A little over ten years ago, a tall lean hunk aspiring actor from Punjab, landed up at my place, looking for 'a break'. Clearly, he had no experience at this and it was evident that he was in an impossible situation. But the bugger was so darned earnest that I decided to go by my instinct and asked him to drop in at the sets of "Just Mohabbat" that I was directing (& acting in). Somehow, I felt that the "Punjab Connection" would work with my producer, who, in any case. rarely found it difficult to say "No" to me :-)
Sure enough it worked! For the measly sum of Rs. Fifty, he was hired as the junior most assistant in the direction department.
That set him off! He never wanted to act after that - the bug of the joy of creating bit him so hard that his life took an altogether different course. (& that's where he met the serial's costume designer, Roshan and immediately fell head over heels in love with her and shortly thereafter, married her.!)
His passion and energy very soon had him leap frogging over his senior ADs and in no time (five or six years?). he was the apple of Balaji Telefilms' eyes.
His last assignment was their "Mahabharat", which began telecasting a day after he lost the battle against blood cancer. Aged 33. Only.