Director behind Rs 500 cr film once worked as office boy, driver; returned empty-handed from Amitabh Bachchan’s Jalsa: ‘I am from a lower middle-class family’

Amitabh Bachchan, responding with characteristic humility, smiled and said: “Let me tell you, sir, those aren’t only my awards. In my family, others keep getting awarded as well, there’s Aishwarya, Jaya, Abhishek, all their awards are also kept there.” In the same episode, Rishab also shared a deeply personal account of his early struggles and how he gradually found his way into the world of cinema:

“We come from a lower-middle-class family. Financially, things were tough. My father was an astrologer. In Bangalore, I got a chance to do theatre. My first play was actually a Marathi play, Ghashiram Kotwal, which we translated and performed in Kannada. I played the lead role and even won the Best Actor award. That’s when people started recognizing me. Later, in college, I pursued a diploma in filmmaking. But to survive and make ends meet, I took up all kinds of odd jobs. I used to sell 20-litre mineral water cans, distribute tea powder, and work in hotels.”

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He also recalled a pivotal moment from that phase, an anecdote that turned out to be life-changing. “One day I got a call to deliver a 10-litre water can for an event. When I reached, I realized it was the inauguration of a filmmaking course. I had saved up some money from selling water bottles and decided to use that to enrol myself in the course. That’s how my journey began. And because of that I got a chance in 2 films. But for nearly ten years, I didn’t get any substantial work. During that time, I came to Mumbai, worked as an office boy in production houses, even drove cars for producers. In 2014, I returned to Bangalore and finally got a chance to direct, that changed my life completely.”

Now basking in the glory of Kantara Chapter 1, Rishab has already set his sights on his next ambitious project, Jai Hanuman, where he will be seen portraying the role of Lord Hanuman. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan, who was last seen in the film Vettaiyan, is currently hosting the new season of KBC.