TimBuckDo announces Pratik Gandhi as its brand ambassador — a partnership built around balance, hustle and the everyday student grind.
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How Pratik Gandhi's Balancing Act Is the Perfect Example for Every Student Finding Balance Between School and Skills.
Pratik Gandhi is one of the most versatile actors and is considered a master of his craft in his portrayal of diverse characters. His well-balanced discography includes a range of movies and series that are both commercial successes and thought-provoking cinema. His enviable balancing act is not by chance or luck; it is a well-practised skill that he acquired in his early days of acting.
His story is one of passion, resilience, and relentless pursuit of dreams. Coming from a family of teachers, he initially aspired to become a doctor, but his journey took a different turn when he chose to pursue industrial engineering in Maharashtra due to his school grades. Yet, his heart was always drawn to acting.
After graduating, Pratik realised that Mumbai was the city where he could combine his engineering career with his love for theatre — a balancing act he had to perfect to meet his expenses while carving a niche for himself in the Indian Film Industry. With little more than determination and the support of a few relatives, he moved into a rented flat in Mumbai without a job or a concrete plan. From scanning newspaper classifieds and lining up for interviews to waiting for callbacks, life in an unfamiliar city was anything but easy. At one point, Pratik received a lucrative job offer from Reliance — a role that would have provided financial security but meant putting his theatre ambitions on hold. As someone from a middle-class background, the pressure to provide for himself and his family was immense. Still, he refused to relinquish his passion. His days would begin at dawn for office hours, continue with gym sessions, and end with late-night theatre rehearsals. The exhaustion was real, but so was his resolve.
Inspired by his story and his ability to strike the much-needed balance this generation aspires for, we have brought Pratik aboard as our brand ambassador. Here are some lessons from his personal journey, along with some of his inspiring quotes over the years.
There's a strange belief many of us grow up with — that we need to learn all skills at school before we face the real world. That life begins after college. That earning starts after a job. That success comes after someone gives you permission. But life doesn't really work that way.
As Pratik himself says, "You don't wait to become ready. You become ready by starting."
Like many others who dream of becoming big in the film industry, too could have done the usual: dropped his portfolio at the casting director's office and waited for calls. Instead, he kept working on his acting skills through theatre. He manifested a career in acting by practising the skill every single day.
As students, we often live in the future. "One day I'll earn well. One day I'll build something. One day I'll be independent." But "one day" has a habit of never arriving.
As Pratik says, "When I started my career, I wasn't the obvious choice. I wasn't what people called 'hero material'. I spent years working, learning, failing, and figuring things out. There were no shortcuts. No guarantees. And definitely no perfect moment. The people who move ahead are not the most talented; they are the ones who start early."
Your first earning is not about the money. It's about what it does to your mind. The moment you earn from your own skill, everything begins to shift. You stop seeing yourself as dependent. You start valuing your time differently. You begin thinking in terms of opportunities, not limitations.
That shift is everything. Because once you realise "I can create value", you stop waiting for the world to validate you.
Most students underestimate themselves. They think they lack experience, don't have a degree yet, or are simply not good enough. But here's the truth: you don't need to be the best. You just need to be useful.
If you can teach a school student math, walk someone's dog, design a basic poster, edit videos, or help someone with fitness, you already have something people will pay for. The world doesn't reward perfection. It rewards problem-solving.
There's a misconception that success begins with big moves. In Pratik's case, one of his earlier films, Wrong Side Raju, went on to win a National Award. That's how Pratik's knew he had what it took. Success begins with small, almost invisible steps. These moments don't look impressive from the outside, but they build something powerful inside you — confidence. And confidence is what compounds.
At every stage of life, there will be pressure. Deadlines. Expectations. Comparisons. But over time, Pratik has learned to look at pressure differently: "I don't succumb to pressure … I convert it into excitement."
If you are under pressure, it simply means you're doing something that matters by stepping out of your comfort zone — and that is the only way to grow. Growth never feels comfortable.
The traditional path says: Study → Graduate → Get a job → Start earning. But today, the world has changed. You can work with clients directly, offer services online, and build income streams while still studying. So why wait?
Instead of asking "When will I get a job?", start asking "What problem can I solve today?" That one question changes everything.
Pratik adds that one of the most important habits he has developed is this: "The moment I see issues, I think about solutions."
Look around you. Someone needs help with studies. Someone needs help with errands. Someone needs help with digital work. These are not just problems — they are opportunities waiting for someone to act. Why not you?
You might think you're at a disadvantage because you don't have experience or resources. But you actually have something most people don't:
Students who start early are often years ahead of others before they even begin.
Every successful journey looks obvious in hindsight. But in the moment, it feels uncertain. Messy? Unclear? That's how it's supposed to feel. Looking back on Pratik's journey, there was no single turning point — just a series of decisions to keep going, to keep working, to keep improving, and most importantly, to start with something he was truly passionate about.
You don't need a perfect plan. You don't need permission. You don't need confidence. All you need is one decision: "I will start."
Start small. Start imperfectly. Start today.
Pratik signs off with this little gold nugget — "Your core competency and skills are what matter." Not your background. Not your label. Not your timing. Just what you can do, and how willing you are to begin.
So if you're a student reading this, remember: you are not too early, you are not underqualified, you are not behind — you are exactly where you need to be. Earn your first ₹100, then ₹500, then ₹1,000. Because the moment you start earning from your skills, this is how you become self-made.