Sushant Singh Rajput dropped Stanford scholarship to pursue acting

Not just for his acting prowess, the late Bollywood actor was known for his brilliance too

Not just for his acting prowess, Sushant Singh Rajput was known for his brilliance too. After graduating from Delhi Technical University, the Chhichore actor entered the showbiz industry.

But did you know that Rajput gave up a scholarship to Stanford University to do so? In an old interview with Hindustan Times, he shared how his love for Bollywood began. “Honestly, I was a complete introvert. The lip-syncing and posing would happen only in front of the mirror. I wanted to be the head boy in my school but when I had to give a speech, I didn’t go to school that day. I didn’t want any attention.”

Rajput refused to call this a struggle though. “I was already doing what I loved. Then, I felt the need to meet a girl and that led me to Shiamak Davar’s group. My life went into a spin from there. Instead of heading to Stanford, I dropped out and landed in Versova, in a 1RK (room kitchen) that I shared with six others. You can imagine the reaction at home…”

He continued, “It was 2006, my final year in college when I dropped this bomb at home. They were so shocked that they couldn’t say anything and I took their silence as their approval. It was hard at that time but now it’s different. My dad loves it when, on his walks, people call out to him, show him some recent clipping of me. He is really proud. But even today, almost all our conversations end with “beta, degree le leta.”

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