struggled for a living in Bombay during his early days. He left school after 10th standard. Early career Financial circumstances forced Warsi to start work as a door-to-door cosmetics salesman at age 17. Later he worked in a photo-lab. Meanwhile, he developed a keen interest in dancing and received an offer to join Akbar Sami's Dance group in Mumbai, which started his dancing and choreographing in Thikana (1987) and Kaash (1987). Then in 1991, he won the Indian dance competition, followed by the fourth prize in the Modern Jazz category in the 1992 World Dance championship, London, at the age of 21. Soon, he started his own dance studio, "Awesome" with that money and also formed a dance troupe. It was here that his future wife, Maria Goretti, a St. Andrew's College student, joined him before she became a VJ. He was also associated with English theatre group in Mumbai, choreographing shows for Bharat Dabholkar and got an opportunity to choreograph the title track for the film Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993). During this time he was offered a role by Jaya Bachchan for Tere Mere Sapne. Film career He got his first offer to act in Amitabh Bachchan's production company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation's first production Tere Mere Sapne in 1996. Before that he had made a small appearance as a dancer in a song in Aag Se Khelenge. He followed this by roles in films such as Betaabi (1997), Mere Do Anmol Ratan and Hero Hindustani (both 1998). His performance in P Vasu's Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet (1999) was praised by Rediff.com's Suparn Verma. Warsi's next release was Madhur Bhandarkar's directorial debut Trishakti (1999). Completed in 3 years, the film performed poorly at the box office. His only film appearances of 2001 were in Ghaath, followed by Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao (2001) and Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani (2002). Most of these failed to do well at the box office. In Shashanka Ghosh's Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, he played a common man who saves the life of a goon who is fatally shot. Ronjita Kulkarni wrote that he gave a "winning performance". In 2003, he rose to fame when he starred as Circuit to Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) in Rajkumar Hirani's comedy Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. which turned out to be a huge box office success and gained him much critical acclaim and a nomination