Paresh Rawal

Paresh Rawal
Rawal in 2015
Chairperson of National School of Drama
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 2020
Preceded byRatan Thiyam
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
16 May 2014 – 23 May 2019
Preceded byHarin Pathak
Succeeded byHasmukh Patel
ConstituencyAhmedabad East, Gujarat
Personal details
Born (1955-05-30) 30 May 1955 (age 71)
Bombay, Bombay State, India
(present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra)
PartyBharatiya Janata Party
EducationNarsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics
Occupation
  • Actor
  • film producer
  • politician
  • comedian
Years active1982–present
WorksFilmography
Spouse
​
(m. 1987)​
Children2, including Aditya Rawal
AwardsFull list
HonoursPadma Shri (2014)

Paresh Rawal (born 30 May 1955) is an Indian actor film producer and former politician, known for his works primarily in Hindi films. Considered as one of the finest actors of Hindi cinema, he has appeared in over 240 films and is the recipient of various accolades including a National Film Awards and three Filmfare Awards. He was honoured with Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2014.

Before establishing himself in Hindi cinema, Rawal was actively involved in Gujarati theatre. He became known for his stage performances and continued his association with theatre throughout his film career. His Gujarati play Dear Father received appreciation from audiences and was later adapted into a film of the same name in 2022.

In an interview, Rawal discussed his return to Gujarati cinema after several decades. He stated that the timing felt appropriate for him to revisit Gujarati films and expressed his interest in working on Dear Father, a project based on his Gujarati stage play of the same name.

In 1994, he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in the films Woh Chokri and Sir. 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. His other notable works in Hindi cinema are Arjun (1985), Naam (1986), Shiva (1990), Andaz Apna Apna (1993), Mohra (1994), Dilwale (1994), China Gate (1998), Aitraaz (2004) and Table No. 21 (2013). He has received recognition for his villain roles in Telugu box office hits such as Kshana Kshanam (1991), (1994), Money Money (1995), Govinda Govinda (1994), Rikshavodu (1995), Bavagaru Bagunnara (1998).

Rawal further gained acclaim for his comic and intense supporting roles since the 2000s in Hindi films. His role Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri (2000) and its sequel Phir Hera Pheri (2006) became cult classic. Other notable films include Nayak (2001), Aankhen, Awara Paagal Deewana (both 2002), Hungama (2003), Garam Masala (2005), Chup Chup Ke, Malamaal Weekly (both 2006), Welcome (2007), Mere Baap Pehle Aap, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008) Ready (2011), OMG (2012), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Sanju (2018), Uri (2019) and The Storyteller (2025) in which he portrayed Satyajit Ray's famous character Tarini Khuro. He appeared in the Tamil film Soorarai Pottru (2020) and later reprised the same role in the Hindi version of the film Sarfira (2024) starring Akshay Kumar and Radhika Madan.

Early and personal life

Rawal with his wife Swaroop Sampat at the screening of the film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!

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

Rawal completed his education in Mumbai and graduated from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics. During his college years, he was associated with theatre, which preceded his entry into films.

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.

His son Aditya Rawal is an actor and writer. He made his acting debut with the Hindi film Bamfaad (2020).

Career

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 antagonist, such as in Roop ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Kabzaa, King Uncle, Ram Lakhan, Sir for which he won Filmfare Award for Best Villian, Dilwale, 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 performance 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 among 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 (2006), 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 most notable release of 2018 was Rajkumar Hirani's Sanju with Ranbir Kapoor. He played actor Sunil Dutt's role in the movie. He was also reported to reprise his role as Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri 3 which was going to be released in 2024, but was put 'on hold' in May 2024.

On 10 September 2020 he was appointed 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 essayed the role of a national level boxer. The film was streamed worldwide on 16 July 2021 on Amazon Prime Video.

In 2025, he appeared in the horror films Nikita Roy and Thamma. In the same year, he also appeared in the films Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi and The Taj Story, both of which generated much controversy due to the subject matter of the films.

His upcoming films are Tera Yaar Hoon Main, Bhagam Bhag 2 and Hera Pheri 3.

Politics

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.

2014 Indian general elections: Ahmedabad East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
BJP Paresh Rawal 633,582 64.29 +10.92
INC Himmatsingh Patel 306,949 31.15 −7.82
AAP Dinesh Vaghela 11,349 1.15 N/A
BSP Rohit Rajubhai Virjubhai 6,023 0.61 −0.60
NOTA None of the Above 14,358 1.46 N/A
Majority 326,633 33.14 +18.74
Turnout 985,525 61.52 +19.20
BJP hold Swing +10.92

Filmography

Awards and honours

References

  1. ↑ "Paresh Rawal turns 64. PM Narendra Modi gives actor the best birthday gift". India Today. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  2. 1 2 Tarannum, Asira (2 August 2011). "'Star kids are not good actors'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  3. ↑ Khurana, Akarsh (3 November 2018). "Ode to irreverence". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2019 – via www.thehindu.com.
  4. ↑ "Ode to irreverence". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "Paresh Rawal birthday: 5 cinematic marvels showcasing his remarkable versatility". The Times of India. ANI. 30 May 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 October 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. 1 2 Awaasthi, Kavita (30 July 2021). "Paresh Rawal: Glad to get a chance to do a Gujarati film after 40 years". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "I felt the time was right: Paresh Rawal on making a comeback to Gujarati films after 40 years". The Times of India. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Paresh Rawal". Yahoo.com Won 2 national awards for Woh Chokri & Sir. Archived from the original on 23 June 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  9. ↑ "Ray's Tarini Khuro set for Bollywood debut". The Daily Star. 19 December 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  10. ↑ PTI (30 October 2012). "Ananth Mahadevan to adapt Satyajit Ray's short story into film". NDTV. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Bhattacharya, Roshmila (13 December 2013). "Paresh to tell Ray's story". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Sharma, Dishya; Negi, Shrishti (10 July 2024). "Sarfira Director Sudha on Recasting Paresh Rawal in Soorarai Pottru Remake: 'My Only Concern...' | Exclusive". News18. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  13. ↑ "From Sanjay Leela Bhansali to Paresh Rawal; Gujarati's who made it big in Bollywood". The Times of India. 5 July 2019. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "UMANG 2010, Inter-Collegiate Culture Festival, Narsee Monjee College". Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  15. ↑ "Paresh Rawal says wife Swaroop was his boss' daughter, reveals how he proposed: 'Don't do this futile exercise with me'". Hindustan Times. 26 October 2021. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  16. ↑ "UMANG 2010, Inter-Collegiate Culture Festival, Narsee Monjee college". Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  17. ↑ "Paresh Rawal's son Aditya Rawal makes acting debut with Bamfaad". India Today. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "Box Office 2000". BoxOfficeIndia.Com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  19. ↑ Pais, Arthur J (15 October 2010). "Honour killing is a dishonour to any society". Rediff. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  20. ↑ "Best from Paresh Rawal has yet to come". News 24. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  21. ↑ "Hera Pheri 3 confirmed, to reunite Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal". The Indian Express. 23 May 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  22. ↑ Raghuvanshi, Aakanksha (19 May 2020). "Suniel Shetty Shares An Update About Hera Pheri 3". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  23. ↑ "Paresh Rawal appointed as chief of National School of Drama". Hindustan Times. 10 September 2020. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  24. ↑ Jha, Subhash K. (10 March 2021). "Farhan Akhtar's pugilist drama Tofaan to release on OTT on May 21, confirms director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  25. ↑ "'Nikita Roy' streaming on OTT: When and where to watch Sonakshi Sinha and Paresh Rawal's horror mystery". The Times of India. 12 January 2026. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  26. ↑ "Ayushmann Khurrana Says How Paresh Rawal In Thamma Reminded Him Of His Late Father". NDTV. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  27. ↑ "Ajey: The Untold Story of a Yogi brings Yogi Adityanath's life to the screen". India Today. 26 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
  28. ↑ "Paresh Rawal says bhaukne do to critics of Yogi Adityanath Film Ajey, slams CBFC". India.com. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  29. ↑ "The Taj Story is an Eighth Wonder of Gaslighting, Half-Truths and Saffron Victimhood". The Wire. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  30. ↑ Parashar, Shivam (1 February 2021). "Priyadarshan wraps Hungama 2 shoot". India Today. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  31. ↑ "Paresh Rawal returns Hera Pheri 3 signing amount with interest: Report". India Today. 24 May 2025. Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  32. ↑ Pandya, Sonal (26 July 2025). "Hera Pheri 3: Akshay Kumar CONFIRMS Comedy Is Back On After Paresh Rawal Exit, Dismisses Claims Of 'Publicity Stunt'". Times Now. Archived from the original on 26 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  33. ↑ "Paresh Rawal in dinu solanki out". 23 March 2014. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  34. ↑ "Election results 2014 Paresh rawals biopic on Narendra Modi on hold". 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 26 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  35. ↑ "Parliamentary Constituency wise Turnout for General Election – 2014". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  36. ↑ "Ahmedabad East". Election Commission of India. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.