Nobody can deny the fact that Indians, especially Indian parents are quite obsessive about engineering and a popular saying on social media is making rounds that, ‘people first pursue engineering and then choose their profession.’
Well, justifying the above statement, it is not surprising to see engineers catching up professions entirely different from their degrees. So this Engineer’s Day, let’s have a glance at some engineers from across the globe who made it big choosing an entirely different career:
Rowan Atkinson A.K.A Mr. Bean
The first name on the list is a very own comedian, popularly known as Rowan Atkinson popularly known as Mr. Bean. Who could have imagined that TV’s funny man and our favourite “Mr. Bean” is an engineer by graduation.
Yes, you read it right, Rowan Atkinson attended Newcastle University, where he obtained a degree in Electrical Engineering. He also pursued the degree of MSc. in Electrical Engineering at The Queen’s College, Oxford where he got inclined towards theatre and ultimately switched to television.
Sonu Sood
Everyone remembers Chedi Singh from the movie Dabangg, Yes, we are talking about Sonu Sood. Sonu Sood, an actor who is recognized for his physique and negative role in “Dabangg” is actually an electronics engineer by education. He graduated as an electronics engineer from YCCE( Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering), Nagpur. After which he got diverted towards Film Industry and debuted in a Tamil movie as an actor. He is known for his negative roles in Bollywood Films.
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Anil Kumble
Moving on to the sports, Here is one guy who is well-known for his extraordinary contribution in Indian Cricket and is popularly known as Jumbo, Anil Kumble needs no introduction. A Former Indian captain and the 3rd highest wicket-taker in test cricket, he is also one of the prominent leg spinners in the cricket history.
But before catching up cricket as his professional sport, he studied mechanical engineering. He is graduated B.E from Rashtriya Vidyalaya College of Engineering (RVCE) in Mechanical Engineering in 1991–92.
Harsha Bhogle
Here comes again a sports personality, yes it is renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle. Before earning fame as a cricket commentator, Harsha Bhogle studied engineering in his graduation. He graduated as a chemical engineer from Osmania University and moved on to pursue PGDM degree from IIM-Ahmedabad.
During his post-graduation, he got short consignments from an advertising firm and a sports management corporation before becoming a full-time cricket commentator and TV presenter.
Manohar Parrikar
Moving on to Indian politics, there are various people in politics, who are Engineer by graduation before joining politics. Here we are talking about late Goa CM and BJP leader Manohar Parrikar.
He is graduated in metallurgical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay)in 1978. He was the first IIT graduate to serve as Chief Minister of an Indian state Goa. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001 by IIT Bombay.
Nagarjuna
Moving on to the Tollywood, Nagarjuna, winner of two national film awards and various South Filmfare awards, this Telugu movie star is a man of multiple talents had received his BE degree from the College of Engineering, Guindy and completed M.S. in Automobile Engineering from Eastern Michigan University.
After completing his education, he decided to follow the track of his father, veteran actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s footsteps and entered the film industry.
Shankar Mahadevan
Breathless’ singer Shankar Mahadevan is also a computer science engineer before he decided to follow his passion. He now is one famous singer and music composer. He started playing the veena at age of five. Mahadevan graduated in 1988 with a degree in computer science and software engineering from the Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology in Navi Mumbai, affiliated to Mumbai University, and was a software engineer for Leading Edge.
Raghuram Rajan
Famous and former RBI Governor, is also an engineer by graduation. Born and brought up in Delhi, Rajan completed his B.tech from IIT Delhi in 1985, where he was awarded the Director’s Gold Medal as the best all-rounder student. He is currently serving as the Vice-Chairman of the Bank for International Settlements.
Kriti Sanon
Yet another actor-turned-Engineer, Kriti Sanon holds a B.Tech degree in Electronics and Communications from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Uttar Pradesh. After completion of her graduation, she moved out to Mumbai and make her debut in a South Indian movie named Nenokkadine. She made her Bollywood debut with the movie Heropanti.
Riteish Deshmukh
Riteish Deshmukh needs no introduction, being the son of Maharashtra’s former CM Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Riteish made his own identity and footprints in the archives of celluloid. Famous for his comedic timing, Riteish is an architect as well as a post-graduate in Civil Engineering. He is now a well-known personality of Indian as well as Marathi Cinema. He started his career in 2003 opposite Genelia D’Souza in the film ‘Tujhe Meri Kasam’.
Atul Khatri
He is maybe an Engineer and a CEO of an IT firm, but he made it big as India’s oldest stand-up comic, @one_by_two on twitter and ‘Horny Sindhi’ on Facebook, he is Atul Khatri.
A half-Indian, half-Pakistani, Atul Khatri is all-comedian. One of the rising comic stars, his skill is his panache for giving a comic twist to even the most serious of subjects, like the India-Pakistan relationship.
Nitish Kumar
Coming back to politics, there is one more name added, he is Bihar’s CM and chairperson of JDU Nitish Kumar.
He is graduated in electrical engineering from Bihar College of Engineering, (now NIT Patna) in 1972. After completion of his graduation, he joined the Bihar State Electricity Board, half-heartedly, and later moved into politics.
He learned the lessons of politics under the tutelage of stalwarts Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia, S N Sinha, Karpuri Thakur and V. P. Singh.
