Mirzapur’s ‘Lala’ cried while narrating his story: Casting people used to throw his photos in the dustbin; wanted to become a cricketer but became a victim of politics

This time the struggle story is of actor Anil George who plays the character of Lala in the Mirzapur series.

‘Today people know me as Lala of Mirzapur. Recently I have also been seen in the film Kalki 2898 AD. It is every actor’s dream to work with stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Kamal Haasan and Deepika Padukone. It was mine too, which has been fulfilled.

However, when I turn the pages of my life, my eyes get wet thinking about my own struggle. I came to Mumbai in 1996 with the desire to achieve something. Here, only Tom Sir (Tom Alter – famous actor) was the one I knew. I came here with his support, but the struggle to make my own identity here made me cry tears of blood.

Anil George starts crying while telling this. Anil says that today he is not able to speak his heart openly in front of anyone. In the beginning he used to do so, but after knowing his truth people used to make fun of his situation.

Anil says while wiping his tears, ‘Only Tom Sir and my wife have supported me in this journey. These two have wiped my tears whenever I cried.’

Started acting from an early age
Anil was born in a Christian family. Talking about his childhood, he said, ‘My childhood was spent like any other child. Plays were performed on festivals like Easter and Christmas. My elder brothers and sisters also participated in these plays. Following their footsteps, I also started acting. I did it just for fun, I never thought that this hobby would become my destiny.’

wanted to become a cricketer
Anil told that he was very fond of playing cricket. He used to act in plays on festivals, but he always played cricket. Regarding this, he said, ‘I used to get the most peace in playing cricket. In the beginning, I did not know that I am a great bowler.

My mother died at an early age, after which I was sent to live at a relative’s house. Life there was also full of struggle. Even after going there, my passion for cricket did not diminish. Some seniors from college there made me realize that I am a good bowler.

I wanted to play cricket for my country, but some people associated with this field did not let me move forward. They were afraid that I would go far ahead of them, so they thought it better to kill my dream.

Wife provided financial support in difficult times
Before entering the acting field, Anil had a friendly relationship with the late actor Tom Alter. It was he who gave Anil his first break in the acting world. Anil says, ‘Tom Sir called me to Mumbai in 1996. It was because of him that I got work in the TV show Yug.

After this, the journey to Mumbai was not easy at all. The hardships were so much that I cannot even describe them. There was no place to stay or eat. Tom Sir and my wife Nandi supported me the most during this difficult time.

When there was nothing to eat, Tom Sir used to give me some money, which helped me survive for a few days. Nandi also helped me a lot financially. She was a nurse in AIIMS. After marriage, she bore all my expenses until I got a job.

At that time, I did not have work for long periods. I had no idea what was going to happen next, but Nandi never questioned me. He never told me to look for some other work, that work would not work like this. The circumstances were such that I could have easily broken down, but Nandi’s support encouraged me to move forward at every step. I am still grateful to Nandi for this.

Friends made fun of him when the scenes were cut from the film
Anil worked in the 1999 film ‘Hu Tu Tu’. Actors like Sunil Shetty, Tabu and Nana Patekar were in lead roles in the film. Anil told that he had most of his scenes with Tabu in the film.

He said, ‘I even hit Tabu in one scene. After signing the film, I happily told many of my friends that I would be seen on screen with such a big star cast, but when the film was released, I saw that many of my scenes had been removed. This hurt me a lot and I became a laughing stock among my friends.

After this incident, even after signing the biggest film, I do not tell anyone until the film is released.

When I went to ask for work, people would tear my photo and throw it in the dustbin
Anil said about his future journey, ‘Like every struggler, I too have faced the phase of auditions and rejections. I used to look very good in my young age. I used to think that people could offer me the role of a hero even while walking on the road. Because of this, I used to visit the offices of big directors and producers.

I used to get my photo clicked with great enthusiasm and then go to the studio to ask for work. Every time I used to think that things would work out. However, it did not happen. My photo never reached any director or producer. That photo was thrown in the dustbin beforehand.

Finally, Anil told that he is not working on any project at the moment. He says that whatever work he gets, he will do it with full dedication.