Jitendra Kumar Recalls Discovering Theatre at IIT Kharagpur, Says Acting Was Never Part of His Early Plans

Mumbai, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Actor Jitendra Kumar has recalled his unconventional journey into acting, revealing that he never considered the profession seriously until he discovered theatre during his time at IIT Kharagpur.

Speaking with Gopal Dutt on Pehla Pehla, the Panchayat actor said his first experience of performing came during his school days when he played Tadaka in a Ramayana presentation. At the time, however, he had no plans of pursuing acting professionally.

“I think my first acting experience was when I played Tadaka in a school Ramayana. At that time, there was no thought that this could become something I would do professionally. It was just a school performance,” Jitendra recalled.

After completing school, his attention shifted entirely towards academics. He moved to Kota to prepare for the IIT entrance examination and eventually secured admission to IIT Kharagpur.

Life at the prestigious institute also presented a new challenge for him. Jitendra said he initially felt conscious about his English-speaking skills after entering an environment where fluent English was widely spoken.

“When I went to IIT Kharagpur, English was something I struggled with. I was conscious of it because suddenly you are in an environment where everyone is speaking English, and you feel that you are behind,” he said.

It was during his college years that Jitendra discovered theatre, almost by chance. He began participating in competitions and gradually realised how much he enjoyed performing.

“At IIT, I discovered theatre almost by accident. I started participating in competitions, and every time I performed, I felt there was something about this that I really enjoyed. That was probably the first time I started thinking that maybe acting could actually be something for me,” he said.

Jitendra has since built a successful acting career across films, television and digital platforms. He was recently seen as Bablu Pandit in Mirzapur: The Movie, the film adaptation of the popular franchise. He was not part of the original Mirzapur web series.