Casting director, costume designer and actor Sunny Saini wants to be a part of everything associated with the entertainment business. However his main goal remains acting, something that he left his house for. Like most industry biggie stories, Sunny too has an interesting tale of struggle and achievements to share with us in our ‘Behind the lens’ segment. Tell us your story… I am from Haryana and my dad’s in the Indian army. So basically I shouldn’t have dared to leave the house soon after my twelfth standard results came out. I had scored sixty percent and like any other parents, my parents expected me to take up further studies but I had a different career goal. I wanted to become an actor and I did exactly what I wished for. One night I took some money from the house and boarded the next train to Mumbai. Did you have friends in Mumbai? I did not know anybody and that’s exactly why I spent three years of my life on the streets of Mumbai. By then I had made a few friends who helped me in small ways. When did things fall in place for you? I started as a laundry and Mc Donald’s boy initially, as I did not know the way to enter the industry. So I used to collect people’s laundry and deliver burgers. Gradually I made contacts and entered the casting field. So far I’ve worked in a lot of Bollywood and TV projects. I’ve been associated with Karmic Productions (Police Files), Endemol and at present I am working for Rowdy Rascals. I’ve also worked on a few BIG Magic projects like Kis Din Mera Viyah Hovega, Love Dosti Dua and Mahisagar. What about acting? I am living that dream too. I’ve acted in episodics of Savdhan India, Love By Chance, Emotional Atyachaar, Yeh Jawani Tara Ri Ri and Zindagi Ki Haqeeqat Se Aamna Saamna. It gets a bit awkward for me at auditions at times because most of the actors who come for the audition know me as a casting director. Why don’t you become a full time actor? After all that’s your dream. Isn’t it? That’s true but I was to continue with casting to teach a lot of cheat casting directors there that things can happen the right way. I personally have ended up spending five lakhs on such CD’s who’ve promised me work that I never got. All of this must be a big achievement for you at the age of 22? It is. I am very happy in the place I am at the moment. I have my lunch and dinner with stars who thought I’d never reach this far. What about your parents, are they happy for you? I haven’t met my dad till date but I do go home in his absence to meet my mother. She is happy for me. What’s next for you? I’ve been an assistant director (five shows for DD) and a costume designer (upcoming film Ranbir Da Marshal) too. Basically I am here to stay. I will do whatever work comes my way for I’ve struggled a lot to be here. I’ve worn discarded clothes in my struggling days. I’ve seen a lot of hardships to slow down. I will just keep accelerating my efforts.