Vijay Raaz (born 5 June 1963) is an Indian actor,

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, ...

and

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

, who predominantly appears in Hindi films. He debuted with ''Bhopal Express'' (1999) and since worked in more than 90 films. His breakthrough came when he played the role of Dubeyji in the movie '' Monsoon Wedding'' in 2001. Raaz garnered recognition for his comedic role in '' Run'' (2004) and '' Dhamaal'' (2007). He is noted for playing gangster roles in '' Delhi Belly'' (2011) and '' Dedh Ishqiya'' (2014) as well as other notable films include '' Stree'' (2018),

Zoya Akhtar Zoya Akhtar (born 14 October 1972) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. After completing a diploma in filmmaking from NYU, she assisted directors such as Mira Nair, Tony Gerber and Dev Benegal, before becom ...

's '' Gully Boy'' (2019), '' Lootcase'' (2020),

Sanjay Leela Bhansali Sanjay Leela Bhansali (; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian filmmaker, director, screenwriter, and music composer who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfa ...

's '' Gangubai Kathiawadi'' (2022). In 2014, he debuted as a director with ''

Kya Dilli Kya Lahore ''Kya Dilli Kya Lahore'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language war film set in 1948, post India's independence, and deals with the Partition of India. The film stars Vijay Raaz, Manu Rishi, Raj Zutshi and Vishwajeet Pradhan, with Gulzar credited a ...

''. His gruff baritone voice has been used in voice-over work, including films and commercials.

Early life and career

Raaz was born in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...

on 5 June 1963. During his studies at P.G.D.A.V. College, University of Delhi, he was a part of the dramatic society. He decided to focus on film career and moved to

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 secon ...

where he gained a small but significant role in Ram Gopal Varma's ''

Jungle A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''ja� ...

''. Naseeruddin Shah had seen him perform at the NSD and recommended him to Mahesh Mathai for '' Bhopal Express'' and to

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural sphe ...

for '' Monsoon Wedding''. After the success of ''Monsoon Wedding'', Raaz received many roles. His first mainstream film cast as the leading actor was '' Raghu Romeo'', a box-office success where Raaz depicts the life of a confused lower-class Indian fellow. Raaz garnered recognition for his comedic role in the 2004 film '' Run''. In 2011, he played a ruthless gangster in '' Delhi Belly''. His gruff baritone voice has been used in voice-over work, including films and commercials.

Filmography

References

External links

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Vijay Raaz: Filmography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raaz, Vijay Indian male film actors Living people People from Delhi Kirori Mal College alumni 1963 births