There are a number of Bollywood stars who chose their passion for movies over lucrative jobs. Here is a list of highly-educated Bollywood actors who left their well-paying jobs for movies:
Ayushmann Khurana
Barelli Ki Barfi actor Ayushmann has majored in English literature and also has a master's degree in Mass Communication from School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, in Chandigarh. He did theatre for five years before starting his career as a popular radio jockey and became a VJ on MTV India. His talent as an actor after his hit debut film Vicky Donor in 2012 and there is no turning back for the actor since then.
Vicky Kaushal
The talented Masaan actor Vicky Kaushal graduated in 2009 as an electronics and telecommunications engineer. He was selected in a reputed firm during the campus interview. However, he refused the job offer and instead got involved with theatre and acting workshops. Later, he went on to do some roles in films like Bombay Velvet and Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. He will, however, be known for Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan where he played the lead and won several accolades. Apart from acting, he also assisted Anurag Kashyap for Gangs of Wasseypur in 2010.
Parineeti Chopra
The Meri Pyaari Bindu actress moved to the United Kingdom when she was 17. Parineeti Chopra studied at Manchester Business School and received a triple honours degree in the fields of business, finance and economics. She also reportedly worked part-time as the leader of the catering department for Manchester United Football Club. She has also worked as public relations consultant in the marketing department of Yash Raj Films Studio before getting Ladies vs Ricky Bahl.
Taapsee Pannu
The actress has proved her brilliance as far as acting is concerned and carved her own niche in the industry. The Pink actress was working as a software engineer before getting into films. She graduated in Computer Science Engineering from Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology in New Delhi. Channel V's talent show Get Gorgeous gave her a break and she eventually got into films.
Ranveer Singh
Ranveer Singh after completing his education from HR College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai, went to the United States in order to pursue Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, Bloomington. However, his love for acting brought him back to Mumbai in 2007. Though, he started working as copywriter with ad agencies like O&M and JWT. Later, he got his dream debut with Yash Raj Films' Band Baaja Baaraat. There has been no turning back for the actor since then and is now considered one of the top actors of the Bollywood industry.
Randeep Hooda
Randeep Hooda has made a name in the industry with his powerful acting skills. However, not many are aware of the Sarbjit actor's educational background. He did both a bachelors and a masters' degree in business management and human resource management from Melbourne. He returned to India and started working in a marketing firm before debuting in Monsoon Wedding where he was praised for his performance.
Sayani Gupta
Before becoming a globally acclaimed actress, Sayani Gupta was working with infrastructure research firm Indian Infrastructure in New Delhi. For the passion of movies, she left the job and took admission in Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. She moved to Mumbai in September 2011 and debuted with 'Margarita with a straw' starring Kalki Koechlin. Later, she starred in Shah Rukh Khan's Fan, Akshay Kumar's Jolly LLB2 and others.
