Jitendra Kumar recalls living in a 'jhopdi,' working for ₹40/day
What's the story
Fondly known as Jeetu Bhaiya, Jitendra Kumar has made a name for himself with his stellar performances in Panchayat and Kota Factory.
In a recent interview with Cyrus Broacha, the 34-year-old actor opened up about his humble beginnings, sharing memories of his first home in Khairthal, Alwar, Rajasthan.
"We had a hut in a jungle. Our joint family would live there. We had one pakkamakaan and one jhopdi," he revealed.
Background
'I have a very vivid memory of sleeping there...'
Detailing his background, Kumar recalled living in a brick house and a hut during his early years.
"I have a very vivid memory of sleeping there and feeling strange. It was a brief period," he shared.
The actor explained that both his uncle and father, like him, are civil engineers, and they swiftly expanded their home.
"We lived in the hut for six to seven months before construction began, and they built two more rooms," he revealed.
Childhood labor
Kumar's early experiences with construction and labor
Kumar, who later graduated in Civil Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, also spoke about his early days of construction and labor.
"Often during summer holidays, I would work for dihaadi along with painters, carpenters. I would work for ₹40 a day," he said.
"Then, when my father would know, he would scold me. I was around 11-12 years old and would assist the workers! So, I have seen the process of a house getting built from scratch," he added.
Character connection
When Kumar discussed impact of his role on IIT aspirants
Meanwhile, the actor once discussed how his character Jeetu Bhaiya struck a chord with many IIT aspirants nationwide, who embraced Jitendra as a real-life mentor.
"The only thing that I'm able to decode from the love this show and this character has received is that we have very few mentor figures. Either there isn't the right kind of mentorship or it is completely unavailable so much so that people feel alone," he once told PTI.