You’ve probably seen Paresh Rawal in a number of roles in Hindi films, sometimes in character roles, sometimes as a villain, and occasionally in comedies. Paresh is from Gujarat, and the Indian government has awarded him the Padma Bhushan.
Rawal has acted in numerous films alongside actors like Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, and Sunil Shetty. Most of them are comedies, though, and a few are serious movies. Many of his fans are waiting for the third instalment of Hera Pheri, but there is no confirmed news about the movie.
As a comedian in Indian cinema, Paresh Rawal won the Filmfare Award for the movie Hera Pheri in 2001. Apart from being an actor and producer, he is also a politician and is very vocal about the country.
He got his first Filmfare award for the best negative role in the movie Sir in 1994, and again he got a Filmfare award for a comic role in 2001 for the movie Awara Pagal Deewana. He also won the National Award for Sir.
Early Life
Rawal was born on May 30, 1950, in a middle-class Gujarati Nagar Brahmin family in Mumbai. In 2014, he received the Padma Shri award. In 1994, he was nominated for a National Film Award for his supporting role. Following that, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Comedian. In Ketan Mehta’s film Sardar, it was seen in the lead role of independence warrior Vallabhbhai Patel.
Dahyalal Rawal is Paresh Rawal’s father’s name. He had his own business (textile machinery). His mother’s name is not known, but she was a housewife. Rawal attended Lions Juhu High School for his early education.
Paresh Rawal studied commerce and completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1974 from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, which is affiliated with the University of Mumbai.
After finishing his studies, he chose not to follow a conventional business career path. Instead, he decided to pursue his interest in acting.
Early Career
Paresh Rawal transitioned from Gujarati theatre to Bollywood through persistence in stage acting and key breaks in supporting roles in films during the mid-1980s.
Theatre Foundation
After graduating in 1974, Rawal immersed himself in Mumbai’s Gujarati theatre scene, performing in local plays near his Vile Parle home and college dramas at Narsee Monjee. This honed his comic timing and versatility, making him a known name locally by his early 20s.
Film Entry
His Bollywood debut came in 1984 with a minor role in Ketan Mehta’s Holi, a National Film Award winner that bridged art-house and mainstream cinema.
Paresh Rawal had a brief appearance as a college student in scenes featuring protests, strikes, and Holi-related unrest. His role was minor and not prominently credited, but it marked one of his early screen appearances.
The film featured several notable actors at different stages of their careers. Aamir Khan appeared as Madan Sharma, while Ashutosh Gowariker was also part of the ensemble. The cast included respected performers such as Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, and Shreeram Lagoo. Although Rawal’s part was small, it formed an early step in his long acting journey.
He followed with the Doordarshan TV serial Bante Bigadte (1985), gaining TV visibility.
Breakthrough arrived in 1986’s Naam, directed by Mahesh Bhatt, where his intense villain role opposite Sanjay Dutt established him as a talented antagonist in over 100 films through the 1990s.
Paresh Rawal’s Wife and Children
Swaroop Sampat, who was a Bollywood actress, is Paresh Rawal’s wife. Let me also mention that Sampat won the title of Miss India Universe in 1979 and represented India in the Miss Universe contest. She has also appeared in many movies like Naram Garam, Sawal, Himmatwala, Ki and Ka, Uri, etc.
Aditya Rawal and Aniruddh Rawal are the names of Paresh’s two sons. According to their mother in an interview, both his sons are interested in acting. Naseeruddin Shah trained Aniruddh, and he started his career as an assistant director in the Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma starer Sultan.
Aditya is also all set to start his acting career in Bollywood with a movie made by Anurag Kashyap.
He has appeared in Hindi, Gujrati and Telugu movies. Also, he regularly appears in theatres. His comic roles in Hera Pheri, Awara Pagal Deewana, Hungama, Hulchul, and Welcome were appreciated by fans.
Paresh Rawal Comedy Movies
Paresh Rawal’s first recognised comedy movie was Andaz Apna Apna, in which he had a double role. Before that, he primarily appeared in negative or character roles. But his comic timing went to the next level with the movie Hera Pheri, released in 2000.
After Hera Pheri, he appeared in many comedy movies, including Hungama, Bhagam Bhag, Welcome, Bhool Bhulaiya, Golmaal, Hulchul, Awara Pagal Deewana, Dewane Hue Pagaal, Chup Chup Ke, Ready, De Dana Dan, Fun2shh, etc.
There is a long list of Paresh Rawal comedy movies after 2000, as his fans liked him in comic roles, and his movies received good box office returns.
Also read- 18 College Life Bollywood Movies That Will Remind You Of College Days
Paresh Rawal Details
| Full Name | Paresh Dahyalal Rawal |
| DOB | 30th May 1955 |
| Age | 70 |
| Father Name | Dahyalal Rawal |
| Place of Birth | Mumbai |
| Father’s Occupation | Service and then business (textile machinery) |
| Mother’s occupation | Debut in a Movie |
| Ancestry | Gujrati |
| Siblings | One brother and two sisters, Paresh is the second in 4 children |
| Education | B.Com, Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, Vile Parle, Mumbai |
| Professional Theater starting year | 1972 |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Caste | Rajput |
| Height | 5 feet 8 inch |
| Wife | Swaroop Sampat |
| Children | Aditya Rawal and Anirudh Rawal |
| Debut in Bollywood | Arjun, 1985 |
| 5 feet 8 inches | Naseeb Ni Balihari (Gujrati) |
| Politics | Paresh Rawal’s Net Worth |
| Paresh Rawal Net Worth | Around 100 Crores |
Paresh Rawal’s movie Hungama 2 was released on OTT in August 2021 and starred Paresh Rawal, Shilpa Shetty, Parintha Subash, Manoj Joshi, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever, and Tiku Talsania in lead roles. The movie is a sequel to the 2003 hit Hungama and is directed by Priyadarshan.
Paresh Rawal Upcoming Movies
Paresh is a busy actor and here are some movies that are in process and will be released soon.
| Movie Title | Release Date | Director | Lead Actors | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aap Jaisa Koi | 2025 (Netflix, TBD) | TBD | R. Madhavan, Fatima Sana Shaikh | Drama/Thriller | Madhavan’s next Netflix project, filming underway |
| De De Pyaar De 2 | May 1, 2025 | Anshul Sharma | Ajay Devgn, Rakul Preet Singh | Romantic Comedy | Sequel to 2019 hit, shooting in progress |
| The Test | 2025 (TBD) | Sashi Kiran Tikka | R. Madhavan, Nayanthara | Sports Drama | Cricket-themed, Madhavan in lead role |
| Adhirshtasaali | 2025 (TBD) | Mithran Jawahar | R. Madhavan | Tamil Comedy | Tamil cinema return for Madhavan |
| The Storyteller | 2025 (TBD) | Anant Mahadevan | Paresh Rawal, Revathi | Drama | Based on Satyajit Ray’s work, Shemaroo prod. |
| Thunderbolts* | May 2, 2025 | Jake Schreier | Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan | Superhero | Marvel’s supervillain team-up |
| Karate Kid: Legends | May 30, 2025 | Jonathan Entwistle | Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan | Action/Martial Arts | New chapter in the franchise |
| Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning | May 23, 2025 | Christopher McQuarrie | Tom Cruise, Vanessa Kirby | Action/Thriller | Concludes Ethan Hunt’s saga |
| How to Train Your Dragon | June 13, 2025 | Dean DeBlois | Mason Thames, Nico Parker | Fantasy/Adventure | Live-action remake of animated classic |
| 28 Years Later | June 20, 2025 | Danny Boyle | Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Cillian Murphy | Horror/Thriller | Sequel to 28 Days Later |
| Jurassic World Rebirth | July 2, 2025 | Gareth Edwards | Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey | Sci-Fi/Action | Fourth installment in the reboot series |
| Superman | July 11, 2025 | James Gunn | David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan | Superhero | DCU reboot, first under Gunn’s vision |
| Fantastic Four: First Steps | July 25, 2025 | Matt Shakman | Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby | Superhero | MCU’s Fantastic Four debut |
| Freakier Friday | August 8, 2025 | Nisha Ganatra | Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan | Comedy/Family | Sequel to Freaky Friday (2003) |
| The Bride! | September 26, 2025 | Maggie Gyllenhaal | Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley | Horror/Drama | Frankenstein reimagining |
| TRON: Ares | October 10, 2025 | Joachim Rønning | Jared Leto, Greta Lee | Sci-Fi/Action | Third TRON film, futuristic adventure |
| Michael | October 17, 2025 | Antoine Fuqua | Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo | Biopic/Musical | Michael Jackson biopic |
| Wicked: For Good | November 26, 2025 | Jon M. Chu | Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande | Musical/Fantasy | Second part of Wicked adaptation |
| Avatar: Fire and Ash | December 19, 2025 | James Cameron | Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana | Sci-Fi/Fantasy | Third Avatar installment |
| Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 | December 5, 2025 | Emma Tammi | Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard | Horror | Sequel to 2023 horror hit |
Filmography
| Year | Movie Title | Director | Producer | Budget (INR, Approx.) | Box Office Collection (INR, Approx.) | Opposite Actress | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Holi | Ketan Mehta | Pradeep Uppoor, Ketan Mehta | 5 lakh (est.) | 10 lakh (moderate) | None (ensemble) | Debut; supporting role |
| 1986 | Naam | Mahesh Bhatt | Kumar Gaurav, Rajendra Kumar | 50 lakh (est.) | 4 crore (blockbuster) | Nutan | Breakthrough as villain |
| 1988 | Kabzaa | Mahesh Bhatt | Nanabhai Bhatt | 60 lakh (est.) | 2 crore (hit) | Dimple Kapadia | Negative role |
| 1993 | Sir | Mahesh Bhatt | Mukesh Bhatt | 1 crore (est.) | 3 crore (hit) | Pooja Bhatt | National Award Best Supporting Actor |
| 1994 | Andaz Apna Apna | Rajkumar Santoshi | Vinay Kumar Sinha | 3 crore (est.) | 6 crore (flop then cult hit) | Raveena Tandon | Double role; comedy classic |
| 1994 | Woh Chokri | Subhankar Ghosh | NFDC | 50 lakh (est.) | Not available (art film) | Pallavi Joshi | National Award Best Supporting Actor |
| 1997 | Tamanna | Mahesh Bhatt | Pooja Bhatt | 1 crore (est.) | 1 crore (average) | Pooja Bhatt | Emotional drama |
| 2000 | Hera Pheri | Priyadarshan | A.G. Nadiadwala | 8 crore (est.) | 24 crore (superhit) | Tabu | Iconic Baburao role; IIFA Best Comic |
| 2001 | Nayak | S. Shankar | A.M. Rathnam | 21 crore | 20 crore (average) | Rani Mukerji | Political thriller |
| 2002 | Aankhen | Vipul Amrutlal Shah | Gaurang Doshi | 24 crore | 33 crore (hit) | Sushmita Sen | Heist drama |
| 2003 | Hungama | Priyadarshan | Vijay Galani | 6 crore (est.) | 20 crore (superhit) | Aftab Shivdasani (co-star) | Comedy hit |
| 2005 | Garam Masala | Priyadarshan | Ganesh Jain | 17 crore | 54 crore (superhit) | Rimii Sen | Comedy with Akshay Kumar |
| 2006 | Phir Hera Pheri | Neeraj Vora | Firoz A. Nadiadwala | 18 crore | 69 crore (blockbuster) | Bipasha Basu | Sequel; Baburao reprise |
| 2006 | Chup Chup Ke | Priyadarshan | UTV Motion Pictures | 15 crore (est.) | 25 crore (hit) | Kareena Kapoor | Comedy drama |
| 2007 | Welcome | Anees Bazmee | Firoz A. Nadiadwala | 35 crore | 116 crore (blockbuster) | Katrina Kaif | Multi-starrer comedy |
| 2009 | De Dana Dan | Priyadarshan | Ganesh Jain | 50 crore | 78 crore (hit) | Katrina Kaif | Ensemble comedy |
| 2010 | Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? | Ashwni Dhir | Kumar Mangat Pathak | 15 crore | 40 crore (hit) | Konkona Sen Sharma | Producers Guild Best Comic Role |
| 2012 | OMG – Oh My God! | Umesh Shukla | Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar | 20 crore | 123 crore (blockbuster) | None (lead) | Lead role; also producer |
| 2013 | Table No. 21 | Aditya Datt | Eros International | 10 crore | 17 crore (average) | Tena Desae | Intense supporting role |
| 2015 | Welcome Back | Anees Bazmee | Firoz A. Nadiadwala | 80 crore | 136 crore (hit) | Shruti Haasan | Sequel to Welcome |
| 2017 | Tiger Zinda Hai | Ali Abbas Zafar | Aditya Chopra | 210 crore | 565 crore (blockbuster) | Katrina Kaif | Spy thriller; supporting role |
| 2018 | Sanju | Rajkumar Hirani | Vidhu Vinod Chopra | 96 crore | 586 crore (blockbuster) | Sonam Kapoor | Played Sunil Dutt |
| 2019 | Uri: The Surgical Strike | Aditya Dhar | Ronnie Screwvala | 25 crore | 342 crore (blockbuster) | Yami Gautam | National Security Advisor role |
| 2020 | Soorarai Pottru (Tamil) | Sudha Kongara | Suriya, Guneet Monga | 20 crore (est.) | OTT (blockbuster status) | Aparna Balamurali | Tamil debut; antagonist |
| 2023 | Dream Girl 2 | Raaj Shaandilyaa | Ektaa R Kapoor | 35 crore | 140 crore (superhit) | Ananya Panday | Comedy sequel |
| 2025 | The Storyteller | Anant Mahadevan | Shemaroo Entertainment | 10 crore (est.) | TBD (upcoming) | Revathi | Based on Satyajit Ray’s Tarini Khuro |
FAQs
How much is Paresh Rawal worth?
His net worth is 94 crores Rupees.
Who is Paresh Rawal’s wife?
His wife is Swaroop Sampat, who is a former Miss India and Bollywood actress.
Is Paresh Rawal Gujarati?
Yes, Paresh Rawal is Gujarati by birth, but he was born and brought up in Mumbai.
How old is Paresh?
On May 30th,2021, Paresh Rawal completed 66 years.
Who is Paresh Rawal son?
He has two sons named Aditya Rawal and Anirudh Rawal.
Who is the father of Paresh Rawal?
Dahyalal Rawal, a businessman.
Is Rawal a Brahmin?
Yes
Controversies
Hera Pheri 3 Exit 2025
In 2025, Paresh Rawal stepped away from Hera Pheri 3 after signing a term sheet and filming teaser footage. He cited personal reasons for his exit and clarified that it was not due to creative dissatisfaction.
Following his departure, Akshay Kumar’s production house reportedly issued a legal notice seeking Rs 25 crore in damages. The notice mentioned breach of contract, reputational harm, and production disruption. Rawal responded publicly on X, stating that he valued the audience’s love above all and that his legal team had addressed the matter. Director Priyadarshan also expressed surprise at the sudden development.
The Taj Story PILs 2025
Ahead of its scheduled release in October 2025, The Taj Story faced two Public Interest Litigations. The petitions reportedly sought a ban or official review of the film. They alleged similarities to earlier legal arguments over the Taj Mahal’s history and raised concerns about potential communal tensions.
Rawal dismissed the controversy, stating that the film had received clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification. He maintained that there was no malicious intent and no attempt to create Hindu-Muslim conflict.
Theatre Assault Incident
During a stage performance of Pratishodh, Rawal was involved in a confrontation with an audience member. According to his own account, he reacted strongly after the individual made vulgar comments. He admitted to throwing a stone at the person, which led to the show being halted. The incident resulted in temporary bans within theatre circles. Rawal later stated that he stood by his response, saying disruptions of that nature should not be tolerated.
Other Public Remarks
Rawal publicly supported A. R. Rahman in 2026 amid claims of communal discrimination within the film industry. He described Rahman as a source of pride. His comments triggered debate online.
Over the years, Rawal’s outspoken political views and alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party have also drawn criticism from opponents, fueling ongoing public discussion of his statements.