There are some people who seem destined for one particular path, and then there are those who manage to take on multiple roles in a single lifetime. Very few succeed at each of them. Such is the story of Raj Mayur Verma, who entered Bollywood as a child actor, found fame as ‘young Amitabh Bachchan’, became one of the highest-paid child artistes of his time, went on to become one of the founding members of Amitabh Bachchan’s TV Asia, and is now a successful entrepreneur running multiple restaurants in the UK.He is also the actor who played Abhimanyu in BR Chopra’s iconic Mahabharat—a role that was initially offered to Govinda and Chunky Pandey. Yet, at the height of his career, Verma chose to walk away from the limelight and move to Wales to give his children a quieter, more ordinary life.Raj’s journey as Master MayurBorn to Sneh Latha Verma, a well-known figure in Indian theatre and the writer of Rekha-starrer Mangal Sutra, Raj was introduced to cinema by his mother at 11 when he desired to act after watching an Amitabh Bachchan film. Master Mayur. Express archive photoSpeaking to Prasar Bharati, Mayur Verma said, “Much before entering the film industry, I was a stage actor. I started at the age of three. You won’t believe it, but even before I was born, my mother had decided that her son would become an actor. Since she was a playwright, she often wrote roles for me. At five, I did my television debut.”Mayur made his film debut in the 1978 blockbuster Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. He was subsequently cast as the younger version of Amitabh Bachchan in films such as Laawaris and Bemisaal. He also played the younger version of Rajesh Khanna in Red Rose. Master Mayur, Rashid Lakdawala, actor Amitabh Bachchan, producer Shanti Chopra, director M Hanif and Bashir Ahmed. Express archive photoFor Mayur, Red Rose proved to be an important turning point as it established his ability to play characters beyond the image of a young Amitabh Bachchan.“This film bagged me multiple awards and also proved that there is more to me than just being typecast as Young Amitabh Bachchan. It proved that I am not just a look-alike of a young Big B, but also a good actor,” Mayur told Mukesh Khanna on his YouTube channel Bheeshm International.Story continues below this adWhen he marked his debut as a lead actorA few years after his debut, Mayur was introduced as a teenage hero in Harsh Kohli’s Love in Goa (1983). However, the film failed at the box office. He subsequently appeared in films featuring stars such as Dilip Kumar and Jeetendra, eventually reaching an age where he could neither comfortably play younger versions of actors nor take on older roles.ALSO READ | Om Ka Hari trailer: Raghubir Yadav predicts his death in film with Asha Bhosle’s final songWhen Big B suggested him to assist filmmakersAt this stage, his mother began worrying about his future. She wanted to keep him close to the film industry, fearing that a prolonged break could lead him towards bad habits. It was then that Amitabh Bachchan played an important role in shaping Mayur’s career.“When my mother approached Amitabh Bachchan for his suggestion, as we shared a very close bond with each other’s families, he suggested that I assist directors on set,” Mayur recalled.Story continues below this ad Film star Mayur Verma. Express archive photoFollowing Bachchan’s advice, Mayur joined filmmaker Prakash Mehra as an assistant director on Namak Halaal.“From being the star of a film to becoming someone standing outside an actor’s makeup room, the transition was huge, but I started to enjoy the process,” he said.When Mayur made the impossible possibleAfter assisting Prakash Mehra on several projects, Mayur developed an interest in directing and wanted to create his own show. His determination eventually landed him the opportunity to direct Variety, India’s first video magazine, for Lehren.However, getting the show off the ground was not easy. The producers at Lehren were initially hesitant until Mayur made a bold promise: he would bring Amitabh Bachchan to launch his show. The promise was easier said than done, considering Bachchan was not known to feature in videos of this kind at the time.Story continues below this ad“They asked me, ‘You very casually mentioned the names of Amitabh Bachchan and other stars, but have they even confirmed to you that they will be part of your show?'” Mayur recalled.An ambitious and determined Mayur replied, “They haven’t confirmed, but they won’t refuse me either.” Film star Mayur Verma. Express archive photoHe was confident about the relationships he had built within the industry since making his debut in 1978. But the biggest challenge remained convincing Bachchan.“It was an impossible task. It was famously known that he doesn’t do videos, especially because a lot of his filmmaker friends had ventured into TV and he knew that making a video for one person would make him obliged to do it for others too,” Mayur said.Story continues below this adNevertheless, Mayur took up the challenge. He went straight to Bachchan’s house and tried to convince him. “It was my emotional blackmail and his love for me. I blackmailed him that if he wouldn’t star, I would never take up direction,” he said.Bachchan eventually agreed to feature in the video.However, there was another hurdle. He was shooting for Khuda Gawah and was not supposed to reveal his look from the film before its release. Mayur, however, had another advantage. He was close to Khuda Gawah producer Manoj Desai, who not only gave him permission to use Mehboob Studio but also allowed him to film Bachchan in his Khuda Gawah look.The project marked Mayur’s debut as a director. Soon, Variety featured several leading actors and became a stepping stone to the next phase of his career.When Big B sent him to the UKThe show eventually helped take Mayur to the UK. Around the same time, Amitabh Bachchan and his brother Ajitabh Bachchan had launched TV Asia for South Asians in the UK.Story continues below this adMayur became the host of The Breakfast Show, where he interviewed personalities from entertainment, sports, business and politics. He soon became a familiar face among South Asian audiences in the UK. During this period, he interviewed personalities including Imran Khan, Joseph Carvo, Rahul Roy, Bappi Lahiri, Dev Anand and Hariharan, among others.Around the same time, he took on the role of Abhimanyu in BR Chopra’s iconic television series Mahabharat. Mayur as Abhimanyu in BR Chopra’s Mahabharat.“This role was first offered to Govinda, followed by Chunky Panday. It was because of Goofy Paintal sir that I could bag this role. If it wasn’t for his casting, I wouldn’t have gotten the role,” Mayur said.After acting in Mahabharat and hosting The Breakfast Show for TV Asia along with In the Hot Seat, and Bombay Calling, Mayur continued to work across television and content, creating programmes for Zee TV, B4U and Sony TV. In 1991, he also successfully bought his first property in the UK.Story continues below this adWhen Mayur decided to leave fame for quieter lifeHowever, around 2007, Mayur made a decision that would change the course of his life. After years of being in front of the camera, he chose to leave the limelight behind and lead a quieter life.He moved to Wales with his wife Noori and mother Sneh Latha.“Long ago, I had come to Wales for a holiday when I wished to have a house here. I wanted to live a simple life among original people. I wanted to give a quiet life to my children. I didn’t want to wait until my retirement to move to something so beautiful. Soon, I discussed it with my wife and mother, and without a second thought, we moved,” he recalled.Mayur is now the owner of multiple restaurants in the UKAfter leaving the film industry, Mayur and his wife started an Indian restaurant in Wales, supporting Noori’s dream of becoming a professional chef.Story continues below this ad“It is called Indiana Cuisine. I often used to get bothered when star’s wives are identified by the star’s name, but what about their individuality? That’s when I thought it was time Noori followed her dream, while I became her support system. Noori is a gifted cook as her father was a chef,” Mayur said.The restaurant has now been running for over two decades. It was originally located in Fairbourne but was relocated two years ago to Macdonald Plas Talgarth Resort in Pennal, near Machynlleth.The couple also runs another restaurant, Chaska.‘Didn’t want my children to see me larger than life’Speaking about his transformation and decision to leave acting, Mayur told NorthWalesLive, “I was at the peak of my acting career in London in 2007. I couldn’t even walk down the street without being recognised. But I was very sure that I did not want my children to see me as someone larger than life. So we moved to North Wales where nobody knew who I was.”He added, “Both of our children started their education in North Wales and I was embraced by the lovely Welsh community when we first arrived in 2007. Well, it’s been one heck of a journey since then.”According to Raj’s LinkedIn profile, the couple also runs a cafe in Abergynolwyn.Mayur couldn’t complete his education, but has no regretsWith acting becoming his passion from a young age, Mayur eventually could not complete his studies. “I have completed just higher secondary. I was never interested in studies. I was more focused on manners and ethics,” he told Prasar Bharti.Even before he decided to move away from acting, Mayur believed that formal education was not the only route to financial success.“If you have a smart brain, then you can use it to do business,” he said.Today, Raj and Noori continue to live in Wales with their children. From a child actor sharing screen space with Bollywood’s biggest stars to an actor in Mahabharat, a television presenter, director and eventually a restaurateur, Raj Mayur Verma’s journey has taken him through several lives—and he seems to have found his happiest chapter away from the spotlight.