02:27Did you get full education plus theater
02:30or did you need extra effort?
02:32I mean, all my attention was on theater.
02:34The rest of the things were like, yes, it will be done.
02:36So, all the attention, all the focus,
02:38it was going on throughout.
02:40Which play are you doing now?
02:42And the rest of the societies,
02:44the societies that I am a part of,
02:46what are they playing?
02:47When is their play going to happen?
02:48When is their production going to happen?
02:49So, I have to go and see that.
02:51So, all the interest,
02:52all the inclination was on this side.
02:55How did you have that conversation?
02:57When the time came,
02:58when you had to go home and tell?
03:00I think in that,
03:01because I was very close to my cousins,
03:03all the cousins,
03:04so they helped me a lot.
03:06And I told them first,
03:07made them understand the interest.
03:08So, those people related a little.
03:10They understood that yes,
03:11what I am believing in,
03:13I mean, what I like,
03:15what my interests are.
03:17And they understood that
03:18if I do what is in my interest,
03:19then things can be better.
03:21So, they helped a lot.
03:23And he was the mediator
03:24between my parents and me.
03:26And finally,
03:27whatever I was feeling,
03:28I used to tell them
03:29and they used to tell them.
03:30Then whatever they felt,
03:31they used to tell their cousins.
03:33And then it used to reach me.
03:35So, this went on for 3-4 days.
03:36Then they got convinced
03:37and they supported.
03:38Before that, you also did a job, right?
03:40Yes.
03:41Then how did you suddenly come to Bombay,
03:44to Bangalore?
03:45How do you know that I did a job?
03:46Because I did research.
03:48Job, I mean,
03:49basically,
03:50I joined TVF directly from IIT.
03:54And for 3 months,
03:55I did all the different jobs
03:57in the office.
03:59Whatever video was being shot,
04:00whatever was happening around them,
04:02from printing the script,
04:03to bringing the props of the set,
04:06to managing the costumes,
04:09I did all those jobs.
04:10All the work of an assistant director.
04:13I did that.
04:14And wherever I got a chance,
04:15for any video,
04:16I felt that yes,
04:17someone said that you can do this character.
04:18So, I played all those characters
04:20throughout those 3-4 months.
04:22Then whatever I did,
04:24the videos that I was a part of as an actor,
04:26actually,
04:27we all didn't like them,
04:28including me.
04:29I also didn't understand
04:30what kind of space is this?
04:31What kind of videos are these?
04:32And I couldn't understand much.
04:34So, I decided that
04:35I won't do these videos live
04:36because they are not that good.
04:38And I realized a little
04:40that the acting thing is not working
04:42and I have come to become an actor.
04:43So, I am doing the rest of the work additionally.
04:45That is not my main motive.
04:48My main motive is that
04:49I should do characters,
04:50I should do acting.
04:51Which was not happening very well.
04:53Then I decided that
04:54I should do a job.
04:56Then I applied for a job.
04:57Somehow, I got a job in Bangalore.
05:00And I went to Bangalore.
05:01Then I was doing my job in Bangalore.
05:04Then somehow,
05:05they released those videos
05:06and those videos became very popular.
05:08The characters that I was playing
05:10became very popular.
05:12So, yes.
05:13Then I got interested again
05:16that let's learn acting
05:18or let's go back to acting.
05:20You know.
05:21So, I got interested again
05:22that let's go back to Mumbai.
05:23Then a moment came
05:24that I left my job
05:26and came back to Mumbai.
05:27Did you have to convince yourself
05:29that let's leave it.
05:30There is a stable job.
05:33There is a salary.
05:34There is a regular income somewhere.
05:37Not much.
05:38Because somewhere inside
05:39I was convinced
05:40that I am not a good engineer.
05:41So, I will have to look for something else.
05:43Now, what else will happen?
05:44Either I go for UPSC preparation
05:47or I go for teaching.
05:53Because a lot of people
05:54who pass out from IIT
05:56go to Kota and teach.
05:58You know.
05:59That is also an opportunity.
06:00So, that was also in my mind.
06:02But somewhere I was convinced
06:04that there is not much interest
06:06in anything else
06:07except acting.
06:08There is some interest in acting.
06:09So, I was looking for opportunities
06:11that how can I look for things
06:13related to acting
06:15and connect with those people
06:17who are part of this industry.
06:19And how can I find that job
06:21and start working.
06:22So, I was convinced from inside
06:24that I am not a good engineer.
06:26So, I think that was enough for me.