MUMBAI: For some, retirement is about relaxation, sitting on the porch and enjoying sunrise and sunset. But then, there are some like Ashish Vidyarthi for whom retirement is a term that doesn't exist in his life. At the age of 57, this veteran Indian actor is on a rollercoaster ride like never before. Not to be tied down to any set schedule, Vidyarthi is taking life on his own terms and crossing hurdles each day. Today, Vidyarthi is not only an actor with over 250+ films in his kitty. The National Award-winning actor is 'also' a food and travel vlogger, podcaster, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and life coach. These days, he is making a lot of hullabaloo in the world of OTT, courtesy his powerful performance as Surya Rao Naidu in the blockbuster web series 'Rana Naidu', also starring megastar Venkatesh Daggubati as Naga and Rana Daggubati. As always, the Delhi-born actor has left an indelible mark on the minds of the audience with his compelling act as Surya Rao Naidu, Naga's older brother and former boss in the latest crime thriller.

That's not all. His brilliant performance in Trial by Fire will always remain close to the hearts of his fans. A limited series, Trial by Fire is based on the 1997 Uphaar Cinema fire, which claimed 59 lives.
In fact, these days, the 'Drohkaal' actor has become the go-to actor on OTT. In the last few years, he has had a slew of fine releases on OTT be it Mission Over Mars, Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors (S2), Helmet, Sunflower, Tryst with Destiny, Raktanchal S2, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, to Aar Ya Paar or TVF Pitchers S2. Now, his fans can't wait to watch him in Vishal Bhardwaj's much-awaited film Khufiya.

Even a few years ago, cinema kept Vidyarthi busy and why not, he has done more than 250 films across 11 languages (including Hindi, English, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Bhojpuri, Assamese and Marathi). Some of his films namely Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, Ziddi, Soldier, Arjun Pandit, LOC: Kargil, Jaanwar, Haider and Goodbye are fan favourites. He also won hearts as the voice artist of Scar in The Lion King's Hindi version.

But today, Vidyarthi dons many hats. As one of the leading digital content creators in India (his travel and food vlogs are insanely popular on YouTube), Vidyarthi has connected to millions of people across the world. His vlogs on food, travel and motivation videos endeavour to find and share simple tales of finding joy in this one life, no matter where you are from, what you do, or what you have. Through his vlogs, he encourages his followers to appreciate the small things in life, embrace new experiences, and make the most of every moment. It's his belief that has led him to teach, develop and inspire more than a million people with his workshops, talks and more.

And that's what led him to form Avid Miner, a company that organises motivational conversations, leadership workshops, executive coaching, and human-centric consulting.

Ashish has straddled the worlds of cinema, business, lifestyle and travel, and continues to do so. His travel diaries, meanwhile, will enthuse you and give you wanderlust. A multifaceted personality, he is a man of many talents whose empathy-laced insights might just be what you're looking for to rejuvenate your own life.