Atul Kulkarni

Atul Kulkarni is an Indian actor who works in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu language films. Kulkarni won the National Award for the Best Supporting Actor for the films Hey Ram and Chandni Bar. He is also the president of Quest, a research-action organization concentrating on enhancing quality of education. He left his study in engineering at College of Engineering, Pune while he was in his first year. He is known for his performances in films like Hey Ram, Chandni Bar, Rang De Basanti (2006), Natarang (2010) among others.

Early life
Kulkarni received his diploma in acting from National School of Drama, New Delhi in 1995. He is married to theater actress Geetanjali Kulkarni, whom he met at the National School of Drama.

Acting career
Kulkarni's first stint with stage was during his high school days. He participated in the Maharashtra State Drama Competition regularly. Between 1989 and 1992, he won awards for Acting and also for Drama-Direction. Atul enacted in Gandhi Viruddh Gandhi, the play made later famous by Dilip Prabhavalkar in Marathi professional theatre circuit until mid-90s. Later during his college days he actively participated in cultural gatherings. While studying, Atul joined Natya Aradhana, an amateur theatre group from Solapur. Atul Kulkarni holds a postgraduate diploma in dramatic arts from National School of Drama, New Delhi.

Atul Kulkarni, a national-award winner and a fine actor, expresses his belief of art being a product of social, political and economic changes in the society.

Philanthropy
Kulkarni has been serving as President of Quest Education Support Trust. Quest Trust invests in running workshops and enabling Teachers, to support education for children of marginalized communities between 3–14 years. All this activity is mainly in State of Maharashtra. It conducts its activities in Marathi language.

Atul Kulkarni has been active in sharing his knowledge on running NGO with other NGO's. He does visit Maharashtra based NGO's like Snehalaya regularly. Kulkarni has been involved in an environmental project, making a 24-acre barren land in Satara District into Green area.

Awards

 * National Film Awards
 * 2000: Won: Best Supporting Actor in Hey Ram
 * Citation: For his serious performance as a cold blooded fundamentalist stalking the cities during the turbulent years of partition that led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.


 * 2002: Won: Best Supporting Actor in Chandni Bar
 * Citation: For depicting a ruthless character, trapped in a world without social values.


 * Filmfare Awards
 * 2001: Nominated: Best Supporting Actor for Hey Ram
 * 2012: Won : Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Kannada for Edegarike


 * Asia Pacific Screen Awards
 * 2010: Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor for Natarang


 * VIFF Vienna Independent Film Festival
 * 2019: Won: Best Actor in Murder on the Road to Kathmandu