Before becoming one of television's biggest stars, Dipika Kakar's life in Mumbai looked very different. Long before she became a household name through Sasural Simar Ka and lifted the Bigg Boss 12 trophy, she was a young woman chasing a childhood dream of becoming an air hostess. Her journey began with shared paying guest (PG) accommodation, strict budgeting and several sacrifices that shaped her path to success.Today, Dipika enjoys immense popularity and has an estimated net worth of around Rs 40 crore. However, in a candid interview with TOI and through her YouTube vlogs, the actress has often looked back at the difficult years that taught her resilience.From sharing a PG to making a home with dupattas as curtainsRecalling her early days in Mumbai, Dipika said she arrived in the city with nothing more than a small suitcase and an airbag to pursue a career as a cabin crew member. She lived in a modest PG where four or five girls shared a single room because renting an apartment independently was beyond their budget.She explained that most trainees earned only around Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 every month. Managing rent, food, travel, makeup and other daily expenses with such an income was extremely difficult. Between work and training, there was hardly any time left to prepare meals.You Might Also Like:Dipika also remembered carefully monitoring the auto-rickshaw fare whenever she travelled. She said she knew exactly how much money she could spend. Once the fare reached that amount, she would ask the driver to stop and complete the remaining distance on foot to save money.Later, due to family circumstances, her mother moved to Mumbai and stayed with her in the PG for a brief period. Eventually, the two rented a small one-bedroom flat in the MHADA Colony in Sion for Rs 6,500 a month.Speaking about those days, Dipika revealed that they could not afford even basic household essentials. Instead of buying curtains, they hung dupattas over the windows. They also purchased a simple mattress for just a few hundred rupees and shared it, sleeping in opposite directions to make the most of the limited space.The childhood dream she had to leave behindDipika's dream of becoming an air hostess began when she was a child. She has shared that seeing cabin crew during her first flight fascinated her, especially because she had always admired uniforms after watching her father wear one for work.You Might Also Like:She eventually achieved that dream and worked as an air hostess for three years. However, her career in aviation came to an unexpected end because of severe back pain. In the TOI interview, she said her health no longer allowed her to continue flying. Since she had already shifted to Mumbai, returning home was never an option, prompting her to look for a new direction in life.In one of her YouTube vlogs uploaded in August 2020, Dipika revealed that she entered the aviation industry without attending any formal cabin crew training institute. She advised aspiring candidates not to spend excessive money on such courses, explaining that these institutes mainly provide guidance and cannot guarantee employment.The actress also recalled facing rejection during her first airline interview because of an uneven tooth. Instead of changing her appearance, she accepted it as part of her identity and continued trying until she secured a job.From television fame to a Rs 40 crore fortuneAfter leaving aviation, Dipika gradually found success in the entertainment industry. She became a household name with her portrayal of Simar Bhardwaj in Sasural Simar Ka and later impressed audiences in Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum. In 2018, she further rose to fame by winning Bigg Boss 12.On the personal front, Dipika married actor Shoaib Ibrahim in a traditional nikaah ceremony on February 22, 2018. Today, Dipika has built a successful career in television, digital content and brand endorsements. From living in a cramped PG, counting every rupee and using dupattas as curtains to becoming one of television's highest-paid personalities with an estimated net worth of Rs 40 crore, as per Free Press Journal report.