Jitendra Kumar developed an interest in films when he was in Kota for IIT-JEE coaching

Mumbai; Actor Jitendra Kumar has opened up about how he was bitten by the acting bug, revealing that his interest in films developed while he was preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in Kota, Rajasthan.

Jitendra, who recently featured in the third season of ‘Kota Factory,’ discussed his journey — from the corridors of IIT to the heart of Bollywood — in a recent conversation with Vaibhav Munjal on ‘The Longest Interview’ podcast on Audible.

Speaking about how his interest in movies developed, Jitendra said: “My interest in films developed when I was in Kota. I studied for 20 days and spent the entire night in the cyber cafe with the shutter down. This is when I found a website that had films from 1958 to 2008. So, at IIT, I watched all kinds of Bollywood films.”

Talking about some cinematic masterpieces that have left an indelible mark on his life, Jitendra, who is known for his work in ‘Panchayat’, said: ” ‘Sholay’, ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’, ‘Satya’, and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ are four films that have redefined each decade of Indian cinema. The films that were made post the release of ‘Sholay’ were different.”

“The release of ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ marked the beginning of the romance era. The film ‘Satya’ led to the creation of more realistic content, after which new talent started emerging, and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ hit it home with its content and a new genre of filmmaking,” Jitendra said.

Jitendra also opened up about his love for cricket, saying, “All my favourite cricketers from the time — Dravid, Kumble, Khan, Vettori, Gayle, Kohli, AB De Villiers — were part of the RCB team, and I enjoyed watching their game. This is why I found that team the most exciting.”