Behind the Journey: Season 2 - Jitendra Kumar aka Jeetu

How does a small town youth from Rajasthan, armed with a degree from IIT Kharagpur, end up becoming the superstar of the Indian web series world?

The answer is passion. Jitendra Kumar, affectionately known as Jeetu by fans and critics alike, hasn't had it easy. The star of Kota Factory once slogged through the academic mill himself to get into a prestigious institution, but later realized where his true talent lay. His passion for theatre and acting was evident even during his college days and Biswapati Sarkar who was his senior, spotted the potential in the young man. He asked Jeetu to move to Mumbai, and collaborate with him as a writer and actor at TVF where both work together now. Owing to his impeccable acting abilities and Biswapati's eye for talent, Jeetu landed a role on his very first day in Mumbai. The journey started on a good note, but unfortunately did not continue as planned.

His sketch 'Munna Jazbaati' followed next, and despite his good performance, the show did not fetch him the appreciation he was expecting. Disappointed with this, Jeetu moved to Bangalore and started working in a construction firm. But his aim was to return to Mumbai, which he decided would happen once he was capable of funding himself, and soon he did.

As a focused young adult, he always lived by the thought of not being money minded when it comes to pursuing his passion. The protagonist of Kota Diaries has sampled the life of an engineering student in IIT Kharagpur himself and grew up in a small town near Alwar. But life in Mumbai changed his perceptions, and this helped him realise that one needs to balance life with both passion and money. Today, Jeetu has several characters in TVF videos under his belt – including the immensely watchable 'Tech Conversations With Dad', 'A Day With' series, and TVF Bachelor's series which crossed a million views. He is predominantly famous for his character 'Jitendra Maheshwari', a frustrated corporate employee in the web series TVF Pitchers, 'Gittu', a confused bridegroom in Permanent Roommates web series and 'Jeetu Bhaiya' from Kota Factory.

But like everybody else, he too has many personal goals, but one of the materialistic ones is to own a house which has its own backyard, where he can play his favourite sport - cricket. Besides this, he also wants to buy some commercial land in his hometown, to set up a solar plant and fulfill his father's dream, which he realised when his dad called one fine day to ask about his wellbeing. After facing a lot of struggle and hardship, Jeetu today knows that one has to focus on financial safety and invest money, and thereby make the most of it, when needed.

The stardom which he has experienced is rather unusual. Today, he is being offered different roles be it in films, web series or sketches. But there was a time when his shows had just started doing well, people had started recognising him, and he was receiving VIP treatment, flying business class, etc., but yet did not have enough money to spend on himself! Such experiences – of both living in Mumbai and living his lifestyle as a celebrity –has taught him lessons in humility as well as the importance of saving money.

Today, Jeetu's starpower is on the rise. In 2019, he debuted in Bollywood with a role in the Hindi film 'Gone Kesh', and has more releases lined up for 2020, including the Ayushmann Khurrana starrer 'Shubh Mangal Zyaada Savdhan'. Acting has perhaps always flowed in his veins! Growing up, Jeetu was an excellent mimic, narrating stories and dressing up in the latest fashion! Even today, his work colleagues tease him as 'Kunwar Sa', the fashion king! But his years in the profession have taught him the value of growing wealth.

The core idea should be to think long term and not deviate from the goals. Both success and growth come with time, and the pattern is the same with investments too. A good investment vehicle like HDFC Life Click 2 Wealth can give you the security you need, along with ample options for growing your wealth as you build your career!

 

 

ARN: ED/01/20/17500