My Beginnings

I was born in Delhi to a Bengali mother and a Malayalee father on 19 June 1962. My mother Reba VIdyarthi is a Sankeet Nataka Academy award winner and a renowned Kathak guru and my father Govind Vidyarthi, one of the founders of Sankeet Nataka Academy, was a freedom fighter and Sanskrit Shastri. Although art and culture was given due respect in my family, becoming an actor was a question for me. However, it was an inescapable destiny for me to live an actor’s life. I followed the way my parents showed to be an artist. Along with doing BA history at Hindu College, I also worked as an actor in professional theatre. In 1987, I joined National School of Drama for pursuing a course in acting and later became a part of a theatre group called Act 1.

Entry to Film and Television

After establishing myself as an actor in professional theatre, I began acting in minor roles in television serials. I worked with numerous serials in regional languages and finally I got a good role in Ghutan, a major Hindi serial in the 1990s. Then I entered the world of cinema, a more glittering and promising industry.

I got my first breakthrough in Ketan Mehta’s Sardar Patel in which I played the role of V P Menon. I shifted to Mumbai in 1992. My first film after shifting to Mumbai was Dhrokal for which I won the National Award. I have done over 140 movies in ten languages and I still find time to do stage shows and theatre.

Role model

I have a role model every week. Some people inspire me to write, some inspire me to read and some inspire me to behave in a better manner. Therefore, I have a role model every week.

How do I spend my leisurely hours?

I love to travel, meet people, taste different cuisine, and write four- five liners. I have a great passion for photography. I do spend quite a lot of time catching up with my friends on Facebook.