Vicky Kaushal's father Sham Kaushal recalls living in 10x10 chawl with family: ‘I cried in front of my son after being insulted at work'
From living in a 10×10 chawl to becoming one of Bollywood's most bankable stars, Vicky's journey mirrors the hard-fought progress of his family. In a heartfelt interview,
Sham Kaushal
opened up about the family's modest beginnings, the emotional toll of his work in the film industry, and why he never had to teach his sons humility—they lived it with him.
Sham Kaushal on parenting with values
In an interview with Aman Aujla on YouTube, Sham Kaushal shared that he never pressured Vicky or Sunny to follow a specific path. Instead, he simply encouraged them to be good human beings. He believes children learn by observing, and since his sons saw honesty and humility at home, they naturally adopted those values.
From cement floors to a flat
He added that both Vicky and Sunny were born in a 10×10 chawl, where the family slept on a thin mattress on a cement floor.
As life improved, they moved to a two-room chawl and eventually into a flat. Sham Kaushal said his sons witnessed his entire journey—from riding a motorcycle to owning a second-hand Fiat. He recalled coming home after tough days and crying in front of them when he felt humiliated at work, adding that he never believed in hiding emotions from his children.
Vicky Kaushal
on witnessing struggle up close
Vicky Kaushal, in a conversation with Raj Shamani on his podcast, reflected on his upbringing and early understanding of the film industry.
He said that being born into a family where someone works behind the scenes gave him a clear view of the industry's harsh realities. Raised in a 10×10 chawl, Vicky recalled watching his parents slowly build their life—from buying furniture piece by piece to moving from a chawl to a 1BHK, and eventually to a 2BHK flat.
He said the struggles were never hidden from him, and he always knew the industry came with its challenges.
Vicky Kaushal recently delivered the biggest hit of his career with the historical drama Chhaava, which grossed over ₹800 crore worldwide. His brother
Sunny Kaushal
was last seen in Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
3 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Saiyaara enters Rs 200 crore club in 9 days flat; 2nd Hindi film of 2025 to do so after Chhaava
Saiyaara has become the talk of the town since its massive theatrical release. It has been flying high at the box office with its historic run. Starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer, the film entered Rs 100 crore club in four days. Directed by Mohit Suri, Saiyaara has now achieved new milestone at the box office. Saiyaara crosses Rs 200 crore mark in nine days Produced under the banner of Yash Raj Films, Saiyaara entered the Rs 200 crore club at the box office within nine days of its release. The Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer earned Rs 27 crore on the second Saturday. The cume collection of Aditya Chopra's production stands at Rs 217 crore net at the box office. Saiyaara emerges second Hindi film of 2025 to enter the Rs 200 crore club, Chaava remains on top With the new achievement, Saiyaara has now become the second Hindi film to cross the Rs 200 crore mark this year. Previously, Chhaava entered this club in nine days. Released in February this year, Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna's all-time blockbuster film still remains on top with a net collection of Rs 270 crore. Saiyaara In Theatres Saiyaara plays in theatres now. Tickets for the same can be booked from the box office, or from online ticketing websites. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
Pink Villa
3 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Mahavatar Narsimha Day 2 India Box Office Hindi: Hombale's cinematic epic grows by a shocking 150 percent; Adds Rs 3.35 crore
Mahavatar Narsimha, directed by Ashwin Kumar and produced by Hombale Films, after a super strong first day where it netted Rs 1.35 crore in Hindi, showed astronomical 140-150 percent growth on day 2. With Rs 3.25 - 3.45 crore net on day 2, the two day cume of the movie stands at Rs 4.70 crore. The movie has not just grown in Hindi but all the other languages that it is playing in, as well. The Day Wise Hindi Net Collections Of Mahavatar Narsimha Are As Under Mahavatar Narsimha Will Post Its Biggest Single Day Collections On 1st Sunday On Sunday, Mahavatar Narsimha is expected to register its biggest single day. Based on its trend, the day 3 collections may end up being higher than the sum of the first and the second day. The trend also suggests a sort of a breakout where Monday collections will be well higher than the opening day and also likely first Saturday. It's too early to confirm that the same will happen, but there sure are very visible indications to deduce the same. In today's day and age, if a film gets the approval of the audience, it trends spectacularly. We saw it last week with Saiyaara, which is putting up identical collections as its first weekend, in its second, and then there of course was Chhaava, which really showed the potential of a well-received religion-based historical epic. Mahavatar Narsimha Is Acting As A Living Proof That Animated Movies Can Work At The Box Office The biggest takeaway from Mahavatar Narsimha's run is the acceptance of the audience to watch animated content. Animated films are usually seen as films for children but this movie looks to break that myth. Hopefully, with the success of this movie, there will be an influx of more animated films. Hombale Films itself has a slate of 6 animated films from the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe, that shall release in the next decade or so. Animated Films Should Get Mainstream Attention In India Hollywood's animated films have always got mainstream attention in their home markets, and now China's highest grossing film is also an animated film, Ne Zha 2. Japan has always had a bigger market for animes than the conventional films. It's about time that Indian audiences also jump on this bandwagon so that there can be more individual voices to tell stories using the animated mediun. One doesn't necessarily have to rely upon a hero, to make and sell their films. The story and the acceptance shall do the talking.
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Economic Times
He earned Rs 350 a month, survived on Rs 1 meals; now his son's last movie earned over Rs 800 crore
Synopsis Sham Kaushal, now a renowned Bollywood action director, began his journey in Mumbai with just Rs 3,000, surviving on Re 1 meals and earning Rs 350 a month. After working unpaid as an assistant and struggling through poverty, he eventually found work in the film industry through the Stuntman Association. Despite battling cancer later in life, Kaushal remained resilient. Today, his son Vicky Kaushal is a leading actor, with his latest film Chhaava grossing over Rs 800 crore worldwide. Sham Kaushal Before he became one of Bollywood's most respected action directors, Sham Kaushal lived a life of hardship that many wouldn't associate with the father of a movie star. Arriving in Mumbai in 1978 with just Rs 3,000—borrowed by his father—Kaushal had a single goal: to repay the debt. Originally aspiring to be a lecturer after completing his MA in English Literature in Punjab, Kaushal's plans were cut short due to financial revealed in a recent podcast with Aman Aujla, he found a job as a salesman in Mumbai earning Rs 350 a month. His daily routine involved taking two buses and a train to reach his office in Chembur, leaving him with just Re 1 for both lunch and dinner. Kaushal often ate misal pav and batata vada, priced at just a few paise. Cigarettes were out of reach; he settled for 10-paisa bidis he couldn't afford the deposit for a chawl, he began living in his office and walked daily to a friend's place in Ghatkopar just to change clothes. He had only two trousers and three shirts. A year later, he was laid off, which became a turning point. With low self-confidence and poor communication skills, he made two decisions: never to work a job again and never to leave path shifted when he befriended a few fellow Punjabis working as stuntmen. They encouraged him to join the Stuntman Association in 1980. The Rs 1,000 membership fee was raised through multiple friends. This led to his first opportunities in the film after, he came into contact with Veeru Devgan, a well-known action director. Veeru saw Kaushal's potential and informally hired him. Kaushal assisted him, doing everything from carrying bags to bringing tea. Over time, Veeru added his name to fight sequences, allowing him to start earning. Later, Kaushal joined Pappu Verma to learn more about stunt direction, though he wasn't paid during that began working regularly around 1983, performing stunts and doubling for actors. His big break came with Sunny Deol's Betaab, where his performance earned him Rs 500—five times the usual pay. This marked the beginning of a steady career that peaked in the later, while shooting in Ladakh for Lakshya, Kaushal experienced severe abdominal pain. At an army hospital, doctors gave him a grim outlook, leaving him so distraught that he briefly considered ending his life. He was recovering from surgery and physically unable to act on the kept his diagnosis private, fearing it would affect his career. He turned to prayer, asking for just ten more years to raise his young children. Eventually, he underwent several surgeries, and the cancer did not spread. That decade turned into more than twenty years of life and Sham Kaushal is the proud father of two Bollywood actors—Vicky Kaushal and Sunny Kaushal and his daughter-in-law is none other than Katrina Kaif, who married Vicky in 2021. Vicky, in particular, has achieved massive box office success. His recent film Chhaava earned Rs 807.88 crore worldwide, as reported by Sacnilk. It's a significant milestone not just for Vicky but for the entire Kaushal working unpaid as an assistant to Veeru Devgan, Kaushal has now seen his son competing with Devgan's son, Ajay Devgn, at the box office. His story is a rare example of grit, transformation, and quiet perseverance—an inspiring journey from Rs 350 a month to a legacy worth crores.
