Ambuj Dixit’s love for the movies began early. While he was supposed to do his MBA and pursue his career further, in between, he decided to take a year break and explore his passion for acting in Mumbai. The chance he took went in his favour. Till now he was a part of the short film, Antara, and the webseries, Damaged (season 1). However, things have not been smooth when it comes to getting the first break.
“Everyone has his own struggles. But, I see this struggle as a journey. I have always romanticised my struggle. I remember I used to live with a flatmate and he suddenly left saying he is getting married. At that time I didn’t have that much financial stability to afford a house alone in Andheri so I quickly had to find a new home and found one in Royal Palms. The problem was the house was not ready in time and I had to vacate my house in Andheri, plus I had my dog with me, and I had a car that was not in the best of condition at that time. But I had no other option but to stay in the car with the dog with minimal money in hand. I tried calling a few friends at that time but none responded. I could have told my parents and they would have helped me but my dad had a heart attack that time and everyone was stressed at home so I didn’t want to add to that,” he says.
For Ambuj, the only silver lining at that time was that he had a car that he could park anywhere safe and sleep. Plus his dog was having a good time and that was the most important thing for him at that time.
“So it was quite an experience for both of us and luckily I got my payment for a commercial which I had done a few weeks back the next day and I could drop my dog at a boarding facility for a day. Also, I ended up finding a friend where I could spend the remaining night at his place,” he adds.
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It’s not easy to survive in the city after all. “It’s very tough to survive in Mumbai, that’s why I was always clear that I have to keep working, not just as an actor but also as an assistant director as well. In that way, it was quite helpful to fill in the monetary gap. I assisted Mr. Abhishek Verman from Dharma Productions, Santosh Sivan for a short film, and also Hardik Mehta. I have also worked on a cricket show as an Assistant director called Spicy Pitch made by Cricbuzz, which is the most popular cricket portal in India. Mumbai city always has this energy in which if you get absorbed you’ll find a way to survive. Also, I’m thankful to my parents who have helped me throughout. In that way, I feel blessed,” he says.
There is a lot of competition in the industry, hence the pressure of finding opportunities again was quite difficult to handle.
Agreeing, Ambuj adds, “There is a lot of competition but there are opportunities too. You just have to be very patient, strong, and attentive to what’s happening around you. And there is no formula to get work. The most important thing which is in our control is to work on our craft as an artist. This craft will only get you work. So once you get an opportunity to showcase yourself it will be your craft that will decide how capable you are for that job. Now it’s all about your talent, your skills, your capability as an actor rest is not in our control. All we have to keep in mind is your skill will somehow make you reach places but without that skill, it’s just not going to work.”
He also highlights that networking and socialising are important. “But, at the end, these things can make you reach only a basic level but after that, it’s your talent that will bring you success. On a lighter note, for me, handling my pressure is managed by my furry friend Romeo. He has been with me through thick and thin. So whenever I feel sad or low or have a bad day, he just knows it and will do whatever cute gestures he can and make my day great again. I guess that’s why dogs are a man’s best friend,” he ends.