Mahabharat’s Abhimanyu, ‘Young Amitabh Bachchan’ of films, now runs restaurants in UK; who is he? | Mint
Mahabharat’s Abhimanyu, ‘Young Amitabh Bachchan’ of films, now runs restaurants in UK; who is he?
A complete outsider in Bollywood, this actor was inspired by Amitabh Bachchan at the age of 11. He went on to become ‘young’ Bachchan in films but later left the industry for a reason. Find out what is it.
Nothing lasts forever, at least not in Bollywood. Many celebrities left the industry for good despite making it big. One of them is an actor who was once hailed as the younger version of Amitabh Bachchan. The actor went on to become one of the highest-paid child artistes in the 70s and 80s. He later starred in films like Waqt Ka Badshah, Mahakaal, Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love, and many more. He also starred in a key role in BR Chopra’s iconic Mahabharat, which was initially offered to big names like Govinda and Chunky Pandey.
Meet Master Mayur
The actor is Master Mayur, whose original name is Mayur Raj Verma.
Master Mayur was an outsider who entered the film industry as a child artist and rose to success.
Inspired by Amitabh Bachchan
Reportedly, Mayur Raj Verma was born in 1964 in Mumbai to Sneh Latha Verma, a prominent name in the theatre industry. The actor once shared that he wanted to become an actor after watching an Amitabh Bachchan film when he was 11.
Mayur Verma shared in an interview with Prasar Bharati, “Much before entering the film industry, I was a stage actor. I started at the age of three. You won’t believe it, but even before I was born, my mother had decided that her son would become an actor. Since she was a playwright, she often wrote roles for me. At five, I did my television debut.”
Also Read|Actor who did bold films with bro-in-law, left acting, married Saiyaara director
Career as ‘young Bachchan’ in films
Mater Mayur made his film debut in 1978 with the hit film Muqaddar Ka Sikandar as young Amitabh Bachchan.
His resemblance to Bachchan led him to many more films like Laawaris, Love in Goa, Sharabi and Kanoon Apna Apna.
Talking about being typecast as the younger version of Amitabh Bachchan, the actor once shared how playing young Rajesh Khanna in Red Rose changed his career. “This film bagged me multiple awards and also proved that there is more to me than just being typecast as Young Amitabh Bachchan. It proved that I am not just a look-alike of a young Big B, but also a good actor,” Mayur told Mukesh Khanna in an appearance on his YouTube channel Bheeshm International.
Also Read|Star at 16, popular than Shah Rukh, Salman; this hero left films after accident
Mahabharat and more films
With time, Mayur Verma received several films, working with stars like Dilip Kumar and Jeetendra. He also went on to star as Abhimanyu in Mahabharat, followed by Waqt Ka Badshah, Mahakaal, Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi, Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love, and many more.
Besides acting, Mayur also worked as an assistant director for filmmaker Prakash Mehra on Namak Halaal. He went on to make his directing debut with India’s first video magazine for Lehren, Variety, managing to bring some of the biggest names like Amitabh Bachchan.
Verma was also one of the founding members of Amitabh Bachchan’s TV Asia, which took him to the UK. He hosted The Breakfast Show, interviewing celebs from entertainment, sports, business and politics, including Imran Khan, Joseph Carvo, Rahul Roy, Bappi Lahiri, Dev Anand and Hariharan.
Over the years, the actor also worked across television and content, creating programmes for brands like Zee TV, B4U and Sony TV.
Why Mayur Verma left India and Bollywood
It is said that in 2007, Verma left India and showbiz for a quieter life in Wales. He moved his wife, Noori and mother, Sneh Latha.
“Long ago, I had come to Wales for a holiday when I wished to have a house here. I wanted to live a simple life among original people. I wanted to give a quiet life to my children. I didn’t want to wait until my retirement to move to something so beautiful. Soon, I discussed it with my wife and mother, and without a second thought, we moved,” he once said, as quoted by Indian Express.
Where is he now
Verma and his wife, who wanted to become a chef, opened an Indian restaurant which has been operating for more than two decades. It was originally located in Fairbourne before shifting two years ago to Macdonald Plas Talgarth Resort in Pennal, near Machynlleth.
The couple also runs another restaurant, Chaska, as well as a cafe in Abergynolwyn It is reported that Verma’s business empire is at least worth billions of rupees. However, Live Mint couldn’t independently verify the claims
About the Author
Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br>
With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br>
Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br>
Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br>
Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.
Entertainment
Get Latest real-time updates
Catch all theBusiness News,Market News,Breaking NewsEvents andLatest NewsUpdates on Live Mint. Download TheMint News Appto get Daily Market Updates.
HomeEntertainmentMahabharat’s Abhimanyu, ‘Young Amitabh Bachchan’ of films, now runs restaurants in UK; who is he?
More
