Actor · Hindi Cinema

Paresh Rawal

Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor of Hindi and Gujarati cinema and theatre, widely regarded as one of the most versatile character actors of his generation. After breaking through with the 1986 hit Naam, he built a career spanning more than 200 films, moving fluidly between menacing villains, dramatic leads and, most famously, comedy. He is best known to mainstream audiences as the bumbling landlord Baburao "Babu Bhaiya" Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri, while critics prize his dramatic work in Sir and his title role in the biopic Sardar. He also served a term in Parliament as an MP for Ahmedabad East, reflecting a public profile that extends beyond the screen.

Honours: National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor (1994, for Sir and Woh Chokri); three Filmfare Awards (Best Negative Role for Sir, and Best Comic Role for Hera Pheri and Awara Paagal Deewana); and the Padma Shri (2014)