Harish Patel (born 5 July 1953) is an Indian

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

. He has appeared in a variety of

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

films, but in recent years has begun to appear in American projects like reimagination of ''

Four Weddings and a Funeral ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' is a 1994 British romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It is the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant, and follows the adventures of Charles (Grant) and his circle ...

'' on Hulu. His latest project is the MCU film '' Eternals''. Although mainly associated with the stage, he has appeared in

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

and British films and television shows.

Early life and background

Patel was born in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

Bombay State Bombay State was a large Indian state created at the time of India's Independence, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Presidency (roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Maharashtra, excluding Sou ...

(now

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

), India. He began performing at the age of seven, when he played male and female roles in the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

epic ''

Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...

''.

Acting career

He made his film debut in ''

Mandi Mandi may refer to: Places * Mandı, Azerbaijan India * Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir * Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh ** Mandi State, former princely sta ...

'' directed by

Shyam Benegal Shyam Benegal (born 14 December 1934) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema, he is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers post 1970s. He has received ...

in 1983. From 1994 to 2008, Patel worked with the Indian theatre director

Satyadev Dubey Satyadev Dubey (13 July 1936 – 25 December 2011) was an Indian theatre director, actor, playwright, screenwriter & film director. He was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1971. He won the 1978 National Film Award for Best Scre ...

. In 1995, he joined the

Indian National Theatre The Indian National Theatre (INT) is a theatre organisation and troupe founded in 1943 and based in Mumbai, India. Although performing predominantly Gujarati theatre, the troupe has also produced a number of plays in other Indian languages. In ...

and appeared in the play ''Neela Kamra''. His repertoire has included classical and modern Indian plays as well as plays by Western writers, e.g.,

Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

's ''

The Caretaker ''The Caretaker'' is a play in three acts by Harold Pinter. Although it was the sixth of his major works for stage and television, this psychological study of the confluence of power, allegiance, innocence, and corruption among two brothers an ...

'',

Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lite ...

's ''

No Exit ''No Exit'' (french: Huis clos, links=no, ) is a 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre. The play was first performed at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in May 1944. The play begins with three characters who find themselves waiting ...

'',

Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His works ...

' '' Cross Purpose'', Ionesco's '' The Lesson'', and Mrozek's '' Vatzlav''. In the spring of 2007, Patel took the lead role of Eeshwar Dutt in '' Rafta, Rafta...'', a comedy written by

Ayub Khan-Din Ayub Khan Din (born 1961) is a British writer and actor. He wrote the BAFTA, BIFA and London Film Critics Circle award-winning film '' East Is East'' (1999), adapted from his 1996 Olivier-nominated play of the same name. His 2008 comedy play ...

and directed by

Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner (; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include ''Miss Saigon'', ''Th ...

at the National Theatre in London to critical acclaim and sellout audiences. His credits include '' The Buddha of Suburbia'', '' China Gate'', '' Mr India'' and ''

Run Fatboy Run ''Run Fatboy Run'' is a 2007 comedy film directed by David Schwimmer, written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Dylan Moran, Thandiwe Newton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort and Hank Azaria. It was released in the United ...

''. In 2009 he appeared in ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

'' playing the role of Umed,

Dev Alahan Dev Alahan is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street''. Portrayed by Jimmi Harkishin, the character's first appearance was broadcast on 10 November 1999. He is the ex-husband of Sunita (Shobna Gulati) and fat ...

's uncle. Patel also appeared in '' Mr Stink'', ''

Gangsta Granny ''Gangsta Granny'' is a 2011 British children's comedy fiction book, written by David Walliams, illustrated by Tony Ross and published by HarperCollins. A sequel, '' Gangsta Granny Strikes Again'', was released in 2021. Plot Ben, a curious ...

'', '' The Boy in the Dress'' and ''

Billionaire Boy ''Billionaire Boy'' is a children's fiction book written by David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. It was published on 28 October 2010 by ''HarperCollins''. The story follows Joe Spud, who is the richest boy in the country and has everyth ...

'', the television film adaptations of children's books by

David Walliams David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series '' Little B ...

. He plays shopkeeper Raj in all the films, although they are set in different places. His acting career has taken him all over India, and he has performed in the United Kingdom and abroad, in the United States and

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

among other countries. Patel is a life member of the Cine & TV Artists Association of India. He is well known for his catchphrase "gayee bhains paanee mein" (the buffalo entered the water), in the movie '' Mr. India''. Additionally, he garnered international recognition after starring in

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...

' '' Eternals'' as Karun. When interviewed regarding the film, Harish admitted to never watching a Marvel film before or even seeing Angelina Jolie or Salma Hayek films before.

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1983) * ''Vivek'' (1985) *''

Dacait ''Dacait'' is a 1987 Indian film directed by Rahul Rawail. The movie stars Sunny Deol, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Raakhee and Raza Murad. It is based on how a simple-living guy transforms into a dacoit after being oppressed by the Zamindars of the ...

'' (1987) * '' Mr India'' (1987) * '' Billoo Badshah'' (1989) – Tikdamdas * ''

Maine Pyaar Kiya ''Maine Pyar Kiya'' () is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya. Produced by Rajshri Productions, the film stars Salman Khan and Bhagyashree. It marked the debuts of Barjatya and Bhagyashre ...

'' (1989) * ''

Police Public ''Police Public'' is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film, directed by Esmayeel Shroff. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Raj Kiran (Bollywood actor), Raj Kiran, Poonam Dhillon, Naseeruddin Shah, Kabir Bedi and Prem Chopra. The film is a re ...

'' (1990) * ''

Thanedaar Thanedaar () is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language action film, produced by Sanjay Ray, Sudhir Roy under the Shiva Arts International banner and directed by Raj N. Sippy. It stars Jeetendra, Jaya Prada, Sanjay Dutt, Madhuri Dixit and music composed ...

'' (1990) *

Pratibandh ''Pratibandh'' is a 1990 Hindi-language action film directed by Ravi Raja Pinisetty and starring Chiranjeevi, Juhi Chawla and Rami Reddy (actor), Rami Reddy. The film marked the Bollywood debut of leading Telugu cinema, Telugu film star Chiranjeev ...

(1990) * '' Shola Aur Shabnam'' (1992) – Mama * '' Panaah'' (1992) – Lala * '' Sarphira'' (1992) – Police Constable No. 111 * '' Aankhen'' (1993)- * '' 15 August'' * ''Bedardi'' (1993)- Baburam * '' Andaz'' (1994) * ''

Mohra ''Mohra'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film co-written, edited and directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by his father Gulshan Rai. It stars Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty, Raveena Tandon in the lead roles, along with Naseeruddin ...

'' (1994) * ''

Andaz Apna Apna ''Andaz Apna Apna'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and produced by Vinay Kumar Sinha. It stars Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Raveena Tandon, Karishma Kapoor, Paresh Rawal (in a dual role) and Shakti Kap ...

'' (1994) *'' ''Mafia (1996 film)'' * '' Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love'' (1996) * ''Rangbaaz'' (1996 film) * '' Ghatak: Lethal'' (1996) * ''Udaan (1997 film)'' * '' Gupt: The Hidden Truth'' (1997) * ''

Tarazu ''Tarazu'' () is an Indian action thriller movie directed by Vimal Kumar and released in 1997 under the banner of Vee Creations. It stars mainly Akshay Kumar, Sonali Bendre, Amrish Puri, Ranjeet and Mohnish Bahl. Plot Police Inspector Ram ...

'' (1997) * ''

Ziddi ''Ziddi'' may refer to: * ''Ziddi'' (1948 film), a Hindi film * ''Ziddi'' (1964 film), a film by Pramod Chakravorty * ''Ziddi'' (1973 film), a Pakistani film in Punjabi language * ''Ziddi'' (1997 film), an Indian action film starring Sunny Deol and ...

'' (1997) – Personal Secretary (cameo) * '' Loha'' (1997) * ''

My Son the Fanatic ''My Son the Fanatic'' is a short story written by Hanif Kureishi first published in ''The New Yorker'' in 1994. It was reprinted in Kureishi's 1997 collection of short stories, ''Love in a Blue Time,'' and also as a supplement to some editi ...

'' (British film, 1997) * '' Purani Kabar'' (1998) * '' Vinashak – Destroyer'' (1998) * '' Salaakhen'' (1998) – Panteshswar * ''

Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai ''Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai'' () is an Indian Hindi-language romance film released in 1998. Directed by Deepak Sareen and written by Honey Irani, the film stars Salman Khan as womaniser Sooraj and Twinkle Khanna as his first real love. Aditya ...

'' (1998) * ''

Gunda ''Gunda'' is a genus of moths of the family Bombycidae (silk moths). The genus was erected by Francis Walker in 1862. It is primarily an Oriental genus, found in India, China and South-east Asia. Species *''Gunda aroa'' Bethune-Baker, 1904 *''G ...

'' (1998) * ''

Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha ''Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha'' () is a 1998 Indian romantic comedy film starring Kajol and Ajay Devgn. The film is a scene to scene copy of the 1995 American film ''French Kiss'' starring Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. At the 44th Filmfare Awards, ''Py ...

'' (1998) * ''

Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke ''Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke'' () is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film. It was the first of seven films which starred real-life couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. The film is a remake of the 1995 Hollywood film '' A Walk in ...

'' (2000) * ''

Krodh {{Five Evils Krodh (Gurmukhi: ਕਰੋਧ ''Karōdha'') is derived from the Sanskrit word krodha (क्रोध), which means wrath or rage. This is an emotion recognized in the Sikh system as a spring of desire and is as such counted as on ...

'' (2000) * ''

Badal ''Badal'' () is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Raj Kanwar. The film stars Bobby Deol and Rani Mukerji in lead roles with Amrish Puri. The movie is inspired by ''The Devil's Own'' (1997), starring Harrison Ford and ...

'' (2000) – Dayashankar * ''

Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat ''Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (English: ''Love, Amour and Romance'') is a 2001 Indian Hindi romance film written and directed by Rajiv Rai and produced by Gulshan Rai under the Trimurti Films banner. The film was released on 3 August 2001, introd ...

'' (2001) * ''

Zubeidaa ''Zubeidaa'' is a 2001 Indian film directed by Shyam Benegal and written by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Surekha Sikri, Rajit Kapoor, Lillete Dubey, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, and Shakti Kapoor. A.R. Rah ...

'' (2001) * ''

Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein ''Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein'' () is a 2002 Indian Hindi romance drama film directed by Ravi Shankar. The film stars Fardeen Khan opposite Richa Pallod, who makes her Bollywood debut. It released worldwide on 28 June 2002, and opened to a m ...

'' (2002) * ''Bokshu, the Myth'' (2002) * ''

Calcutta Mail ''Calcutta Mail'' is a 2003 Indian action thriller film starring Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukerji and Manisha Koirala. It was directed by Sudhir Mishra. The film is a remake of the 1998 Telugu film ''Choodalani Vundi''. Plot Avinash (Anil Kapoor) ...

'' (2003) * '' Love at Times Square'' (2003) * ''

Ek Hindustani Ek Hindustani is an Indian action film which remains unreleased. The film was directed by Tinnu Anand. It starred Sunil Shetty and Raveena Tandon in lead roles. Plot Sunil Srivastava ( Sunil Shetty), is the son of a freedom fighter ( Pran), wh ...

'' (2003) * ''

Thoda Tum Badlo Thoda Hum ''Thoda Tum Badlo Thoda Hum'' is a 2004 Bollywood film starring Arya Babbar and Shriya Saran in the lead, while Kiran Karmarkar, Ashok Saraf, Nishigandha Wad and Shoma Anand appear as supporting cast. The story is a love-hate relationship b ...

'' (2004) * ''Chicken Tikka Masala'' (2005) * ''

Pyaar Mein Twist Pyaar Mein Twist (English: A Twist in Love) is a 2005 Bollywood romantic comedy film directed by Hriday Shetty and starring Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Sammir Dattani, Kishori Shahane, Vikas Bhalla and the British artist Emma Bunton. Synops ...

'' (2005) * ''

'' (2007) * ''

Today's Special ''Today's Special'' is a Canadian children's television program produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario, originally broadcasting 120 episodes from 1981 to 1987. Much of the series was set in a department store, based on Simpson's then-flags ...

'' (2009) * ''

Kisse Pyaar Karoon ''Kisse Pyaar Karoon'' () is a 2009 Indian comedy film directed by Ajay Chandok. The film stars Arshad Warsi, Aashish Chaudhary and Yash Tonk. The basic plot is lifted from Hollywood comedy Saving Silverman which in turn was also the main theme ...

'' (2009) * '' Keith Lemon: The Film'' (2012) * '' All in Good Time'' (2012) * '' Jadoo'' (2013) * ''Lies We Tell'' (2016) * ''Shin Banglasia'' (2021) – Party Janitor (cameo) * '' Eternals'' (2021) – Karun Patel

Television

* '' Malgudi Days'' (season 1 episode 4, 1986) – Mahakanjus (Miser)/The Hoard * ''

Yatra ( sa, यात्रा, 'journey', 'procession'), in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated ...

'' (1986) * ''

Bharat Ek Khoj ''Bharat Ek Khoj'' () is a 53-episode Indian historical drama based on the book '' The Discovery of India'' (1946) by Jawaharlal Nehru that covers a 5,000-year history of India from its beginnings to independence from the British in 1947. The ...

'' (1988) * ''

Wagle Ki Duniya ''Wagle Ki Duniya'' () is an Indian sitcom that aired on DD National from 1988 to 1990. It was produced by Durga Khote, directed by Kundan Shah, and was based on characters created by noted cartoonist, R. K. Laxman, especially " the common man" ...

'' (1989) * '' The Buddha of Suburbia'' (1993) * ''Gopaljee'' (1996) * ''

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency ''The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'' is a series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith set in Botswana and featuring the character Mma Precious Ramotswe. The series is named after the first novel, published in 1998. Twenty-two novels have been p ...

'' (2008) * ''

'' (2009) * ''

Baa Bahoo Aur Baby ''Baa Bahoo Aur Baby'' (colloquially known as ''BBB'' or ''B3''; ) is an Indian television dramedy series that aired in prime time on Star Plus between 2005 and 2010 with a total of two seasons. The series was produced by Hats Off Productions an ...

'' (2010) * '' Mr Stink'' (2012) * ''

'' (2013) * ''

The Driver ''The Driver'' is a 1978 American neo-noir crime film, crime thriller film written and directed by Walter Hill. It stars Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, and Isabelle Adjani. O'Neal is the getaway driver for robberies whose exceptional talent has prevent ...

'' (2014) * '' The Boy in the Dress'' (2014) * ''

Mapp and Lucia ''Mapp and Lucia'' is a 1931 comic novel written by E. F. Benson. It is the fourth of six novels in the popular Mapp and Lucia series, about idle women in the 1920s and their struggle for social dominance over their small communities. It bring ...

'' (2014) * ''

'' (2016) * ''

'' (2019)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Patel, Harish 1953 births Living people 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Indian male film actors Indian male soap opera actors Indian male television actors Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors from Mumbai