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{{Short description|Indian pornographic actor}}{{distinguish|Rahul Bhatt}}
{{Short description|Indian actor}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2014}}
{{use Indian English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
 
{{distinguish|Rahul Bhatt}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name        = Rahul Bhat
| name        = Rahul Bhat
| image      = File:Rahul Bhat at the Cannes Film Festival 2013 for his film "Ugly".jpg
| image      = Rahul Bhat 1.jpg
| caption    = Bhat at the Cannes Film Festival (2013) for his film ''[[Ugly (film)|Ugly]]''<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/kashmiri-actor-rahul-bhat-proud-to-walk-cannes-red-carpet/215022 | title=Kashmiri actor Rahul Bhat proud to walk Cannes red carpet | publisher=[[Mid-Day]] | date=24 May 2013 | accessdate=8 January 2016 | author=PTI}}</ref>
| caption    = Bhat in 2020
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1977|12|07}}
| birth_date  =  
| birth_place = [[Srinagar]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India
| birth_place = [[Srinagar]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India
| nationality = [[India]]n
| occupation  = Actor, producer  
| height      = 178 cm
| years active      = 1998—present
| occupation  = Actor, model, TV producer
}}
}}


'''Rahul Bhat''' (born 7 December 1977) is an [[Indian people|Indian]] [[Bollywood]] actor, producer, [[television personality]] and former model.<ref name="Kashmiri">{{cite web|url = http://www.koausa.org/music/artistes/index.html| title = Kashmiri Artistes|quote=Some notable Kashmiri artistes who have made it all the way to the Bollywood are Bhajan Sopori, M. K. Raina, veteran actors like Anupam Kher, Jeevan, Rajkumar, Kiran Kumar, including some fresh faces like Rahul Bhat and Sanjay Suri to name a few.|publisher = Kashmiri Overseas Association|year=2008|accessdate = 2 December 2011}}</ref>
'''Rahul Bhat''' is an Indian actor who works in [[Hindi]] films. He began his career as a fashion model and participated in the [[Grasim Mr. India|Graviera Mr. India]] contest in 1998, and subsequently worked in several advertisements and music videos. He gained fame for his leading role in the television serial ''[[Heena (TV series)|Heena]]'' from 1998 to 2003. After starring in the films ''[[Yeh Mohabbat Hai]]'' (2002) and ''[[Nayee Padosan]]'' (2003), he took a sabbatical from acting and began producing television serials, including ''[[Meri Doli Tere Angana]]'' (2007–2008) and ''[[Tum Dena Saath Mera (2009 TV series)|Tum Dena Saath Mera]]'' (2009).
 
Bhat made his acting comeback with a leading role in [[Anurag Kashyap]]'s thriller film ''[[Ugly (film)|Ugly]]'' (2013), for which he received critical acclaim.<ref name="ffinterview"/> He has since appeared in ''[[Fitoor]]'' (2016), ''[[Daas Dev]]'' (2018), ''[[Section 375]]'' (2019), and Kashyap’s ''[[Dobaaraa]]'' (2022), and ''[[Kennedy (film)|Kennedy]]'' (2023). In 2025, he starred in the [[Netflix]] thriller series ''[[Black Warrant (TV series)|Black Warrant]]''.
 
==Life and career==
===Early life and work===
Bhat was born in [[Srinagar]], [[Jammu and Kashmir (union territory)|Jammu and Kashmir]], India into a [[Kashmiri Pandit]] family.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/runway-star-hits-stardust/story-6Q1VUMckkrzHNKJzBKBBfO.html|title=Runway star hits stardust|date=15 August 2003|newspaper=Hindustan Times|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref><ref name="firstpost18">{{cite web|last=Sinha|first=Seema|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/rahul-bhat-on-daas-dev-cant-portray-devdas-the-way-dilip-kumar-shah-rukh-khan-did-4446489.html|title=Rahul Bhat on Daas Dev: Can't portray Devdas the way Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan did|date=26 April 2018|website=Firstpost|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref>
 
Bhat began his career as a fashion model. In 1998, he participated in the [[Grasim Mr. India|Graviera Mr. India]] contest, where he won the Mr Photogenic award.<ref name="rediff01">{{cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2001/dec/14rahul.htm|title='I want to be where Amitabh Bachchan is'|last=Seth|first=Sheetal|date=14 December 2001|website=Rediff.com|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020208/cth2.htm|title=Love in times of violence|date=8 February 2002|website=The Tribune|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> He did advertisements for [[Pond's]] and [[Breeze detergent]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/pune-times/no-ifs-for-this-bhatt/articleshow/4204674.cms|title=No ifs for this Bhatt|date=19 March 2002|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> and appeared in music videos like "Soni Lag Gayee" with Pakistani singer [[Sajjad Ali]], and "Punjabi Munda" for [[Tips Industries]].<ref name="rediff01"/> He gained popularity for his role in ''[[Heena (TV series)|Heena]]'', a soap opera on [[Sony Entertainment Television]], which aired for five years from 1998 to 2003.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sharma|first=Suruchi|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/no-goodbye-to-acting-rahul-bhatt/articleshow/6901162.cms|title=No goodbye to acting: Rahul Bhatt|date=11 November 2010|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Das|first=Anirban|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/no-time-for-tv-rahul-bhat/story-UtNRGo4uYXcBSPTx8jjHRK.html|title=No time for TV: Rahul Bhat|date=14 February 2015|newspaper=Hindustan Times|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Misra|first=Iti Shree|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/rahul-bhatt-now-the-film-industry-is-not-just-a-few-peoples-playground/articleshow/42188844.cms|title=Rahul Bhatt: Now the film industry is not just a few people's playground|date=11 September 2014|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref>
 
Bhat had his first film role in the romantic drama ''[[Yeh Mohabbat Hai]]'' in 2002, directed by [[Umesh Mehra]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/the-new-improved-rahul-bhatt/articleshow/1195614177.cms|title=The new improved Rahul Bhatt|date=5 October 2001|newspaper=The Times of India|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> The film was not well received, but Priyanka Bhattacharya of [[Rediff.com]] found him “sincere” and [[Taran Adarsh]] of [[Bollywood Hungama]] opined that he had made a “decent debut”.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2002/feb/08yeh.htm|title=Love's labour lost|last=Bhattacharya|first=Priyanka|date=8 February 2002|website=Rediff.com|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/yeh-mohabbat-hai/critic-review/yeh-mohabbat-hai-movie-review/|title=Yeh Mohabbat Hai Movie Review|last=Adarsh|first=Taran|date=7 February 2002|website=Bollywood Hungama|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> The following year, he starred in the comedy ''[[Nayee Padosan]]'', in which he played dual roles of a Tamil man and a don.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/nayee-padosan/story-OA0vCAuwLRCdX0PJmLxGfO.html|title=Nayee Padosan|last=Chakravorty|first=Vinayak|date=7 June 2003|newspaper=Hindustan Times|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref>
 
Disillusioned with the kind of roles he was being offered, Bhat took a sabbatical from acting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/interview-i-quit-acting-in-anger-rahul-bhat-2045116|title=I quit acting in anger: Rahul Bhat|last=Unnikrishnan|first=Chhaya|date=19 December 2014|newspaper=Daily News and Analysis|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> He instead began his own production company Filmtonic Entertainment, under which he produced television soap operas such as ''[[Meri Doli Tere Angana]]'' (2007–2008), ''Chhukar Mere Man Ko'' (2007), and ''[[Tum Dena Saath Mera (2009 TV series)|Tum Dena Saath Mera]]'' (2009).<ref name="ffinterview">{{cite news|url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/im-not-cut-out-for-chamchagiri-8594.html|title=I'm not cut out for chamchagiri|last=Fernandes|first=Bradley|date=10 March 2015|magazine=Filmfare|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-rahul-back-in-limelight-1095299|title=Rahul back in limelight|last=Poojary|first=Sapna|date=21 November 2013|newspaper=Daily News and Analysis|access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> He has said about this period, "I quit acting because I was angry. I did not want to do B and C grade projects. I wanted to work on good scripts and with committed filmmakers. But nothing came my way and that made me unhappy."<ref name="ffinterview"/>
 
===Return to acting===
[[File:Rahul Bhat at the Cannes Film Festival 2013 for his film "Ugly" (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9|Bhat at the premiere of ''[[Ugly (film)|Ugly]]'' at the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/kashmiri-actor-rahul-bhat-proud-to-walk-cannes-red-carpet/215022 | title=Kashmiri actor Rahul Bhat proud to walk Cannes red carpet | publisher=[[Mid-Day]] | date=24 May 2013 | accessdate=8 January 2016 | author=PTI}}</ref>]]
The filmmaker [[Anurag Kashyap]] approached Bhat to play the part of a struggling actor whose daughter is kidnapped in his thriller film ''[[Ugly (film)|Ugly]]'' (2013).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/play/anurag-kashyap-says-he-is-bored-with-his-own-ideas/|title=Anurag Kashyap says he is bored with his own ideas|last=Ghosh|first=Sankhayan|work=[[The Indian Express]]|date=2 January 2015|access-date=8 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104190835/http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/play/anurag-kashyap-says-he-is-bored-with-his-own-ideas/|archive-date=4 January 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> To prepare for his role, Bhat started consuming alcohol heavily and deprived himself of sleep to create dark circles around his character's face.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/i-became-harsh-on-myself-to-prepare-for-ugly-rahul-bhat/|title=I became harsh on myself to prepare for 'Ugly': Rahul Bhat|work=The Indian Express|date=25 December 2014|access-date=8 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612092342/http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/i-became-harsh-on-myself-to-prepare-for-ugly-rahul-bhat/|archive-date=12 June 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> For a sequence, where Bhat had to cry, Kashyap kept talking to him for three hours and he eventually broke down and wept. The camera kept rolling during that period.<ref name=truth>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1141226/jsp/t2/story_5283.jsp|title=Ugly truth of Anurag|last=Upadhyay|first=Karishma|work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]|date=26 December 2014|access-date=8 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209043951/https://www.telegraphindia.com/1141226/jsp/t2/story_5283.jsp|archive-date=9 December 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''Ugly'' premiered in the [[Directors' Fortnight]] section of the [[2013 Cannes Film Festival]] where it received standing ovation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ugly receives a standing ovation at Cannes|url=http://www.filmfare.com/news/ugly-receives-a-standing-ovation-at-cannes-3210.html|work=[[Filmfare]]|date=22 May 2013|access-date=20 December 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603105218/http://www.filmfare.com/news/ugly-receives-a-standing-ovation-at-cannes-3210.html|archive-date=3 June 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/bollywood/news/a574621/anurag-kashyaps-ugly-wins-critical-acclaim-in-cannes/|title=Anurag Kashyap's Ugly wins critical acclaim in Cannes|last=Baker|first=Steven|publisher=[[Digital Spy]]|date=30 May 2014|access-date=18 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627182756/http://www.digitalspy.com/bollywood/news/a574621/anurag-kashyaps-ugly-wins-critical-acclaim-in-cannes/|archive-date=27 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It was also screened at the [[New York Indian Film Festival]] and the [[Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-bollywood/article/my-personal-life-nobodys-business-anurag-kashyap|title=My personal life is nobody's business: Anurag Kashyap|work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|date=29 June 2014|access-date=8 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208175441/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140629/entertainment-bollywood/article/my-personal-life-nobodys-business-anurag-kashyap|archive-date=8 December 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-anurag-kashyap-s-ugly-to-open-new-york-indian-film-festival-1974366|title=Anurag Kashyap's 'Ugly' to open New York Indian film festival|work=Daily News and Analysis|date=1 April 2014|access-date=18 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404222808/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-anurag-kashyap-s-ugly-to-open-new-york-indian-film-festival-1974366|archive-date=4 April 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/ugly/|title=Ugly|publisher=[[Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles]]|access-date=25 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225203425/http://www.indianfilmfestival.org/ugly/|archive-date=25 December 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Arunava Chatterjee of ''[[India Today]]'' called ''Ugly'' a "pathbreaking crime fiction" and found Bhat to be “outstanding” in it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/ugly-review-anurag-kashyap-232968-2014-12-26|title=Ugly review: It is a pathbreaking crime fiction|last=Chatterjee|first=Arunava|work=India Today|date=26 December 2014|access-date=17 December 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724093916/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ugly-review-anurag-kashyap/1/409021.html|archive-date=24 July 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Brian Clark of [[Screen Anarchy]] added that Bhat "does especially impressive work transitioning his character through some demanding plot twists and power shifts".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenanarchy.com/2013/05/cannes-2013-review-anurag-kashyaps-ugly-is-a-riveting-thriller-about-awful-things.html|title=Cannes 2013 Review: Anurag Kashyap's UGLY Is a Riveting Thriller About Awful Things|last=Clark|first=Brian|website=Screen Anarchy|date=17 May 2013|access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>
 
Three years later in 2016, Bhat played a role opposite [[Katrina Kaif]] in the romantic drama ''[[Fitoor]]'' and alongside [[Priyanka Chopra]] in the crime film ''[[Jai Gangaajal]]''.<ref name="firstpost18"/><ref>[https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/katrina-kaif-fitoor-rahul-bhat-aditya-roy-kapur-rekha-abhishek-kapoor-236409-2015-01-19 Rahul Bhat to star opposite Katrina Kaif in 'Fitoor']. India Today. Retrieved 19 January 2015.</ref> In a review for the latter film, Srijana Mitra Das of ''[[The Times of India]]'' wrote that even in a small role, he had played his character's "radicalism with aplomb".<ref>{{cite news |title=Jai Gangaajal Movie Review |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/Jai-Gangaajal/movie-review/51256513.cms |newspaper=The Times of India |accessdate=4 March 2016}}</ref>
 
The following year, Bhat had a leading role in ''[[Union Leader (film)|Union Leader]]'', an Indian-Canadian drama about a chemical factory supervisor who raises the issue of worker's health and safety against an unsympathetic management.<ref name="firstpost18"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bird |first1=Cullen |title=Local filmmaker releasing Hindi-language feature film |url=http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/2017/09/08/local-filmmaker-releasing-hindi-language-feature-film |work=[[Fort McMurray Today]] |date=8 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909021230/http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/2017/09/08/local-filmmaker-releasing-hindi-language-feature-film |archive-date=9 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Anna M. M. Vetticad]] wrote that Bhat had brought an "X factor to his performance" which exceeded the screenplay's limitations.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vetticad |first1=Anna MM |title=Union Leader movie review: Rahul Bhat, Tillotama Shome's film is simplistic but heartfelt |url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/union-leader-movie-review-rahul-bhat-tillotama-shomes-film-is-simplistic-but-heartfelt-4310511.html |publisher=[[Firstpost]] |access-date=1 May 2020 |date=19 January 2018}}</ref>
 
Bhat starred in [[Sudhir Mishra]]’s romantic drama ''[[Daas Dev]]'' (2018), a retelling of [[Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay]]'s novel ''[[Devdas]]'' set in the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh, in which he played the lead role opposite [[Aditi Rao Hydari]] and [[Richa Chaddha]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sinha |first1=Seema |title=Daas Dev is a political story with Shakespearean treatment and strong romantic base, says Sudhir Mishra|url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/daas-dev-is-a-political-story-with-shakespearean-treatment-and-strong-romantic-base-says-sudhir-mishra-4445043.html |publisher=[[Firstpost]] |access-date=2 September 2022 |date=25 April 2018}}</ref> In 2019, he appeared alongside Chaddha and [[Akshaye Khanna]] in the courtroom drama ''[[Section 375]]''. He played a Bollywood director accused of rape. [[Rajeev Masand]] wrote that he “does well as the arrogant director”.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/section-375-movie-review-akshaye-khanna-richa-chadhas-performances-make-for-compelling-courtroom-drama-2308555.html|title=Section 375 Movie Review: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha's Performances Make for Compelling Courtroom Drama|last=Rajeev|first=Rajeev|date=14 September 2019|work=News18|access-date=14 September 2019}}</ref>


==Career==
In 2021, Bhat starred in ''Man Naked'', an experimental single-shot short film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rahul Bhat to play 40-year-old in Sanjeev Kaul's 'Man Naked'|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/feb/11/rahul-bhat-to-play-40-year-old-in-sanjeev-kauls-man-naked-2262316.html |publisher=The New Indian Express |access-date=2 September 2022 |date=11 February 2021}}</ref> Bhat reunited with Anurag Kashyap in 2022, in ''[[Dobaaraa]]'', a remake of the Spanish mystery film ''[[Mirage (2018 film)|Mirage]]'', starring [[Taapsee Pannu]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Dobaaraa' movie review: Anurag Kashyap, Taapsee double the adrenaline|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/dobaaraa-movie-review-anurag-kashyap-taapsee-double-the-adrenaline/article65784926.ece/|website=[[The Hindu]]|date=18 August 2022 |access-date=18 August 2022 |last1=Kumar |first1=Anuj }}</ref> [[Anupama Chopra]] found Bhat's to be the "most notable character" in the film and added that his "frayed good looks and exhausted manner infuse a much-needed comic edge into the film".<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsoj24GXoZo|title=Dobaaraa Movie Review|access-date=7 September 2022|last=Chopra|first=Anupama|minutes=3.06|publisher=Film Companion}}</ref> He collaborated once again with Kashyap in the crime film ''[[Kennedy (film)|Kennedy]]'', which premiered at the [[2023 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|title= 76th Cannes Film Festival: Actor Rahul Bhat on filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's Kennedy, and working with Sunny Leone|url= https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/76th-cannes-film-festival-actor-rahul-bhatt-kennedy-interview-10584671.html |website=Money Control|access-date=23 May 2023}}</ref>
Bhat played role of Lord Krishna in Draupadi 2001. He has also played the role of Sameer on the television serial ''[[Heena (TV series)|Heena]]'', which aired for almost five years, and a very small role in the serial [[Jai Hanuman (1997 TV series)|Jai Hanuman]] directed by [[Sanjay Khan]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/interview-i-quit-acting-in-anger-rahul-bhat-2045116 | title=I quit acting in anger: Rahul Bhat | work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] | date=19 December 2015 | accessdate=8 January 2016 | author=CHAYA UNNIKRISHNAN}}</ref>
 
Further, Bhat made his film debut in ''[[Yeh Mohabbat Hai]]'', followed by the comedy ''[[Nayee Padosan]]''. He then became a [[television producer]], launching Filmtonic Entertainment in 2007 with the serial ''[[Meri Doli Tere Angana]]''. This was followed by ''Chu Kar Mere Manko'' and ''[[Tum Dena Saath Mera (2009 TV series)|Tum Dena Saath Mera]]''.
Bhat starred in [[Netflix]] thriller series ''[[Black Warrant (TV series)|Black Warrant]]'' in 2025, playing DSP Rajesh Tomar, a senior jailer at [[Tihar jail]]. [[Shubhra Gupta]] of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' termed it his most "worthy role" since ''Ugly''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gupta|first=Shubhra|title=Black Warrant review: Insider account of Tihar Jail is gritty, as real as possible|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/black-warrant-review-insider-account-of-tihar-jail-is-gritty-as-real-as-possible-9771268/|date=10 January 2025|access-date=10 January 2025 |work=The Indian Express}}</ref> [[Scroll.in]]'s Nandini Ramnath wrote that he "superbly portrays Tomar’s concentrated perversion".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ramnath|first=Nandini|title='Black Warrant' review: Grim show about Tihar jailers rarely lets up|url=https://scroll.in/reel/1077635/black-warrant-review-grim-show-about-tihar-prison-life-rarely-lets-up|date=10 January 2025|access-date=10 January 2025 |website=[[Scroll.in]]}}</ref>
Bhat returned to acting in [[Anurag Kashyap]]'s film ''[[Ugly (film)|Ugly]]''.


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
[[File:Rahul bhat 2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Bhat in 2014]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
! Year !! Film !!  Role !!  Note(s) / Ref(s)
! Year  
 
! Film  
! Role  
! Notes
|-
| 2002
| ''[[Yeh Mohabbat Hai]]''
| Chaand Nawaab
|
|-
| 2003
| ''[[Nayee Padosan]]''
| Prabhu
|
|-
| 2013
| '' [[Ugly (film) |Ugly]]''
| Rahul Kapoor
|
|-
| 2016
|''[[Fitoor]]''
| Bilal
|
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Jai Gangaajal]]''
| Pawan
|
|-
| 2017
| '' [[Union Leader (film) |Union Leader]]''
| Jay Gohil
|
|-
| 2018
| ''[[Daas Dev]]''
| Devdas
|
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Section 375]]''
| Rohan Khurana
|
|-
| 2021
| ''Man Naked''
| Ronnie
| Short film
|-
|-
|2001
| 2022
|''[[Draupadi (TV series)|Draupadi]]''
| ''[[Dobaaraa]]''
|Lord Krishna
| Vikas Awasthi
|
|
|-
|-
|2002
| 2023
| ''[[Yeh Mohabbat Hai]]'' || Chaand Nawaab ||
| ''[[Kennedy (film)|Kennedy]]''
| Uday Shetty / Kennedy
|
|}
 
=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Show
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1997
|''[[Jai Hanuman (1997 TV series)|Jai Hanuman]]''
|Sujuti
|
|-
|-
| 2003 || ''[[Nayee Padosan]]'' || Prabhu || <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/cast/id/201580 | title=Nayee Padosan (2003) | publisher=[[Bollywood Hungama]] | accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref>
|1998–2003
| ''[[Heena (TV series)|Heena]]''
|Sameer
|
|-
|-
| 2014 || ''[[Ugly (film)|Ugly]]''|| Rahul Kapoor || <ref name="Tabby Storey's looks the surprise element of Tabby Storey's Ugly">{{cite news|title=Rahul Bhatt|url=http://bollywoodcelebfacts.com/rahul-bhat/|accessdate=24 January 2018|publisher=BCF}}</ref>
|2002
|'' [[Draupadi_(TV_series) |Draupadi]]''
|[[Krishna]]
|
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"|2016 ||''[[Fitoor]]'' || Bilal || <ref>{{cite web | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/ugly-actor-rahul-bhat-roped-in-to-romance-katrina-kaif/ | title='Ugly' actor Rahul Bhat roped in to romance Katrina Kaif | publisher=[[The Indian Express]] | date=19 January 2015 | accessdate=8 January 2016 | author=Sonal Gera}}</ref>
|2007–2008
|''[[Meri Doli Tere Angana]]''
|{{dash}}
|Producer
|-
|-
| ''[[Jai Gangaajal]]'' || Pawan || <ref>{{cite web | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/prakash-jha-signs-rahul-bhat-for-gangaajal-2/ | title=Prakash Jha signs Rahul Bhat for 'Gangaajal 2' | publisher=[[The Indian Express]] | date=18 April 2015 | accessdate=8 January 2016 | author=Bollywood Hungama | author-link=Bollywood Hungama }}</ref>
|2007
|''Chhukar Mere Man Ko''
|{{dash}}
|Producer
|-
|-
| 2017 || ''[[Union Leader (film)|Union Leader]]'' || Jay Gohil ||
|2009
|''[[Tum Dena Saath Mera (2009 TV series)|Tum Dena Saath Mera]]''
|{{dash}}
|Producer
|-
|-
| 2018 || ''[[Daas Dev]]'' || Devdas || <ref>{{cite web | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/aur-devdas-is-sudhir-mishras-best-work-rahul-bhat/ | title='Aur Devdas' is Sudhir Mishra's best work: Rahul Bhat | publisher=[[The Indian Express]] | date=17 February 2015 | accessdate=8 January 2016}}</ref>
|rowspan="2"|2025
| ''[[Black Warrant (TV series)|Black Warrant]]''  
|DSP Rajesh Tomar
|
|-
|-
| 2019
|''[[Crime Beat]]''
|''[[Section 375]]''
|Binny Chaudhary
|Rohan Khurana||<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bollywoodhelpline.com/news-gossips/filmy-buzz/akshaye-khanna-richa-chadha-and-rahul-bhat-in-section-375-shooting-started/47337|title=Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha And Rahul Bhat in Section 375, Shooting Started|website=Bollywood Helpline}}</ref>
|
|}
|}


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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons|Rahul Bhat}}
{{Commons}}
* {{IMDb name|id=1178211|name= Rahul Bhat}}
* {{IMDb name|id=1178211|name= Rahul Bhat}}


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[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Kashmiri people]]
[[Category:Kashmiri actors]]
[[Category:Kashmiri Pandits]]
[[Category:Indian television producers]]
[[Category:Indian television producers]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
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[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
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[[Category:21st-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:People from Srinagar]]
[[Category:Male actors from Srinagar]]

Latest revision as of 03:38, 26 February 2026


Not to be confused with Rahul Bhatt.
Rahul Bhat
File:Rahul Bhat 1.jpg
Bhat in 2020
Born
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
OccupationActor, producer
Years active1998—present

Rahul Bhat is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He began his career as a fashion model and participated in the Graviera Mr. India contest in 1998, and subsequently worked in several advertisements and music videos. He gained fame for his leading role in the television serial Heena from 1998 to 2003. After starring in the films Yeh Mohabbat Hai (2002) and Nayee Padosan (2003), he took a sabbatical from acting and began producing television serials, including Meri Doli Tere Angana (2007–2008) and Tum Dena Saath Mera (2009).

Bhat made his acting comeback with a leading role in Anurag Kashyap's thriller film Ugly (2013), for which he received critical acclaim.[1] He has since appeared in Fitoor (2016), Daas Dev (2018), Section 375 (2019), and Kashyap’s Dobaaraa (2022), and Kennedy (2023). In 2025, he starred in the Netflix thriller series Black Warrant.

Life and career[edit | edit source]

Early life and work[edit | edit source]

Bhat was born in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India into a Kashmiri Pandit family.[2][3]

Bhat began his career as a fashion model. In 1998, he participated in the Graviera Mr. India contest, where he won the Mr Photogenic award.[4][5] He did advertisements for Pond's and Breeze detergent,[6] and appeared in music videos like "Soni Lag Gayee" with Pakistani singer Sajjad Ali, and "Punjabi Munda" for Tips Industries.[4] He gained popularity for his role in Heena, a soap opera on Sony Entertainment Television, which aired for five years from 1998 to 2003.[7][8][9]

Bhat had his first film role in the romantic drama Yeh Mohabbat Hai in 2002, directed by Umesh Mehra.[10] The film was not well received, but Priyanka Bhattacharya of Rediff.com found him “sincere” and Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama opined that he had made a “decent debut”.[11][12] The following year, he starred in the comedy Nayee Padosan, in which he played dual roles of a Tamil man and a don.[13]

Disillusioned with the kind of roles he was being offered, Bhat took a sabbatical from acting.[14] He instead began his own production company Filmtonic Entertainment, under which he produced television soap operas such as Meri Doli Tere Angana (2007–2008), Chhukar Mere Man Ko (2007), and Tum Dena Saath Mera (2009).[1][15] He has said about this period, "I quit acting because I was angry. I did not want to do B and C grade projects. I wanted to work on good scripts and with committed filmmakers. But nothing came my way and that made me unhappy."[1]

Return to acting[edit | edit source]

Bhat at the premiere of Ugly at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival[16]

The filmmaker Anurag Kashyap approached Bhat to play the part of a struggling actor whose daughter is kidnapped in his thriller film Ugly (2013).[17] To prepare for his role, Bhat started consuming alcohol heavily and deprived himself of sleep to create dark circles around his character's face.[18] For a sequence, where Bhat had to cry, Kashyap kept talking to him for three hours and he eventually broke down and wept. The camera kept rolling during that period.[19] Ugly premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it received standing ovation.[20][21] It was also screened at the New York Indian Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.[22][23][24] Arunava Chatterjee of India Today called Ugly a "pathbreaking crime fiction" and found Bhat to be “outstanding” in it.[25] Brian Clark of Screen Anarchy added that Bhat "does especially impressive work transitioning his character through some demanding plot twists and power shifts".[26]

Three years later in 2016, Bhat played a role opposite Katrina Kaif in the romantic drama Fitoor and alongside Priyanka Chopra in the crime film Jai Gangaajal.[3][27] In a review for the latter film, Srijana Mitra Das of The Times of India wrote that even in a small role, he had played his character's "radicalism with aplomb".[28]

The following year, Bhat had a leading role in Union Leader, an Indian-Canadian drama about a chemical factory supervisor who raises the issue of worker's health and safety against an unsympathetic management.[3][29] Anna M. M. Vetticad wrote that Bhat had brought an "X factor to his performance" which exceeded the screenplay's limitations.[30]

Bhat starred in Sudhir Mishra’s romantic drama Daas Dev (2018), a retelling of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Devdas set in the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh, in which he played the lead role opposite Aditi Rao Hydari and Richa Chaddha.[31] In 2019, he appeared alongside Chaddha and Akshaye Khanna in the courtroom drama Section 375. He played a Bollywood director accused of rape. Rajeev Masand wrote that he “does well as the arrogant director”.[32]

In 2021, Bhat starred in Man Naked, an experimental single-shot short film.[33] Bhat reunited with Anurag Kashyap in 2022, in Dobaaraa, a remake of the Spanish mystery film Mirage, starring Taapsee Pannu.[34] Anupama Chopra found Bhat's to be the "most notable character" in the film and added that his "frayed good looks and exhausted manner infuse a much-needed comic edge into the film".[35] He collaborated once again with Kashyap in the crime film Kennedy, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[36]

Bhat starred in Netflix thriller series Black Warrant in 2025, playing DSP Rajesh Tomar, a senior jailer at Tihar jail. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express termed it his most "worthy role" since Ugly.[37] Scroll.in's Nandini Ramnath wrote that he "superbly portrays Tomar’s concentrated perversion".[38]

Filmography[edit | edit source]

File:Rahul bhat 2.jpg
Bhat in 2014
Year Film Role Notes
2002 Yeh Mohabbat Hai Chaand Nawaab
2003 Nayee Padosan Prabhu
2013 Ugly Rahul Kapoor
2016 Fitoor Bilal
2016 Jai Gangaajal Pawan
2017 Union Leader Jay Gohil
2018 Daas Dev Devdas
2019 Section 375 Rohan Khurana
2021 Man Naked Ronnie Short film
2022 Dobaaraa Vikas Awasthi
2023 Kennedy Uday Shetty / Kennedy

Television[edit | edit source]

Year Show Role Notes
1997 Jai Hanuman Sujuti
1998–2003 Heena Sameer
2002 Draupadi Krishna
2007–2008 Meri Doli Tere Angana  – Producer
2007 Chhukar Mere Man Ko  – Producer
2009 Tum Dena Saath Mera  – Producer
2025 Black Warrant DSP Rajesh Tomar
Crime Beat Binny Chaudhary

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fernandes, Bradley (10 March 2015). "I'm not cut out for chamchagiri". Filmfare. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Runway star hits stardust". Hindustan Times. 15 August 2003. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sinha, Seema (26 April 2018). "Rahul Bhat on Daas Dev: Can't portray Devdas the way Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan did". Firstpost. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Seth, Sheetal (14 December 2001). "'I want to be where Amitabh Bachchan is'". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Love in times of violence". The Tribune. 8 February 2002. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "No ifs for this Bhatt". The Times of India. 19 March 2002. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Sharma, Suruchi (11 November 2010). "No goodbye to acting: Rahul Bhatt". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  8. ↑ Das, Anirban (14 February 2015). "No time for TV: Rahul Bhat". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Misra, Iti Shree (11 September 2014). "Rahul Bhatt: Now the film industry is not just a few people's playground". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "The new improved Rahul Bhatt". The Times of India. 5 October 2001. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  11. ↑ Bhattacharya, Priyanka (8 February 2002). "Love's labour lost". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  12. ↑ Adarsh, Taran (7 February 2002). "Yeh Mohabbat Hai Movie Review". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Chakravorty, Vinayak (7 June 2003). "Nayee Padosan". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Unnikrishnan, Chhaya (19 December 2014). "I quit acting in anger: Rahul Bhat". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  15. ↑ Poojary, Sapna (21 November 2013). "Rahul back in limelight". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  16. ↑ PTI (24 May 2013). "Kashmiri actor Rahul Bhat proud to walk Cannes red carpet". Mid-Day. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  17. ↑ Ghosh, Sankhayan (2 January 2015). "Anurag Kashyap says he is bored with his own ideas". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  18. ↑ "I became harsh on myself to prepare for 'Ugly': Rahul Bhat". The Indian Express. 25 December 2014. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  19. ↑ Upadhyay, Karishma (26 December 2014). "Ugly truth of Anurag". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  20. ↑ "Ugly receives a standing ovation at Cannes". Filmfare. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 June 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  21. ↑ Baker, Steven (30 May 2014). "Anurag Kashyap's Ugly wins critical acclaim in Cannes". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 27 June 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  22. ↑ "My personal life is nobody's business: Anurag Kashyap". Deccan Chronicle. 29 June 2014. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  23. ↑ "Anurag Kashyap's 'Ugly' to open New York Indian film festival". Daily News and Analysis. 1 April 2014. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  24. ↑ "Ugly". Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  25. ↑ Chatterjee, Arunava (26 December 2014). "Ugly review: It is a pathbreaking crime fiction". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  26. ↑ Clark, Brian (17 May 2013). "Cannes 2013 Review: Anurag Kashyap's UGLY Is a Riveting Thriller About Awful Things". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  27. ↑ Rahul Bhat to star opposite Katrina Kaif in 'Fitoor'. India Today. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  28. ↑ "Jai Gangaajal Movie Review". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  29. ↑ Bird, Cullen (8 September 2017). "Local filmmaker releasing Hindi-language feature film". Fort McMurray Today. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017.
  30. ↑ Vetticad, Anna MM (19 January 2018). "Union Leader movie review: Rahul Bhat, Tillotama Shome's film is simplistic but heartfelt". Firstpost. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  31. ↑ Sinha, Seema (25 April 2018). "Daas Dev is a political story with Shakespearean treatment and strong romantic base, says Sudhir Mishra". Firstpost. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  32. ↑ Rajeev, Rajeev (14 September 2019). "Section 375 Movie Review: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha's Performances Make for Compelling Courtroom Drama". News18. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  33. ↑ "Rahul Bhat to play 40-year-old in Sanjeev Kaul's 'Man Naked'". The New Indian Express. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  34. ↑ Kumar, Anuj (18 August 2022). "'Dobaaraa' movie review: Anurag Kashyap, Taapsee double the adrenaline". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  35. ↑ Chopra, Anupama. Dobaaraa Movie Review. Film Companion. 3.06 minutes in. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  36. ↑ "76th Cannes Film Festival: Actor Rahul Bhat on filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's Kennedy, and working with Sunny Leone". Money Control. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  37. ↑ Gupta, Shubhra (10 January 2025). "Black Warrant review: Insider account of Tihar Jail is gritty, as real as possible". The Indian Express. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  38. ↑ Ramnath, Nandini (10 January 2025). "'Black Warrant' review: Grim show about Tihar jailers rarely lets up". Scroll.in. Retrieved 10 January 2025.

External links[edit | edit source]

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