Celebrities who failed in school

Thousands upon thousands of Indian students have just taken their twelfth board exams, some who will rejoice at their results, others who may think of themselves as failures because of them. However, the grades of tests do not necessarily mean that a person is destined to be a failure for life, rather, many have become successes afterwards due to hard work, determination, and perseverance. Here are nine successful Indians who began their lives with failure.

• P.C. Mustafa, who grew up in an illiterate part of Kerala, had little access to resources and ended up failing his sixth grade. However, due to his dedication, he put himself through school and college, and today runs a successful brand for packaging food.

• Akshay Kumar, the international star, began his life with failing an exam in school and was afraid to show his parents his report card. Using that failure as a springboard, he is now one of the most successful Bollywood actors and a National Award winner.

• Vir Das, in his childhood, had below-average grades and underwhelming marks on his exams in school. Now, he is one of the most successful Indian comedians and even has his own special on Netflix.

• Sandeep Maheshwari, not too long ago, was a college dropout who sought to find another means of success. He then became a freelance photographer and went on to found Images Bazaar, recognized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in India.

• Biswa Kalyan Rath had begun his life with below-average marks in school, compounded with debilitating depression. He was also fired from the first job he got after graduation. However, thanks to supporting from people around him to take him through it, he is now one of the most sought-for comedians in the country and creator of some of the most viral Indian videos on YouTube.

• Kailash Katkar, growing up in a tiny village in Maharashtra, had to drop out after 10th grade due to familial issues, and he had no prospects for a good job. However, working at a small calculator and radio repair shop, he did everything he could to learn about his craft and eventually became the founder of the anti-virus business Quick Heal Technologies.

• Prem Ganapathy began humbly, only having completed his 10th grade and finding himself completely broke when he set off for Mumbai. However, thanks to the help of a Tamilian family who pitied him, he began a small life in selling dosas, eventually founding the large Dosa Plaza chain restaurant.

• Subhash Chandra had to drop out of school after 10th grade to start working. Initially beginning as a rice trader to the Food Corporation of India, he eventually became the developer of some of the most successful Indian business enterprises, such as Zee Television, and is the chairman of the conglomerate Essel Group.

• Kalpana Soraj managed to find success in the face of all odds: she was married off at age twelve and faced subsequent abuse by her husband and parents-in-law. Having initially tried committing suicide, she was taken in by her uncle at the age of sixteen. Taking loans from the government, she began both a tailoring and furniture business, eventually going on to become a millionaire and change the loss-making Kamani Tubes Company into a highly profitable business.

Image Credit: Bollywood Hungama / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/images/id/504868/type/view/imageid/1347322/category/parties

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