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Ashish Vidyarthi revealed he couldn’t afford to celebrate his National Award win and feared the police might be called over his party bill.
Ashish Vidyarthi won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for Drohkaal in 1994.
(Photo Credit: YouTube)
Actor Ashish Vidyarthi has been a familiar face in Indian cinema for decades, working across multiple languages and genres. But behind his success story lies a phase of deep struggle that many fans may not know about.
Despite winning the prestigious National Award early in his career, Ashish revealed that he didn’t even have enough money to celebrate the milestone.
In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kannan, the actor shared how director Govind Nihalani, who cast him in Drohkaal, suggested that he throw a party after his big win.
The problem was that Ashish could barely afford rent at the time, let alone host a celebration. He recalled the sheer fear and anxiety he felt that day, imagining worst-case scenarios like police being called if the bill wasn’t paid.
He was afraid he couldn’t pay for the celebration
Ashish remembered how Nihalani told him to book a fancy restaurant, Mainland China, for the party. The actor admitted he had only seen the place from the outside and never dreamt of dining there.
“When I won the National Award, Govind ji told me to book Mainland China for a party. This was a restaurant I’d never set foot in… I had no idea how I could afford to ‘book’ it for a party,” he said as quoted by the Indian Express.
He went ahead anyway, thanks to encouragement from a friend. But inside, he was extremely nervous. “I was literally holding a glass of water with some lime in it, because I didn’t want to drink vodka and increase the bill. I was having vegetarian food. But even the teetotallers wanted to drink that day. Even the vegetarians wanted to have meat,” Ashish recalled.
Govind Nihalani stepped in to cover the bill
The actor admitted he quietly approached Govind Nihalani during the party and asked what would happen if he couldn’t pay. “Will I have to clean dishes here all my life? Will the cops be called?” he joked.
To his relief, the filmmaker reassured him that he would handle the expenses. That small gesture gave Ashish Vidyarthi the freedom to actually enjoy the celebration.
His struggles continued despite the award
Even after the recognition, life wasn’t easy for him. Ashish Vidyarthi said his priority was always to support his parents, and that meant taking up whatever work came his way. According to the Indian Express, he accepted roles in several B-grade films because they helped him pay the bills.
Today, Ashish Vidyarthi has not only sustained a long career in films but also reinvented himself with food vlogs and his recent appearance on The Traitors.
His story is a reminder that behind the glamour of awards and fame, there are often years of financial struggle and personal responsibility.
Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-…Read More
Kashvi Raj Singh is a Sub Editor at News18. She extensively covers Bollywood, Hollywood and television. She not only keeps an eye out for interesting news angles but also often writes social commentary in long-… Read More
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