It was a warm afternoon in October when the most anticipated web series from Sony Liv “Scam 1992” dropped on our televisions and mobile screens. The series set in the 1990s and based on the life of the stockbroker Harshad Mehta, spread like wildfire, thanks to rave reviews and IMDB ratings. But it was the lead actor, Pratik Gandhi, that caught the attention of viewers the most. Pratik Gandhi, who is one of the popular Gujarati actors and has made several TV serials and movies in the Gujarati language, finally made his step into Bollywood. His role as Harshad Mehta garnered him praises and accolades and he has also bagged two Hindi feature films set to release in 2021.
Pratik Gandhi is one of the few Gujarati cinema actors in Bollywood right now. However, the contribution of other Gujaratis in Bollywood is immense. One of the most notable actors among them is none other than Paresh Rawal. Paresh Rawal who has appeared in over 150 Hindi feature films, hails from Gujarat and is also a Member of the Indian Parliament and representative of the Ahmedabad East constituency.
Another name that pops up is that of Supriya Pathak, who is extremely popular in both film and television circles. She has also acted in Gujarati movies and so she makes it to the list of Gujarati cinema actors in Bollywood. Supriya Pathak became iconic after her role of Hansa in the TV show Khichdi and most recently, her role as Dhankor Baa in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela earned her praises from both the audience and critics.
Sharman Joshi, who belongs to a family of Gujarati theatre actors, is also a notable actor in Bollywood films who is best known for his portrayal of Raju Rastogi in 3 Idiots and Sukhi in Rang De Basanti.
Jackie Shroff who started his career with Dev Anand’s Swami Dada is also another popular Gujarati actor. He has featured in over 220 films in a career spanning four decades and he has also acted in a Gujrati movie, Ventilator in 2018. Apart from the Gujarati language, he has also acted in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Odia, Malayalam, and English films.
Other popular Gujarati actors also include Daisy Shah and Prachi Desai.
There are certain actors like Dilip Joshi of Taarak Mehta ka Oolta Chasma fame, who are often typecast as the proper Gujarati in all their features just because they hail from Gujarat. Yet they nail their roles. Dilip Joshi has been playing JethaLal in Taarak Mehta ka Oolta chasma for the last 12 years and is one of the highest-paid actors on TV right now. Not only has he acted in television serials, but he has ventured into Bollywood movies as well.
When talking about Bollywood in general, there are several artists who hail from Gujarat but not directly involved in Acting. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, director, and screenwriter is a Gujarati by heart and often uses Gujarat as a background in most of his Bollywood films. Karishma Tanna and Upen Patel are famous TV artists and reality TV stars who have done a few Hindi feature films as well. Also various musicians and singers like Alka Yagnik who has sung for both Bollywood and Gujarati movies. Amit Trivedi is one of the famous lyricists and music composers in Bollywood and is best known for his work in films like Queen, Udaan, Ishaqzaade, and Fitoor. And not to forget, the duo, Sachin - Jigar, who is one of the finest music composers in the film industry.
Gujaratis have been ruling in Bollywood since time immemorial. Not just on the silver screen, but also in the background as well. It is time for more Gujarati cinema actors after Pratik Gandhi to step into Bollywood. Given the history of Gujaratis, that day is not far behind.
