Paresh Rawal (, ) (born 30 May 1950) is an
Indian actor of
Gujarati background.
Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.
Family and early life
Paresh was born in
Paliad,
Gujarat,
India. 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 Aniruddh. Paresh Rawal is an alumnus from
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management and Higher Studies,
Vile Parle,
Mumbai.
Career
Rawal made his debut with the 1984 film
Holi. He then appeared in over 100 films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Paresh Rawal's biggest hit was
Hera Pheri.
Before he attained national recognition, in 1991 Rawal achieved recognition and adulation for his role of a bank robber in
Kshana Kshanam. His quirky accent and mannerisms made him an instant hit. He acted in quite a few
Telugu films by the RGV school of direction like
Money and
Govinda Govinda.
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 also received his first
Filmfare Award for
Best Comedian. 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 not only national but international acclaim.He followed it with the...
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