Veteran actor Annu Kapoor is regarded as one of the most prolific performers in the Hindi film industry, continuing to impress audiences with his craft even today. However, his beginnings were far from easy. In a recent interaction, Annu recalled selling tea to survive, taking up odd jobs, and revealed how his passion for cinema comes from his father, who himself was thrown out of his home for pursuing theatre.Speaking to TV9 Bharatvarsh, Annu said, “I sold tea but I don’t want to glorify my poverty. I don’t think my poverty was something to be proud of, nor was it a matter of deep grief in my life. It was a part of my life. It was the situation of my life that I had to deal with.”When asked to share more about his struggles so that the younger generation could draw inspiration, Annu responded, “I have just sold tea, not the entire nation. I have driven auto rickshaws, sold churan and lottery tickets. I have also sold firecrackers, but whatever I have done in life, I have done it honestly and with the aim to earn a few bucks.”Tracing his roots, the veteran actor said, “I was born in Bhopal, but my father left home in 1961. He had a theatre group, but at that time, society looked down upon people who did theatre and cinema. So, my grandmother threw my dad out of the house after she got to know that he runs a theatre group.” Despite these hardships, Annu recalled how his parents instilled progressive thoughts in him. “My mother was an Urdu scholar, despite being a Bengali Brahman. My father promoted her a lot. Despite being born in 1919, my father was a big feminist. He respected women a lot, and that is why I have the same sentiments in me.”Also read | Exclusive | Aamir Khan on Rangeela turning 30, getting Munna’s look right: ‘I would stop my car, ask people on road if I can buy their jeans’He also spoke about his childhood struggles when his mother earned just Rs 40 a month and would walk to school to save money. Reflecting on the contrast between those days and his life now — where he wears expensive suits and drives in luxury cars — Annu said, “Whenever these thoughts come to me, I remind myself that I used to just live in a rented house and now the conditions are better, but whenever this thought comes, I immediately pray, despite being an atheist.”Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Annu Kapoor