Johnny Lever, the beloved “Comedy King” of films, celebrated his birthday on August 14. His journey to stardom was anything but easy. Let’s dive into some fascinating stories from his incredible life.
Films often focus on the main heroes and heroines. Yet, supporting actors can truly shine, especially those who bring laughter. Johnny Lever made a unique mark with his comedic roles. He earned the “Comedy King” title. He brightened hundreds of films with his humor.
A Difficult Start
The world knows him as Johnny Lever. His real name is John Prakasa Rao Janumala. Johnny was born on August 14, 1957. His family lived in the Prakasam district. They were a Telugu Christian family. His family faced tough times financially. Because of this, he had to leave school early. He could not go past the seventh grade.
Selling Pens, Performing on Streets
To help his family, young Johnny sold pens on the streets. But he wasn’t just selling pens. He was putting on a show! He would mimic famous film stars. He made people laugh as he sold his pens. This unique approach helped his sales.
In one interview, Johnny Lever shared details. He said he first earned 25-30 rupees a day. But when he started imitating actors’ voices, his daily earnings jumped to 250-300 rupees. This trick truly worked for him. The actor mentioned that he did not know then this would become his career.
How He Became ‘Johnny Lever’
Johnny Lever’s father worked at Hindustan Lever. His father got him a job at the same company. Johnny could move heavy drums from one place to another with ease. While working, he often entertained his colleagues. He made them laugh by acting and doing comedy.
This is how his name changed from John Prakasa Rao Janumala to Johnny Lever. Reports say the company boss gave him this name. The boss was very impressed by his mimicry skills.
His Big Break
Johnny Lever was a natural at comedy and mimicry. He began his career as a stand-up comedian. He performed many stage shows. During one such show, the legendary Sunil Dutt noticed him. That moment changed Johnny’s life forever.
Sunil Dutt gave Johnny Lever his first major break. It was in the 1982 film ‘Dard Ka Rishta’. After this first film, Johnny Lever’s journey in entertainment began. He never looked back. He has worked in many films. Some of his notable films include ‘Raja Hindustani,’ ‘Judaai,’ ‘Chaalbaaz,’ ‘Baazigar,’ ‘Yes Boss,’ ‘Karan-Arjun,’ ‘Ishq,’ ‘Aunty No. 1,’ ‘Dulhe Raja,’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.’
A Gesture of Friendship
Johnny Lever is also known for his kind heart. He was featured in Ajay Devgn’s film ‘Raju Chacha.’ However, that movie did not perform well. Ajay Devgn shared a story about this. Johnny told them not to pay him for ‘Raju Chacha.’ He understood the film’s financial loss. Despite this, Ajay and his team paid him.
Later, Ajay Devgn approached him for the film ‘All The Best.’ Johnny agreed to do the film on one condition. He would not take any money for it. He said, “You people suffered a loss then, but you still paid me. Ajay is producing ‘All The Best’ too. I won’t take money.” ‘All The Best,’ released in 2009, was a semi-hit. Ajay Devgn believes Johnny Lever is truly connected to God.
More Popular Than Shah Rukh Khan?
Here’s a fun fact you might not know: Johnny Lever was once more famous than Shah Rukh Khan. Johnny spoke about this in an interview with Ranveer Allahabadia. He praised Shah Rukh Khan, calling him very hardworking.
He recalled the time around the 1993 film ‘Baazigar.’ Shah Rukh had already appeared in films like ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.’ But Johnny said he was more popular back then. He explained, “When ‘Baazigar’ was being made, people recognized me more than Shah Rukh Khan. I was a star then, and Shah Rukh was just starting out.”
Johnny admired Shah Rukh’s dedication. He remembered Shah Rukh struggled with dance and action scenes then. But Shah Rukh took it as a challenge. He worked hard to improve himself. His effort paid off. He refined his skills and became a global superstar.