Paresh Rawal is a renowned Indian film actor, comedian, and producer, best known for his work in Bollywood films, as well as Telugu, Tamil, and Gujarati movies. He has played a wide range of characters, including comic, serious, and villainous roles.
Born and raised in Bombay, now known as Mumbai, Rawal is an alumnus of Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai. He began his career in Gujarati theatre after graduating from Bombay University in 1974.
Rawal entered Bollywood with the film Holi (1984),playing a supporting role, and also acted in the Doordarshan TV serial Bante Bigadte (1985). However, his first big break came in Naam (1986) the following year.
He went on to act in over 100 films between the 1980s and the 1990s, mostly playing negative characters in films such as Kabzaa (1988),The Queen of Beauty and the King of Thieves (1993),King Uncle (1993),and Baazi (1995).
In Ketan Mehta's Sardar (1993),Rawal played the lead role of freedom fighter Vallabhbhai Patel, which he considers a turning point in his career, as it inspired him to work harder and improve his craft.
Rawal started with comedy in Andaz Apna Apna (1994),where he played a double role, and his natural acting wowed critics and audiences.
He has also worked in the Telugu film industry, with notable films including Kshana Kshanam (1991),Money (1993),Govindha Govindha (1994),Rikshavodu (1995),and Bavagaru Bagunnara? (1998).
In Hindi cinema, Rawal has appeared in notable films such as Shiva (1990),Mohra (1994),Tamanna (1998),Aitraaz (2004),Table No. 21 (2013),and Zila Ghaziabad (2013).
Rawal has won numerous awards, including the National Film Awards 1994: Best Supporting Actor for Sir (1993),and IIFA Awards 2001: Best Performance for Hera Pheri (2000).
He is also a politician, having won as the Bharatiya Janata Party's Member of Parliament (MP) from the Ahmedabad East constituency in the 2014 Indian general election. On September 10, 2020, the President of India appointed him as the National School of Drama Chairperson.
