Paresh Rawal

Paresh Rawal (born 30 May 1955) is an Indian film actor, comedian and politician known for his works notably in Bollywood. He was a member of parliament in the Lok Sabha of the Indian Parliament representing the Ahmedabad East constituency from 2014 to 2019. He is politically affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Rawal speaks Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu and English. 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.

He has received wide recognition for his villainous roles in Telugu box office hits such as Kshana Kshanam (1991), Money (1993), Money Money (1995), Govinda Govinda (1994), Rikshavodu (1995), Bavagaru Bagunnara (1998), Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. (2004), and Teen Maar (2011). His other notable works in Hindi cinema are Naam (1986), Shiva (1990), Mohra (1994), Tamanna (1996), Aitraaz (2004), Table No. 21 (2013) and Zilla Ghaziabad (2013).

He then ventured into comedy, with hits such as Andaz Apna Apna (1994), Chachi 420 (1997), Hera Pheri (2000), Nayak (2001), Aankhen (2002), Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), Hungama (2003), Hulchul (2004), Deewane Huye Paagal (2005), Garam Masala (2005), Phir Hera Pheri (2006), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Bhagam Bhag (2006), Malamaal Weekly (2006), Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), Welcome (2007), One Two Three (2008),  Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? (2010), Ready (2010), OMG – Oh My God! (2012), Welcome Back (2015), Dharam Sankat Mein (2015), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Sanju  (2018), Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi (2018) and Made in China (2019).

Personal life
Rawal was born and brought up in Mumbai. He is married to 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.

Career
Rawal made his debut with the 1985 film Arjun in a supporting role. 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. Paresh 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), Hulchul (2004), Garam Masala (2005), Hungama, 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.

In 2012, Paresh Rawal played the lead role in the superhit OMG – Oh My God!. Good friend 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 hit 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.

One of his upcoming projects is a biopic of Narendra Modi. Paresh Rawal is going to produce the film, which will be his second production venture after Oh My God.

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 will release in 2019.

His upcoming movies are Coolie No. 1, Hungama 2, Toofan  and  Aankh Micholi and Hera Pheri 3.

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

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.

Controversy
On 21 May 2017, Paresh Rawal tweeted: "Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep, tie Arundhati Roy" making a reference to the allegations that Indian soldiers tied a stone-pelter in Kashmir to their jeep and used him as a human shield, and it was presumed that he wanted Roy to be used as a human shield. Rawal's tweet provoked a controversy, and he was accused of advocating violence against women. He was criticised by fellow actor Swara Bhaskar. Rawal was also criticised by Congress leader Shobha Ojha while filmmaker Ashoke Pandit supported his tweet.

He addressed the tweet controversy in July 2017 by saying with regard to Roy that he was exercising his freedom of expression – "If she is right, then even I am right. If she regrets making the comments, then I also regret. Agreed that this is fake news, but what about the comments that she made on 2002 Godhra riots? If you have freedom of expression then even I have it"

Awards and honours

 * 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 Woh Chokri & Sir

Bollywood Movie Award 2006: Sardar Patel International Award for the Best acting of Sardar in Sardar Patel Film.
 * 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
 * 1998: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Chachi 420
 * 2001: Filmfare Best Comedian Award 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 Hungama
 * 2004: Nominated–Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Fun 2shh: Dudes in the 10th Century
 * 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
 * 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
 * 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 and Baghban
 * 2005: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Hulchul
 * 2005: Nominated–IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actor for Aitraaz
 * 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!
 * 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 Awards Best Comedian for Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
 * 2010: Nominated–Zee Cine Awards Best Actor in a Negative Role for Aakrosh
 * Apsara Awards
 * 2010: Apsara Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
 * 2012: Nominated–Apsara Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Ready
 * 2001: Bollywood Movie Award for Best Comedian for Hera Pheri
 * 2004: Bollywood Movie Award for Best Comedian for Hungama
 * Other Awards

Television
He acted in a few Doordarshan serials during 1984 and 1988. His first serial was with Reeta Bhaduri called Bante Bighadte in the year 1984/85 and Chunauti, a serial based on college campus.