There is no denying that desi parents are obsessed with engineering. However, a lot of these engineering graduates end up in a completely different profession because of course, becoming an engineer can’t be everyone’s true calling, right?      

So, here are some people who graduated as engineers but opted for a completely different profession and became quite successful in that field :        

1. Sonu Sood – Actor 

This famous actor and humanitarian is also an engineer by qualification. The actor holds a degree in electronics engineering from Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering.     

2. Anil Kumble – Cricketer 

This former Indian captain and the third highest wicket taker in test cricket is one of the greatest leg spinners of all time. However, he has a BE degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, Bangalore. 

3. Manohar Parrikar – Politician 

One of the most pro active leaders and former Chief Minister of Goa, Parrikar graduated in metallurgical engineering from IIT Bombay in 1978. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2001 by IIT Bombay.  

4. Rowan Atkinson – Actor 

Popularly known for his character Mr. Bean, Atkinson is an engineer by education. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Newcastle University. He also pursued the degree of MSc in Electrical Engineering at The Queen’s College, Oxford.  

5. Chetan Bhagat – Author 

He probably is one of the most famous Indian authors and has several movies that are based on his books. He got a degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi and did MBA from the IIM Ahmedabad. But before he became a writer he worked as an investment banker in Hong Kong for nearly a decade. 

6. Cindy Crawford – Model 

Even though she was listed as one of the highest paid model’s in the world, on the academic front, Cindy was on another path. She studied chemical engineering at Northwestern University, Illinois before pursuing modelling. 

7. Shankar Mahadevan – Musician 

One of the leading musicians of the country, Shankar is an engineer by education. He bagged a degree in computer science and software engineering from Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology in Navi Mumbai. He also worked as a software engineer for a while after that.      

8. Kriti Sanon – Actor 

This beautiful actor by qualification is an Engineer and holds a B-Tech degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.  

9. Arvind Kejriwal – Politician 

He’s currently the Chief Minister of India’s capital New Delhi and graduated in Mechanical engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1989. However, before becoming a politician he was also the Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax.   

10. Harsha Bhogle – Cricket Commentator

Before becoming famous for his cricket commentary, Bhogle graduated as a chemical engineer from Osmania University and went on to receive PGDM degree from IIM-Ahmedabad. 

11. Akkineni Nagarjuna – Actor 

He has been a part of several films and TV shows. He got his Bachelor of Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy and completed M.S. in Automobile Engineering from Eastern Michigan University. 

12. Javagal Srinath – Cricketer 

He has been one the fastest bowlers in India and holds a BE degree in Instrumentation Technology from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysuru.

13. Taapsee Pannu – Actor 

The actor who is known for her varied roles in movies like Pink, Thappad etc has a degree in engineering. She holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering from the Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology in New Delhi.

14. Ravichandran Ashwin – Cricketer 

He is one of India’s leading bowlers across different formats. He has a B.Tech degree in Information Technology from SSN College of Engineering, Chennai. In fact, like most of the engineers of his generation, he joined a software company post-graduation.        

15. Varun Grover – Writer, Comedian 

Before becoming a writer and contributing to Bollywood hits such as Masaan, Ankhon Dekhi, and the Gangs of Wasseypur series, he got a degree in Civil Engineering from IIT BHU.

Which celeb surprised you?