Manav Kaul

Kaul made his acting debut in 2003 with the fantasy film Jajantaram Mamantaram — an odd entry point, in retrospect, for someone who'd go on to anchor serious dramatic work, but early careers rarely announce themselves cleanly. The first decade was largely about building his theatre practice; he founded Aranya, wrote and directed 13 plays including Shakkar ke Paanch Daane and Park, and directed the independent Hindi film Hansa (2012), which won accolades at the Osian's Cinefan Festival. That film, made outside the studio system, set the tone for how Kaul would approach the industry — on his own terms, even when the industry came calling. The calling got louder around 2013. Kai Po Che! that year put him in front of a much wider audience, and what followed was a run of films that reads like a who's-who of contemporary Hindi cinema's more ambitious projects: CityLights (2014), Haider (2014), Wazir (2016), and then Tumhari Sulu (2017), which generated the Filmfare nomination that most general audiences would associate with his name first. He's got a particular skill for supporting roles in films that are really about someone else — he doesn't crowd the frame, but you notice when he's gone. The years from 2019 onward showed no signs of slowing. Badla (2019), Thappad (2020), Madam Chief Minister (2021), Saina (2021), and the anthology Ajeeb Dastaans (2021) kept him visible across theatrical and streaming platforms. Then 2023 brought what might be his most recognized performance to date in the short-form space — Phir Kabhi earned him the Filmfare OTT Award and Filmfare Short Film Award for Best Actor Male, a double win that confirmed what his theatre collaborators probably already knew. The literary side ran parallel the whole time: Prem Kabootar (2016), Theek Tumhaare Peechhe (2017), Rooh (2023), and Patjhad (2023). Four books. Thirteen plays. A film festival winner. A Filmfare nominee. Hard to say if there's a ceiling here, or if he'd even want one.