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Bhupendra Jadawat : The Boy Next door Who Made it to the Netflix Original Class of ’83

One day, Shah Rakh Khan came to the sets of Class of ‘83. He asked if I was enjoying the shoot. Of course, I was enjoying it but the important part is, it made me rethink how fortunate I am. 

– Bhupendra Jadawat, aka Shukla from the movie Class of ’83

“I come from a small village, Thikriya, which is a few Kms from Kota. My father moved to Kota City so that my sibling and I can get  the best possible education. I was a shy kid in school, and not a scholar obviously. I completed my schooling from Brightland School and went to Jaipur for my graduation.

I was no different than any other teenager in Kota and acting was the last thing I ever thought of doing. In fact, out of all the things in the world, struggling to become an actor made the least sense to me.

In college, we were asked to put up a play and I was given a small part in it. This was my first exposure to acting. When I was on the stage, in that moment of doubt, fear & nervousness, I think I found my North Star. That feeling just stayed with me.

From then, I worked with various different artists and theatre groups of Jaipur. In 2015, I returned to Kota and got to know about Rajendra Panchal Sir. He not only helped me grow as an artist, but also introduced me to literature, art, history & much more. It was on his suggestion that I joined the National School of Drama, New Delhi (NSD).

NSD gave me a new life altogether, being there was like being a child again. It opened up all the doors that I needed to become an actor.

After spending 3 years at NSD, I moved to Mumbai and started auditioning for TV Commercials. Everyday, I would wake up, wash my face, comb my hair, put on my best shirt and wait in long queues to know if I am fit for an audition or not. If yes, only then I got to showcase my talent. 

One day, I got a call from Abhimanu Ray, one of the casting directors whom I met while auditioning for commercials. When I went to meet him, I was handed over a movie script and was asked to prepare & deliver a scene in 15 minutes! Somehow I managed to put on a decent performance & got selected for Round 2.

Round 2 was where I had to compete with hundreds of aspiring actors. Afterwhich, fifteen of us made it to the Workshop. And that’s how I became the ‘Shukla’ of Class of 83. 

All the accolades that I am getting for my performance from in and out of the country are a big achievement for me. I won’t say I have struggled a lot, I just followed the process. Every artist faces rejections. What’s important is to focus on your craft and grow.

I am a 26 years old boy and I don’t know much about life. All I know is how to act and that’s what I will be doing. “

This is Bhupendra Jadawat for you. The boy next door who made it to the Netflix original “Class of ’83”

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