How a Dubai-based Armenian Actor Broke into Bollywood without Speaking Hindi

Years later, working in Moscow and juggling odd jobs, Armen decided to act on that dream.

“It was madness. I had no plan. I didn’t know the language, didn’t know a soul in India. But something inside me kept pushing — go, go, go.”

Breaking into Bollywood — Literally

Landing in Mumbai with nothing but hope, Armen’s initiation into India was rough.

“The taxi driver cheated me on my first day,” he laughs. “He dropped me off in Dongri near the train station and that far from posh Mumbai. I stayed there for a month.”

Armed with a few profile photos, and his dancing skills, Armen went door-to-door at production houses, introducing himself as an actor.

“Most people laughed that I came all the way from Moscow to try my hand at Bollywood cinema. But a few gave me time. And that was enough.”

In a year and a half, he landed roles in five films.

“I played a cop beating up Ali Zafar, appeared in “Veer” with Salman Khan, and even stood in scenes with actors I had only seen on screen as a child. That was success to me.”

The Reality of Bollywood

But as I point out to him during our chat, Bollywood is notoriously tough on outsiders — it’s Nepo Kid Central, where last names and family legacies often matter more than raw talent.

Armen doesn’t disagree.

“I didn’t have anyone to back me,” he says. “No family in the industry, no connections. I came from a small village in Armenia. But I never saw that as a limitation. I just kept going.”

Determined not to remain stuck in background roles, he found a workaround.

“I started learning Hindi by watching movies on repeat. I can memorize lines quickly now.”

His versatility and street-smart attitude helped him pivot to production.

“I’d already worked as a location manager in Moscow. In small-budget projects, you do everything — casting, scouting, planning. That helped me build a strong foundation.”

Dubai: The Turning Point

Armen’s move to Dubai in 2010 was for love.

“I met my wife here — an Armenian based in the UAE. So I shifted from Mumbai to Dubai. But I never left the industry.”

Dubai became his base for international collaborations and commercials. “I’ve done many ads here and introduced producers in LA and Europe to the UAE. I tell them — come shoot here. This place has everything.”

He now dreams of making a film that showcases the UAE on the world stage.

“I want to present the UAE as a filming destination, not just a backdrop … I love this country, it’s a land where dreams can come true.”

No Plan B, Just Hustle

Despite his modesty, Armen’s story is packed with wins. He produced the Bollywood-Armenian action film “Jaguar” starring Jackie Shroff and Aditya Roy Kapur, and even hosted Jackie in Armenia.

“We showed him real Armenian hospitality. Food, culture — everything. That was a proud moment.”

One of the most surreal chapters in Armen’s journey came when he into the home of none other than Amitabh Bachchan.

“I had grown up watching his films dubbed in Russian back in Armenia. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d one day be sitting in his Juhu bungalow, sipping tea and chatting about life,” Armen recalls, still visibly moved by the memory.

It all started with a commercial project involving the Bachchan family. Through a business tie-up, Armen found himself working on a campaign linked to Abhishek Bachchan’s Kabaddi team.

“We were one of the sponsors. I flew in from Sharjah to Rajasthan especially for a tournament just to be there and meet Amitabh-ji,” he says. “I told them honestly, ‘This is a lifelong dream. I need to meet him.’ And Abhishek made it happen.”

Walking through the corridors of the Bachchan home, Armen remembers being surrounded by framed memories — movie stills, awards, and portraits of Bollywood royalty.

“To be in that space, where so much of Indian cinema history lives… it was overwhelming. For a boy from an Armenian village who once watched Amar Akbar Anthony in a dusty old cinema, this was everything coming full circle.”

He’s currently working on an Armenian film based on the humanitarian crisis during the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. “It’s about a blockade. We interviewed the mother of children who died due to food shortages. We’re telling the story of human suffering — not blaming countries, just showing what people went through.”

Still Standing, Still Dreaming

Through all of it, Armen never lost his sense of purpose. “I’ve never worked for anyone in my life. I’ve always wanted to stay free, so I can jump on a plane and go wherever a project takes me.”

Even now, he juggles multiple roles — actor, producer, fixer, casting agent. “You can’t survive on just acting if you’re not from a film family. You have to hustle, reinvent, and keep moving.”

And despite being offered stereotypical roles — “the foreign villain or silent cop” — Armen refuses to settle. “I don’t take those roles anymore. I know I can do better.”

As we wrap up, he reflects on the arc of his life. “I was a school dropout from an Armenian village. I didn’t speak the language. But I met my idols, worked with them, and now I’m trying to bring stories from my homeland to the world.”

And in case you’re wondering — yes, he still knows all the songs from “Disco Dancer” by heart. “I watched it so many times in Russian. I can sing every line, eyes closed.”

If that isn’t a Bollywood success story — or at least a heartfelt hustle story — what is?