MUMBAI: There are thousands of actors who play supporting roles to the protagonists, give the film a new lease of credibility, and are as, if not more, talented than the main leads. However, they do not receive as much fame and stardom as they deserve. In our Casting Call segment, we present a list of some of the most significant Indian television, web, and Bollywood actors who we hope eventually get their due in the future.

Actor Kunal Thakur is making his debut with Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming film Kabir Singh. He had a secured job and a stable life in Dubai, but after discovering his artistic side, he took a leap of faith and came to Mumbai.

He shared, 'After working for almost eight years, I shifted to Mumbai. In Pune, when I was doing my graduation, the Symbiosis Film Institute was quite close, but I never joined it. So perhaps the time was not right. I have always been a movie buff. I like performers, and I have always admired them. I can watch artistes such as Robert Di Niro, Ranveer Singh, and Alia Bhatt endlessly.  All their performances have captured my heart. In my student days, I used to perform certain skits and small plays in school. I joined a dance class and learned how to play the piano, which I enjoyed it a lot. Later, I joined Suresh Wadekar Ji’s institute for Hindustani classical music and trained there for six months. I know how to play the Bongo, which is an Arabic musical instrument. I also play music on my DJ console. I do that as a hobby, at home.'

He added, 'The moment I moved to Mumbai, there were lot of things that I needed to figure out. I was still associated with the fashion world and was doing a couple of assignments. I always have known that a job gives you security. I had a fully furnished flat in Dubai and was on my third car. After having achieved that, I was continuously moving forward in life. I used to love travelling and have travelled quite often. But then, everything came to a halt as I moved to Mumbai. Suddenly I realized that I had stopped getting a salary and that there was uncertainty. The nightmare that still haunts all actors is the unpredictability of the industry. I believe that uncertainty pushes you further to do well. There is a famous dialogue in the film Rocky Balboa which says, "Life's not about how hard of a hit you can give... it's about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward." Life is always going to give you pressure, which is why I believe in working and working and also doing things that give me happiness.'

Good luck, Kunal!