As soon as Paresh Rawal’s name comes, Baburao’s unmatched comic timing comes to mind; However, his career was not limited to comedy only. There was a time when his roles as a villain were so scary that people started getting scared of him even in real life. During airplane journeys, passengers would hesitate to sit next to him and would automatically hide their luggage. To break this image, he turned to comedy, and eventually achieved cult status through memorable characters like Baburao, Teja and Dr. Ghunghroo. Recently, he unhesitatingly admitted that in a fit of anger he had once crushed a man’s head with a stone – an act he deeply regrets even today. Be it the field of theatre, cinema or politics, he has always been in the news for his outspoken and frank speaking style. Today, Paresh Rawal is celebrating his 71st birthday. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts related to his life and career.
Not just a comedian – expert in every character
There are some actors in the world of Indian cinema who immortalize their characters forever in the collective memories of the audience. Paresh Rawal ranks highest among such artists. He has proven his talent in all types of roles, from comedy and villain roles to serious dramatic roles, socially relevant films and historical roles. Characters like Baburao, Teja, Dr. Ghunghroo, Kanji Mehta and Tikku are still well-known names in every household. Paresh Rawal adopts a unique preparation strategy to play every character; He meticulously adapts his body language, voice inflections and facial expressions to the specific demands of the character.
Slapped by “fake father” in principal’s room
Paresh Rawal’s acting journey started from theatre. He became deeply fond of dramas during his college days. He would often skip class to go to theater rehearsals or spend time in the canteen. When his attendance fell below the prescribed limit, the college principal called him and directed him to bring his parents to the office. In a clever move, he introduced an old friend of his locality as his father and took him with him to college. Hearing the principal’s complaints, his friend – who was engrossed in his act – slapped Paresh hard on the cheek. The principal was horrified to see this and immediately intervened, saying, “Don’t hit him! He’s a really nice boy; he wins trophies for the college!” **To attack someone in anger**
During his theater days, Paresh Rawal was known for his acting as well as his anger. In a podcast hosted by Raj Shamani, he recounted an incident that happened during a play, when a man sitting in the audience made obscene comments. Furious, Rawal came down from the stage and physically attacked the man. This incident caused a huge uproar in the theatre, and the show had to be stopped midway. The owner of the theater was so angry that he flatly refused to allow Rawal to act there again. In the same interview, Rawal also admitted that on another occasion, he had thrown a stone at someone’s head in a fit of anger. Later he deeply regretted his action and reconciled with that person.
People started getting scared of his ‘villain’ image
In the 1990s, Paresh Rawal played such fearsome villains in films like *Ram Lakhan*, *Kabza* and *Mohra* that people started fearing him in real life too. Because of his intense expressions, powerful voice, and his commanding presence on screen, audiences began to consider him a truly terrifying figure. On airplanes and in public places, people avoided sitting near them and instinctively began hiding their valuables. Later, to get out of his scary image, he started playing comic roles.
In the film *Sir*, Paresh Rawal played the role of underworld don Veljibhai Patekar. This role is considered to be one of the most powerful negative roles of his early career. For this excellent performance, he received the Filmfare Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’. In the film *Dilwale*, Paresh Rawal played the role of Mama Thakur. His cruel and ruthless behavior in this role was particularly horrifying to audiences. His sharp eye and unique style of dialogue delivery became the biggest strength of this character.
Met real transgenders to prepare for the character
In the film *Tamanna*, Paresh Rawal played the character of a transgender person – this character is considered to be one of the most sensitive characters of his career. To prepare for the role, he met real members of the transgender community. He closely observed and understood their body language, manner of speaking and emotional nuances. He later said that this character touched him deeply.
Playing the character of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the biggest challenge for him.
In the film *Sardar*, he played the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the “Iron Man” of India. For this character, he worked hard to accurately reproduce Sardar Patel’s speeches, expressions and body language. In many interviews, he has said that playing the character of a historical figure is the most difficult task because the audience is already familiar with the figure and picks up on even the slightest mistake.
Memes have become part of the culture; Sometimes, a character becomes a liability
In the 1994 film *Andaz Apna Apna*, Paresh Rawal played a dual role: the simple-minded Ram Gopal Bajaj on one side and the cunning villain, Teja on the other. Dialogues like “Teja main hoon, Mark idhar hai” later became an important part of Internet meme culture. Babu Rao of the film *Hera Pheri* is considered to be the most memorable character of Paresh Rawal’s career. His thick-framed glasses, traditional *dhoti-kurta* attire, broken Hindi and tremendous comic timing gave the character a cult status. To portray Babu Rao as an ideal “common man”, Paresh Rawal drew inspiration from Charlie Chaplin and R.K. Took inspiration from Laxman’s “common man” characters.
A famous scene from the film – in which Babu Rao advises a paying guest, “The toilet door is broken; if you go in, make sure to sing” – was actually added on the spot by Paresh Rawal. However, the popularity of the character grew so much that Paresh Rawal later admitted that Babu Rao had become a “noose around his neck” as the audience had come to expect him to play only such characters.
From Dr. Ghunghroo to Mastan Bhai: Memorable characters of Paresh Rawal
In the film *Hulchul*, Paresh Rawal played the character of a rich, suspicious and confused businessman. This comedy born out of misunderstandings and suspicions became very popular among the audience. His expressions and style of speaking dialogues are still considered the biggest strengths of this film. In the film *Awara Pagal Deewana*, his gangster-comedy avatar was highly praised; In the character of Mastan Bhai, he showed a wonderful combination of gangster style and comedy timing. In contrast, while playing the character of Dr. Ghunghroo in the film *Welcome*, he played the role of a timid but greedy doctor. His comedic timing emerged as one of the biggest strengths of this film.
Great acting in serious and socially relevant films
In the film *OMG – Oh My God!*, Paresh Rawal played the character of Kanji Lalji Mehta – an atheist shopkeeper who goes to court over his religion business. For this character, he adopted a different dramatic style of acting; Simplicity, sarcasm and depth were clearly visible in his dialogues. He has said that after this film, he started getting different types of characters, and his public image was no longer limited to just that of a comedian. However, this film also raised controversy; Director Umesh Shukla told that he had received death threats during the release of the film.
Film *Table No. 21*’s monologue stuns the audience; A strategically thinking personality seen in *Uri*
Film *Table No. In 21*, Paresh Rawal played the character of a mysterious and dangerous personality. He powerfully expressed the anger and pain hidden behind the calm exterior. His monologue during the climax of the film made headlines and is often considered one of his most underrated performances on social media. Whereas, in the film *Uri: The Surgical Strike*, he played a character inspired by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. His calm but strategic style in the film was greatly appreciated by the audience.
He was in controversies more for his statements than for his films.
Apart from his stellar acting and memorable characters, Paresh Rawal has also often been in the news for his controversial statements. Many of his comments on politics, religion, social issues and during election speeches have created controversies on social media. Many times he has faced criticism, legal complaints and online trolling. The biggest controversy around him arose in 2022, when he made a statement about Bengalis. He was trolled on social media, protests were held by political parties and a formal complaint was even filed against him in Kolkata. In many media reports, this incident was described as the biggest public controversy of his career.
Comment on Bengalis: The most controversial statement
According to a report in *The Times of India*, during the 2022 Gujarat election campaign, Paresh Rawal made some comments about Bengalis, Rohingyas and Bangladeshis while talking about issues like price rise, gas cylinder prices and illegal migration. He said, “Gas cylinders are expensive, but what will you do if Rohingyas and Bangladeshis start living in your neighbourhood? Will Bengalis cook fish for you?” A video clip of this statement went viral on social media.
After this statement, the Bengali community and opposition leaders reacted strongly. CPI(M) leader Mohammed Saleem filed a complaint against him in Kolkata, alleging that his statement threatened to disturb social harmony. As the controversy escalated, Paresh Rawal issued a clarification on Twitter, saying that his comments were not directed at the entire Bengali community, but specifically at “illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators”. He also said that if anyone’s sentiments have been hurt, he apologizes for the same.
Uproar over tweet on Arundhati Roy
In 2017, he was also embroiled in controversy over a tweet he made about writer Arundhati Roy. At that time, there was a debate going on in the entire country regarding an incident that took place in Kashmir, in which the Army had tied a young man in front of a jeep. Amid the debate, Paresh Rawal tweeted, “Instead of throwing stones, Arundhati Roy should be tied to a jeep.” There was strong opposition to this tweet on social media. Many journalists, activists and people associated with the film industry described this statement as inciting violence. After this, a campaign was also launched against him on Twitter. Later, Paresh Rawal clarified that his tweet was sarcastic and was misconstrued.
Controversy over statements related to religion and history
Paresh Rawal has been repeatedly embroiled in controversies on issues related to religion and history. In 2017, amid the ongoing political debate over the Taj Mahal, he tweeted that those who believe that “Taj Mahal is not a part of Indian culture” should understand that history cannot be viewed only through the lens of politics.
Criticism increased after coming into politics
After joining the Bharatiya Janata Party and becoming MP from Ahmedabad East constituency, Paresh Rawal faced political opposition over his statements. His tweets and public comments often became the subject of discussion in TV debates and on social media. Supporters described him as an actor with an outspoken and nationalist image, while critics argued that as an experienced actor and former MP, he should show more responsibility in his public statements.