10 Kashmiri Pandit Actors who made it big in Bollywood

Bollywood is a dream career for most Indians. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters across India try their luck each year. Many Kashmiri Pandit actors have tried in Bollywood, but few have really made it big in the entertainment industry.

Here is a list of 10 Kashmiri Pandit actors who made it Big

Kulbushan Pandit aka Raaj Kumar

“Jaani yeh chaku hai” do you remember this dialogue? One of the iconic dialogues of the Hindi film industry was delivered by one of the Kashmiri pandit actors Raj Kumar.

Born on 8 Oct 1926, Raj Kumar was born in a typical Kashmiri Pandit family. Before joining Bollywood, he served as a sub-inspector in the Mumbai police.

He was married to Jennifer, an air hostess, who later changed her name to Gayatri Rajkumar. They have 2 sons and 1 daughter together.

His most notable movies include

  • Mother India (1957) where he played the role of Nargis’ husband,
  • Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960),
  • Gharana (1961) and many more.
  • He also received Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor in Waqt(1966) and Dil Ek Mandir(1964).

Anupam Kher

Born on March 7 1955 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, Anupam Kher is a famous face of Kashmiri Pandits. The current age of Anupam Kher is 66 years. He has won 2 National Awards and has been the recipient of 8 Filmfare awards.

Besides working in Bollywood, he has also worked in Hollywood in movies such as Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Lust, Caution (2007), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012).

Kirron Kher is the 2nd Wife of Anupam Kher & Sikandar Kher is son of Anupam Kher & Kiron Kher.

His best Bollywood movies include

  • The Kashmir files (2022)
  • Saaransh (1984)
  • A Wednesday (2008)
  • Karma (1986)
  • Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006) and many more.

Anupam Kher won about 13 Filmfare Awards, 2 National Awards, and 3 IIFA awards making him one of the finest actors in the film industry.

Please read The Kashmir files review by a Kashmiri Pandit

Omkar Kishan Dhar – Jeevan

A popular Bollywood villain, Omkar Nath Dhar, was born on 24 October 1915. In the 1950s, Jeevan played the role of Narad Muni 49 times in multiple mythological movies.  Kiran Kumar another popular Kashmiri pandit actor is Jeevan actor’s son.

He is very popular for his movies like

  • Mela (1948)
  • Mahabharat (1965)
  • Waqt (1965)
  • Hamraaz (1967)

Satish Kaul

A lifetime achievement awardee, his contribution to Punjabi cinema is unparalleled. Born on 8th September 1946, he tragically lost his life to Covid in April 2021.

Apart from working with Bollywood stars like Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar & Shahrukh Khan, Satish Kaul also worked in a number of TV serials

His most notable works include

  • Yaraana (1995)
  • Karma(1986)
  • Ram Lakhan (1989)

He is sometimes considered the Amitabh Bachan of Punjabi cinema.

AK Hangal

An Indian freedom fighter from 1929 to 1947, Avtar Kishan Hangal, started working as a stage actor from 1936 to 1965. AK Hangal‘s roles in movies like Shaukeen, Namak Haraam & Sholay, and 16 movies with Rajesh Khanna helped him gain fame. He was awarded Padma Bhushan for his contribution in 2006.

AK Hangal was also an Indian Freedom Fighter and was part of the movement when he was a student. He joined protests in Northwest Frontier Province and later moves to Karachi where he continued the high freedom struggle.

If you want to see movies on Kashmiri pandits, please check Bollywood movies on Kashmiri pandits

Kiran Kumar; son of actor Jeevan

Born as Deepak Dhar in 1960,  Kiran Kumar is a well-known face in theaters & on the big screen. He has worked in multiple tv & film productions – Hindi, Gujarati & Bhojpuri. He got nominated for his Negative role in 1992 for Khuda Gawah

He has 2 children – Shaurya & Srishti with his wife Sushma Verma, a former actress.

Kiran is well known for his work in

  • Khatarnak (1990),
  • Naagmani (1991),
  • Hero Hiralal (1988) and also for his roles in many TV Serials.

MK Raina

MK Raina was born on 10 February 1948 and is known as a popular theatre actor and director. He graduated from the National School of Drama in 1970. He has been working as a theatre worker, director, cultural activist all over the country in many languages.

His most notable film works include

  • Taare Zameen Par (2007)
  • Aisha (2010)
  • Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008)
  • Lakshya (2004) and many more

He received Sanskriti Samman in 1980, Sahitya Kala Parishad in 1981, and many other notable awards for his works. MK Raina was also awarded one of India’s highest theatre awards, the B. V. Karanth award for lifetime achievement in 2007.

Kunal Khemu

Kunal Khemu is very popular for his roles in Bollywood movies. He was born on 25 May 1983. He made his debut with Sir in 1993 and a very popular role in Raja Hindustani in 1996. Kunal is married to the sister of Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan Pataudi. They married in 2015.

His most notable movies include names like

  • Kalyug (2005)
  • Dhol (2007)
  • Golmaal Series
  • Malang (2020) and many more.

He won awards like Screen Awards as a child actor and male actor.

Mohit Raina

Mohit Raina was born on 14 August 1982 and primarily appears in Hindi movies and television. His acting career started with a show named Antariksh (2004) and then further worked in many more shows. He is extremely popular for his role as the Hindu god Shiva in the series Devon Ke Dev Mahadev and Mahabharat.

His notable movie works include

  • Uri (2019)
  • Mrs. Serial killer (2020)

Mohit received several awards for his roles in TV Serials. He also worked in several Web Series.

Bhasha Sumbli

Bhasha Sumbli, also known as Bhasha, is an Indian actress, screenwriter, and playwriter. She was born at Sumbal, Jammu and Kashmir. Bhasha Sumbli has previously worked in the Bollywood entertainment industry, and her artwork has appeared in Hindi language films.

Her most prominent works include

  • Chhapaak (2020)
  • The Kashmir Files (2022)

Check out some other famous Kashmiri Pandits in recent times.

Have we missed out on any Kashmiri pandit actors in Bollywood? Let us know in the comments below.

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