John Abraham reveals his first salary post MBA; says, 'My lunch would cost only Rs 6'

John Abraham, prepping for his new movie Vedaa, has been in Bollywood for more than 20 years. Starting with Jism in 2003, he moved on to action and comedy genres. His breakthrough came with the antagonist role in Dhoom by Yash Raj Films. John shared that back in 1999, post his MBA, his initial salary was Rs 6,500, with lunch costing him only Rs 6.

In the recent podcast by YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, John Abraham reminisced about his tough times before entering Bollywood. Following his MBA, John mentioned starting at a company earning Rs 6,500. He later moved up to become a media planner at an advertising agency.

Expanding on his journey, the Vedaa star shared that he took part in the Gladrags Manhunt Contest in 1999, where he was evaluated by Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, and Karan Kapoor.

John, with a take-home salary of Rs 11,500, reminisced about clinching victory in the competition and bagging a cash prize of Rs 40,000. The actor reflected on his astonishment at winning such a "huge amount".

The actor, aged 51, was questioned about his expenses and how he coped with limited funds. He shared, "My expenses were very less. My lunch would have 2 chapatis and dal fry, this was in 1999, and my food used to cost 6 rupees 25 paisa."

Recalling those days, the Vedaa star mentioned having breakfast at home and often skipping dinner due to late office hours. Besides food, his spending included petrol for his bike. John reminisced about a time when he didn't have a mobile phone and relied on a train pass for travel.

John shared that he used to put his money into equity-based mutual funds when he started his career.

Helmed by Nikkhil Advani, Vedaa is set to hit the screens on August 15, aligning with Independence Day. Alongside the lead actor, the film features Tamannaah Bhatia, Sharvari Wagh, and Abhishek Banerjee in pivotal roles. This upcoming action-drama is reportedly based on real-life events.

John has left his mark with memorable performances in movies like Paap, Housefull 2, Taxi No. 9211, Salaam-e-Ishq, and several others.