Mumbai, July 6 (IANS): Actor and DJ Ali Merchant shared his thoughts on changing career paths and reminisced about his days of struggle, including when he had to sell his car because he could not afford the EMI.

Ali shared: "I had to sell my car as I couldn’t afford the EMI, and there was a point when I had only 50k left in my account and all my savings were over. It impacted me very badly in the short term, but I dedicated 3-4 years to learning music theory and DJing.”

The actor, known for his roles in shows such as 'Amber Dhara', 'Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar', 'Looteri Dulhan', and 'Hum Ne Li Hai- Shapath', is set to make his Bollywood debut in a film produced by Faizuddin Siddiqui.

Ali said he “kept going to see different theater plays to unlearn all that I had learned in TV and to learn new forms of acting."

Ali also shared the most significant lessons he learned from taking that risk and how those lessons have shaped his approach to decision-making.

"The most significant lesson I learned was to always do what your heart says because that’s going to be long-term. The mind will always put you in doubt, leading you to choose a safer decision. In performing arts, always follow your heart."

The actor discussed the specific moment when he felt the risk he took was about to pay off or, conversely, when he thought it might lead to failure.

Ali shared: "When I started doing well in DJing and was traveling a lot -- over 250+ flights each year -- I learned about different cultures and observed people in different cities. This helped me understand the art of realistic acting much better."

“Watching a lot of world cinema helped me connect the dots, and when I finished my first film, I felt my decision to leave TV was right. It gave me immense satisfaction as an artist. Now, I am eagerly waiting for the release so I can continue working on nice projects and approach the people I want to work with smoothly."