Deep Sharma came to Melbourne in the year 2009 from Amritsar, Punjab (India) to pursue a course in Graphic Design from a private college based in Melbourne. He never knew that his dream to smoothly complete his course will come to an abrupt halt, when the college declared itself bankrupt just two weeks before his first year final results were due.
The College was shut down… and Deep along with other students were left in a lurch, not knowing what will happen to them. It was a terrible time for Deep as he had invested his life-time savings of his parents and his own to come to fulfil his dream of pursuing higher education in Australia.
It was only after six months that Deep was placed in another college where he was able to complete his course.
The set-back of break in studies and pressure of living in Melbourne took its toll on Deep… but with his attitude of never giving up, even in the face of hardship kept Sharma going.
Deep started working in an Indian grocery store, though it was an underpaid job, it managed to keep Deep afloat and cope with life in Melbourne.
Source: Supplied
Deep is thankful to the grocery shop owner, who was a kind and a patient man... and helped Deep learn the trade well. Today he works in the grocery wholesale business and it is all due to his experience in the Indian grocery store.
After finishing his studies Deep was quite upbeat about getting the right to work full time in Australia. He applied for temporary residency through an Indian origin migration agent based in Melbourne. The agent charged him a fortune, only to get back with a rejection of his application… Deep was broken-hearted as he lost almost all his savings paying the migration agent, and was left with just couple of hundred dollars.
Deep states, “It was once again due to my bad luck, that man cheated me, he took money… but I could not achieve what I wanted (Temporary Residency). But I did not lose hope and strength, kept moving on. A lot of negative circumstances broke my heart but I am still trying to achieve my target. Still struggling, but I am very much happy.”
Over the years, Deep managed to utilise his experience of working in the grocery store to move out as an entrepreneur. He says, “the good thing is that we work hard and work honestly then we can achieve all that we hope of achieving while leaving our native country.”
Deep found succour when his wife was granted visa and she joined him in Melbourne after almost two years of their marriage.
Source: Supplied
Deep says, “after my wife joined me here, life has become a lot easier. I used to work hard and still working hard but I enjoy it now. I have someone of my own now.”
Deep has not disconnected himself from the vocation that he came to Australia to learn – Graphic Design and Filmmaking.
Deep is passionate about making films. He adds, “in future, I want to have my own production house and make films, documentaries etc. Recently, I made a film called ‘The Addiction’ and I got a very good response.”
While summing up his feeling for India and Australia Deep gets into a solemn disposition, in an emotionally laden voice he says: I am connected to India by birth, by soul and by love. And if I talk about Australia, that’s the relation I chose which is only based on my doings/work. And I pray to God that he gives me enough strength that I continue to take forward the work whose foundation has been laid here.
Source: Supplied
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