Amit reaches for the stars

He has honed his histrionics in the city. Now, Delhi boy Amit Jain is waiting with bated breath for the box-office verdict on Kyon. "Although the rushes are good and both Rahul and Kalpana (Lajmi) have been encouraging, it is the people who make or break a new actor," says the Modern School, Barakhamba Road alumnus.

Despite his brilliant academic record, Jain chose to go the acting way. "After being an average student till I was 15, I scored 80 per cent in my class XII Boards. Coming from a conservative business family, my parents were first taken aback by my choice of career. But when they realised I was bent upon the vocation, they let me be,” says the actor.

Jain enrolled for a graduation at the Institute for Integrated Learning in Management at Lodhi Road, as they had special acting classes conducted by faculty from the National School of Drama. "Six months into the course, I realised that the classes were irregular. So, I dropped out and went in for hands-on acting lessons."

After dropping out from college, Jain joined Barry John for a diploma in acting. Subsequently, he took lesson from Roshan Taneja and NK Sharma of Act One. "Delhi was my learning ground. After Act One, I also had an opportunity to work with the Pierrot Troupe."

After learning the ropes of theatre for two years, Jain shifted to Mumbai. Three months into the grind of approaching producers and admen, he landed his first plum assignment: An ad with Sonali Bendre for Limca. “I was fortunate not to have struggled too much in Mumbai,” he confesses.

Having grown up in Old Delhi near Nai Sadak, Jain misses the pani puri and Aloo Tikki in Mumbai. "Delhi is where my roots are and family is. My elder brother Abhishek is assisting my father in our jewellery business and I may join them after I’ve proved myself as an actor," he says. Till then, Jain would chase the glitter and glory of Bollywood.