Uorfi Javed opens up about escaping abuse, surviving in Delhi and chasing stardom; says, “No one considers you anything if you're not a star”

Internet sensation Uorfi Javed recently opened up about one of the most difficult phases of her life. From her struggling days in the television industry to becoming one of social media’s biggest fashion influencers, Uorfi spoke candidly about her journey. During an honest conversation with Soha Ali Khan on her podcast, Uorfi recalled her early struggles and revealed how she had always dreamed of becoming a star and living a luxurious life. (Photo: Instagram)

Honestly, since childhood, I always dreamed of doing something big and becoming successful. But I was born into a conservative family, so I felt those dreams could never come true. I ran away from home. Not because I wanted to become an actor, but because my father was very abusive and I just wanted to escape that environment. After leaving home, I moved to Delhi, where I did small jobs, gave tuition classes, and even worked at a call centre. (Photo: Instagram)

But Mumbai was always on my mind. When I finally came here, I thought I should at least try giving auditions. I stayed with friends and didn’t really have huge expectations. I just wanted to get a good lead role in a TV show, buy a house in a few years, get a car, get married, and settle down. Deep inside, I wanted to become a Bollywood actor too, but I never believed it was possible without contacts. I feel films are not easily offered to outsiders through auditions. (Photo: Instagram)

I don’t mean any hate towards anyone, we outsiders don’t even get that opportunity. Most of the time, no one is willing to even consider us. It’s very rare for someone without contacts to get noticed. Maybe if you keep auditioning for 10 years, something might happen, but I didn’t have that kind of time or money. That’s why I thought television would help me earn quickly. Honestly, in my head I used to think, ‘I’m so pretty, who would reject me?’ But reality was very different. I didn’t get good roles on television either. I mostly ended up doing small side characters here and there. (Photo: Instagram)

The experience was very bad. If you are not a star or the lead actor, people don’t really value you. Side actors are often not treated well. I had big dreams and ambitions, so I was never truly happy with where I was. Somewhere deep down, I always felt that I was meant for bigger things. I always wanted to be in the spotlight. At that time, even earning Rs 40,000 a month felt like a lot because I had to manage my own expenses and run my house. But despite that, I was not satisfied. That’s how my journey slowly started. (Photo: Instagram)

With the rise of social media, I started creating DIY fashion content. I used to cut old T-shirts and make outfits on my own. I even stitched clothes myself because I genuinely enjoyed sewing. Then I did Bigg Boss OTT, but I was eliminated within a week. During the show, I made a dress out of a garbage bag just for fun and wore it there. That look went viral. After coming out of the show, I knew the paparazzi and media would only cover me for a month, which usually happens with contestants after Bigg Boss. But I didn’t want people to forget me after that phase ended. I kept thinking that I had just one month to do something memorable. (Photo: Instagram)

By chance, one of my reels went viral where I was seen wearing a sports bra with a jacket at the airport. I honestly didn’t realise it would become such a huge issue. Suddenly, headlines everywhere were talking about my outfit. People criticised me a lot, but I felt that being talked about was still better than being ignored. That is when I slowly moved in that direction. There was no major PR strategy behind it. (Photo: Instagram)

I was working with a guy who had just started his PR company, so both of us were equally clueless. We were just happy that articles were coming out, people were watching my videos, and everyone was talking about me. We never planned my image like celebrities usually do. At that time, I didn’t even know how important image-building was for brand deals. I only knew that people had started recognising me and I was finally earning much more than before. Earlier, I used to earn Rs 40,000 a month, and suddenly I was getting deals worth lakhs. I started earning Rs 2 lakh a month. So, I just continued doing more content because people had finally started noticing me. (Photo: Instagram)