Navarasa Nayaka and Rajya Sabha member Jaggesh turned emotional as he recently revisited his childhood home, opening up about his modest beginnings and the long road that led him to success. Standing outside the small house where he grew up, the actor reflected on how far he has come and the values that shaped him.
“If I had spent my life crying about being poor, I’d still be standing on this street,” Jaggesh said. “But I chose to change my story. I worked hard, trusted my journey, and never stopped dreaming.”
The veteran actor shared heartfelt memories from his early days, recalling how every corner of his childhood home held a story. “This yard was my playground. I slept on my grandfather’s lap here. I grew up eating ragi rotti, ucchellu chutney, and butter, running around barefoot. My grandmother bathed me here with sige kayi (soapnut). At night, I would lie under the stars listening to my grandfather’s tales about shining like the Dhruva Nakshatra,” he said. “I saw weddings of my uncles and aunts in front of this house. I watched plays performed by local troupes right across this road. From this world, a boy became Navarasa Nayaka.”
Jaggesh also addressed the comments he often sees online about poverty and privilege. “Sometimes, I see people saying that poor children don’t get opportunities, and it makes me sad,” he said. “A few write, ‘Sir, you’re lucky. You’re settled. We are poor.’ To them, I want to say—this is the house where I was born. This is where our family grew. I am also a poor man’s son. What matters is how we choose to move forward.”
He ended with a message of perseverance and gratitude: “Do every job sincerely. Save every rupee you can. Stay away from bad habits. Treat your parents like gods. One day, you’ll tell your own story of victory—just like I did. Love you all. This is the story of a poor man’s son who made it.”
