Yash Raaj Singh: Meet the Rising New Star In Bollywood from the Land of the Nawabs

As an actor, one calls many places home, travelling to several exotic locales and destinations for work. However, no matter how many destinations one may visit, you can never forget that one special place that helped shape who you are today, i.e., one's hometown.

A city brimming with heritage and culture, Lucknow is home to many celebrated thespians. Joining this list of luminaries is a rising new star in Bollywood, Yash Raaj Singh. Last seen in the 2019 box-office success War, Yash has made a name for himself based on pure talent and hard work.

As he jet sets all over the world, Yash hasn't strayed far from his roots, growing up, as he describes it, on the streets of Lucknow.
The son of a reputed police officer and politician mother, Yash recalls spending some of his most cherished childhood years in the Land of the Nawabs.

Enrolled at the city's celebrated St. Francis College, Yash was a highly energetic boy, always getting up to one mischief or another.

So what was it that led him away from the classroom and into a life as a proverbial troublemaker?

"I was never really interested in academics and could never force myself to concentrate on the teacher's words as they belted out the same old tunes. Something outside would always attract my attention and I would yearn to be out and about."

Once he had made his escape, he would go "Ganjing" as he calls it, exploring the most popular hangout spots in the city's Hazratganj market including the student-favourite, Rovers.

When Yash wasn't with his friends at the Crossroads in Ganj, he could be found exploring the narrow lanes of Old Lucknow, namely Chowk and Maulviganj with his childhood buddies, getting into one brawl after another.

Recalling those days of playing truant, Yash says these seemingly carefree days were not without some element of danger and helped shaped who he is today.

"Growing up in Uttar Pradesh, especially Lucknow empowered me to face even the most stressful of situations with quiet calm. Once you learn how to survive here, you can hold your own anywhere in the world as nothing daunts you anymore."

He further adds: "Lucknow imbued in me a sense of culture, a refinement of speech and action which I have carried around with me ever since. Wherever I go, people remark on my mannerisms that set me apart from the rest. Meanwhile, my experiences in the Hindi heartland of rural U.P. strengthened my character, teaching me how to tackle the world early on."

So, how did the hardened boy from Lucknow's streets make it to the silver screen?

"Growing up at a time when a person's worth was judged by their academic performance, I had no interest in academics and would study under extreme duress. I believe I may have had a learning disability and attention problems, but at that time we did not know so much about such issues. I did buckle down and got my law degree from Delhi University, but I knew in my heart that it wasn't my true calling."

What, then attracted him to movies? Yash says it was the power of cinema to tell stories that could mesmerize and hold an audience spellbound.

Yash would go on to study film-making at the Hollywood Film School in Los Angelos, where he learned how to translate his childhood experiences from the streets onto the visual medium in a realistic manner.

Based on his experiences, what advice does he have for youngsters back home?

"I think that the biggest lesson that I have learnt from life is the importance of discovering one's goal in life. We live in a society that seeks to dictate what we can and cannot do. I remember reading somewhere that if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. "

He continues, "The path to excellence for me, lies in discovering what you want and then wholeheartedly committing to it. Once you have determined where you want to go, all the struggle and sacrifice required to achieve it doesn't feel so burdensome anymore."

Talking of his own goals, Yash joined YRF Studios in 2013, going on to work as an assistant director on movies like Sultan and Kill Dil.

Yash recalls this period as a crucial learning phase when he realized the importance of organization and how to execute an idea into reality.

"As an assistant director, I was a part of the team that had to meticulously plan out every step of the process required to turn a script into a finely-tuned cinematic experience. My experiences during this time showed me the importance of every crew member and how critical these behind-the-scenes people were for the successful execution of a project."

Yash has one last piece of advice for those wanting to spread their wings and fly: "No matter what you do in life or where you are, it's important to remember where you come from."

If you wish to learn more about what this Lucknow boy gets up to in his spare time, do follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.