Mumbai: For actor Ali Abbas, the toughest decision of his life came just as his acting career in Mumbai was beginning to gain momentum. After years of struggle, auditions and small roles, work had finally started coming his way. But a family emergency forced him to put everything on hold and return to Lucknow.
Speaking during the release of his short film Bulldozer, Abbas recalled how his father suffered fractures in both hips, leaving no one else in the family to care for him.
"I had spent years trying to build a career in Mumbai, but when my family needed me the most, there wasn't a second thought in my mind. I came back to Lucknow," he said.
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Jul 12, 2026Abbas moved to Mumbai in 2016 after spending 14 years in Lucknow's theatre circuit. He arrived with just ₹11,500 in his bank account and a Bajaj Platina motorcycle that his mother had bought on EMI to help him chase his dream. While she continued making sweet boxes to pay the instalments, Abbas spent his mornings working at his uncle's workshop making those boxes before heading out every afternoon for auditions.
To make ends meet, he later worked as a Swiggy delivery partner for nearly two years while continuing to pursue acting. His determination eventually caught the company's attention, and Swiggy later produced a documentary based on his journey.
The years of perseverance finally paid off when Mukesh Chhabra Casting gave him his first film opportunity in Sanju. Since then, Abbas has appeared in more than 60 television serials in cameo roles, worked as a continuity comedian in three shows, acted in 17 Bollywood films and was also part of the Hollywood film Blue Gold.
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Jul 12, 2026Even though acting assignments had become more regular, Abbas said he was still waiting for the one role that could truly change his career when family circumstances compelled him to leave Mumbai.
Today, he continues to act whenever opportunities come his way and remains hopeful about the future. Looking back, he says returning to Lucknow may have changed the direction of his career, but it never changed his dream.
"I still want to work as an actor," Abbas said. "That dream has never changed, and it never will."
