Rauf didn’t get much education due to poverty but his acting bug made him a famous comedian, actor, and mimicry artist and is considered one of the best artists of the kind in Pune. He has earned a good name for himself in the last fifteen years in the entertainment and TV industry.

Rauf Shaikh is a Pune-based Comedian, Actor, and Mimicry Artist. He performs stage shows as well as appears in ad films, short films, and TV serials. He also runs his academy where he teaches theater and acting to aspiring artists.

Rauf shares that he began his career with a theater production fifteen years ago and today he is an active member of the Mumbai-based Mimicry Artist Association, whose President is Johnny Lever himself.

Rauf comes from a low-income family that lived in a slum area in Maharashtra. He left his studies at an early age and took up the responsibilities of the family because of financial difficulties. He ventured into the field of art at a young age and worked odd jobs to support his income including painting, working in garages and workshops, tailoring and even as an electrician.

Soon after, Rauf entered into a partnership business with his owner and started climbing the ladder of progress. Even in tough times, he continued his passion for theater and acting which got him a role in a TV serial featuring at Star One. From there, he made his place in the entertainment business and started landing parts in commercials, short films, Marathi TV serials, and even comedy shows. He swiftly emerged as a mimicry artist. It wasn’t long before he started to work in the entertainment industry so much that he had to close his AC business in order to get completely associated with this sector. He soon established his own academy where he teaches acting, singing, dancing, theater, mimicry, etc.

When asked about his role models, Rauf says he religiously follows Govinda in the field of acting and Johnny Lever in comedy.

Talking about his mistakes, Rauf says that in order to strengthen the financial situation of his family, he gave his artistic career a two-year pause. As a result, he was no longer employed in the entertainment sector, and by the time he realized this, it was already too late. He had to start over again in that industry consequently.

Regarding his accomplishments, Rauf says that recently he did a show in UP where he was honored by the Uttar Pradesh Film, Cine Artists, and Workers Forum, which was one of his successes. In addition to this, he was also awarded the Lions Club of Pune Art-Lovers trophy by the Mayor of Pune.

Rauf’s pastime activities include singing, acting, doing comedy, and making people laugh.

Advising all the artists, Rauf tells them to keep their inner artists alive amidst their professional endeavors. Further, he advises that if you believe that your passion may become your career, then quit everything else, and devote all your time to it. Eventually, you will succeed in it.

Giving a message to today’s youth, Rauf says that those of you who are obsessed with reels, and believe that it would instantly make you famous are making the biggest mistake possible by becoming sidetracked from your true objective. He claims that you are stooping too low to gain popularity, which is bad for both your future and our civilization and culture.

Rauf makes a special request to the youngsters who desire to pursue acting careers to avoid falling prey to the trap of short reels. He advises them to learn theater to interact with live audiences and develop their stage presence. He also tells them to go for as many auditions as they can to expand their network, make more contacts, and boost their chances of finding employment.