This actor once beat up policemen during a protest, went toe-to-toe with the Chief Minister, and eventually had to leave the state
Actors are not often activists. Bollywood stars and activism largely do not exhibit the same plane. But over the years, there have been several actors who have charted their way into filmdom after having been student politicians or activists in their youth. One such critically acclaimed actor was so ferocious and bold as a student that he even went up against the Chief Minister of his state.
The actor who went toe-to-toe with the CM as a student
Ashutosh Rana is regarded as one of the finest Indian actors of his generation. Born in 1967 in Madhya Pradesh, Rana was studying in the state’s Dr. Hari Singh Gaur University when he found himself in the middle of a controversy. In an interview with Lallantop earlier this year, the actor recalled, “One day I learnt from a friend that cops had beaten up two of our other friends. This was happening at Civil Lines so we rushed there and saw that two cops were beating them. Then the matter flipped, when I also started beating them (the cops). I knew then that this matter won’t be settled here. I asked my friend to run to the university and gather students, before we are taken to the police station.”
Rana recalled how companies of cops came to arrest him but he and his friends stalled them long enough to take their exams. He eventually sat for a hunger strike demanding suspension of the cops who had framed his friends, which drew the attention of the then Chief Minister of the state. “We reached Indore where the then CM was attending a function. We barged in, sat in his car and said you are not paying attention to what is happening. They were then eventually transferred,” the actor recalled.
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Ashutosh Rana’s film and TV career
Ashutosh Rana recalled that student politics was eventually banned in Sagar, which demoralised the actor. He said he decided to leave the city and state and moved to Delhi. After graduating from National School of Drama, Rana entered the entertainment world with the TV show Swabhimaan. He gained recognition for his role in Dushman and Sangharsh, winning several awards in both. Over the years, he has worked in several big films such as Kalyug, Awarapan, Brothers, War, and Pathaan.
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