Indian actor Anupam Tripathiâs presence in Netflixâs popular Squid Game series certainly made a lasting impression for many viewers.
Tripathi plays the Pakistani migrant worker character Abdul Ali or Player 199 who teams up with the main characters of the show in Squid Game.
According to 8days, Tripathiâs path to fame was an uphill task. Born in New Delhi to a middle class family, he made his showbiz debut in India in 2006.
The actor only made the move to South Korea in 2010 after he was encouraged by his friend to get a scholarship from Korea National University of Arts (KARTs).
âI hid my plans to move to Korea from my parents while preparing for the entrance examination [because] they were firmly against it. They only relented after I was accepted,â he said.
Despite the familyâs initial disapproval, Tripathi persevered and slowly got used to the cultural differences. He also had to juggle his studies and work as a theatre actor.
His hard work paid off when he got his first movie role in Ode To My Father which became the fourth highest-grossing film in the history of South Korean cinema.
Tripathi also never complained about being typecasted in migrant worker roles. He said he didnât mind it one bit because he was grateful to have work and saw it as an opportunity to improve his Korean.
There were times when he worried whether heâll land another role and whether he could continue living in South Korea if heâs jobless.
