Meet actor who sold his house, lived secretly as transgender on streets, was assaulted, then gave Rs 100-crore film

The recently-released horror comedy Munjya has been winning hearts and setting the cash registers ringing at the same time. The small-budget film has been received well by critics and audiences and also done well at the box office, even breaching the Rs 100-crore mark. The film’s success has been attributed to its fun concept, mix of folklore and horror, as well as the immensely likable lead star – Abhay Verma.

Who is Abhay Verma? The lead actor of Munjya

25-year-old Abhay is an actor best known for his work in The Family Man. He has played small parts in a number of films and shows and Munjya is his first big break in the lead role. In a recent chat with Dainik Bhaskar, the actor revealed his middle-class upbringing and facing financial hardships. His father ran a jewellery shop but when Abhay was in class VI, his father contracted jaundice, which affected his liver and he was put on bed rest. The actor recounted that his mother had to turn bread-winner for his family. With mounting expenses, the family sold their house to make ends meet. Abhay’s father passed away three years later.

Abhay Verma in a still from Munjya

When Abhay lived as a transgender on streets

Abhay moved to Mumbai at age 19 in a bid to become an actor. His older brother Abhishek was already working in TV shows by then. After some struggle, Abhay began to get roles. In 2022, he signed on to play a transgender in the film Safed. To prepare for the role, Abhay left for Varanasi and lived there for several weeks as a transgender. In his interview with Bhaskar, the actor revealed that he was once accosted by a group of boys at night who wanted to assault him. He had to reveal his real identity to escape. Directed by Sandep Singh, Safed began streaming on Zee5 last year.

Abhay Verma’s notable roles

Abhay first came to notice with the supporting role of Kalyan in the second season of Manoj Bajpayee-starrer The Family Man. Even though he appeared on screen for only 3-4 scenes, his performance was praised. Now, Munjya has shot him to stardom. The film, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, also stars Sharvari and Mona Singh. It has already grossed Rs 123 crore worldwide and is still going strong in theatres.

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