Paresh Rawal Biography: The Versatile Veteran of Indian Cinema

Paresh Rawal (born 30 May 1955) is an Indian actor, comedian, film producer and politician known for his works primarily in Hindi films. He has appeared in over 240 films and is the recipient of various accolades. In 1994, he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in the films Woh Chokri and Sir.^[5] For the latter, he received his first Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. This was followed by Ketan Mehta’s Sardar, which saw him playing the lead role of freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel, a role that got him national and international acclaim. He was honoured with Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2014.

His other notable works in Hindi cinema are Arjun (1985), Naam (1986), Shiva (1990), Mohra (1994), Tamanna (1997), China Gate (1998), Aitraaz (2004), Table No. 21 (2013) and Zilla Ghaziabad (2013). He has received recognition for his villain roles in Telugu box office hits such as Kshana Kshanam (1991), Money (1993), Money Money (1995), Govinda Govinda (1994), Rikshavodu (1995), Bavagaru Bagunnara (1998).

Rawal has gained acclaim for his comedy and few intense supporting roles in Hindi films, as some of his notable roles are in Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Chachi 420 (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Nayak (2001), Aankhen, Awara Paagal Deewana (both 2002), Hungama (2003), Garam Masala (2005), Phir Hera Pheri, Chup Chup Ke, Malamaal Weekly (all 2006), Welcome (2007), Mere Baap Pehle Aap, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (both 2008), De Dana Dan (2009), Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?, Ready (both 2010), OMG (2012), Welcome Back (2015), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Sanju (2018), Uri (2019), Shastry Viruddh Shastry (2023). His most remembered role is of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in the cult classic Hera Pheri comedy franchise, and he also appeared in the Tamil film Soorarai Pottru (2020).

Rawal was born and raised in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) to a Gujarati family.

In 1987, Rawal married Swaroop Sampat, an actress and winner of the Miss India contest in 1979. Paresh and Swaroop have two sons, Aditya and Anirudh. He is an alumnus of Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Vile Parle, Mumbai.

Rawal made his debut with the 1985 film Arjun in a supporting role. He was also part of the cast of the Doordarshan TV Serial, Bante Bigadte. It was the 1986 blockbuster Naam that established him as an actor with great talent. He then appeared in over 100 films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, mostly as the main villain, such as in Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Kabzaa, King Uncle, Ram Lakhan, Daud, Baazi and so many more. In the 1990s, he also starred in the cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna in which he played a double role. Rawal was perceived as a character actor by both audiences and critics until the 2000 Bollywood cult classic Hera Pheri, after which he starred in many Hindi mainstream films as a lead actor or main protagonist. Rawal played the dim-witted, boisterous and kind-hearted Marathi landlord Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in the film Hera Pheri, who takes in Raju (Akshay Kumar) and Shyam (Sunil Shetty) as paying guests in his house. Rawal’s acting was a key reason for the major nationwide success the film received. For his performance, he won the Filmfare Best Comedian Award. He reprised his role as Baburao in the sequel to the film Phir Hera Pheri (2006), which was also successful.

Another notable lead role came in 2002 when Rawal portrayed one of three blind bank robbers in the hit film Aankhen, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan, Aditya Pancholi, Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal and Sushmita Sen. Rawal, for the remainder of the 2000s, was seen in mainly comedy oriented multi-starrers, mostly amongst the lead protagonists such as in Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), Hungama (2003), Hulchul (2004), Garam Masala (2005), Deewane Huye Paagal (2005), Malamaal Weekly (2006), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Chup Chup Ke (2006), Bhagam Bhag (2007), Shankar Dada MBBS (Telugu), Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Welcome, Mere Baap Pehle Aap (2008) and De Dana Dan (2009). In 2010, Rawal acted in the movie Aakrosh, based on honour killing.

Rawal with Akshay Kumar on the sets of the film OMG: Oh My God!

In 2012, Rawal played the lead role in the movie OMG – Oh My God!. Akshay Kumar was seen supporting him, and both won rave reviews for their roles. He has also had a very successful acting career in Gujarati plays, the latest one being Dear Father. For television he has produced several Hindi soaps including Zee TV’s Teen Bahuraaniyaan, Sahara One’s Main Aisi Kyunn Hoon and Colors’ Laagi Tujhse Lagan.

His latest notable release is Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju with Ranbir Kapoor. He plays actor Sunil Dutt’s role in the movie. He is also reprising his role as Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri 3 which was going to be released in 2024, but is ‘on hold’ as of May 2023.

On 10 September 2020 he was appointed as the chief of the National School of Drama, by the President of India

In 2021, Rawal appeared in sports drama Toofaan, a film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, alongside Farhan Akhtar, who is playing a national level boxer. The film was streamed worldwide on 16 July 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.

His other upcoming films are Welcome To The Jungle, Hera Pheri 3 and The Storyteller in which he will portray Satyajit Ray’s famous character Tarini Khuro.

Politics (Paresh Rawal Biography)

He won as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Member of Parliament (MP) from Ahmedabad East constituency in the 2014 Indian general election. In 2014, he was awarded Padma Shri.

On 21 May 2017, Rawal tweeted addressing an incident where the Indian Army tied a Kashmiri stone pelter as a human shield on an army jeep: “Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep, tie Arundhati Roy.” It was presumed that he wanted Roy to be used as a human shield. Rawal’s tweet provoked controversy. He was criticised by fellow actor Swara Bhaskar. Rawal was also criticised by Congress leader Shobha Ojha. while filmmaker Ashoke Pandit supported his tweet.

Filmography (Paresh Rawal Biography)

• In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, the fourth highest civilian award in India, for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

National Film Awards

• 1994: National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Sir & Woh Chokri

Filmfare Awards

• 1994: Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role for Sir
• 1995: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Mohra
• 1994: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Raja
• 1998: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Chachi 420
• 2001: Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Hera Pheri
• 2002: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar
• 2003: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Aankhen
• 2003: Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Awara Paagal Deewana
• 2004: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Fun 2shh: Dudes in the 10th Century
• 2004: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Hungama
• 2005: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Hulchul
• 2007: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Phir Hera Pheri

IIFA Awards

• 2001: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor for Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega
• 2001: IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Hera Pheri
• 2004: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Hungama & Baghban
• 2005: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor for Aitraaz
• 2005: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Hulchul
• 2007: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Phir Hera Pheri
• 2008: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Bhool Bhulaiyaa
• 2009: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role for Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!
• 2011: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor for Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
• 2012: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Ready
• 2013: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for OMG – Oh My God!

Star Screen Awards

• 1996: Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor for Raja
• 2001: Screen Award for Best Comedian for Hera Pheri
• 2002: Nominated–Screen Award for Best Comedian for Aankhen
• 2003: Screen Award for Best Comedian for Awara Paagal Deewana

Zee Cine Awards

• 2001: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Hera Pheri
• 2003: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Awara Paagal Deewana
• 2010: Nominated–Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
• 2010: Nominated–Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for Aakrosh

Producers Guild Film Awards

• 2010: Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
• 2012: Nominated–Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Ready

Bollywood Movie Awards (Paresh Rawal Biography)

• 2001: Bollywood Movie Award for Best Comedian for Hera Pheri
• 2004: Bollywood Movie Award for Best Comedian for Hungama

Other Awards

2006: Sardar Patel International Award for Best Actor for Sardar (1993).

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