Viveik Kalra () is an English actor. His breakout role came in 2019's ''
Blinded by the Light
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, a which first appeared on his 1973 debut album ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'' A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the ...
'', directed by
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha, (born 10 January 1960) is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in England. The common theme among her work showcases the trials of Indian women living in the UK and ho ...
.
Early life and education
Kalra was born in
Windsor and Maidenhead
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is a Royal Borough of Berkshire, in South East England. It is named after both the towns of Maidenhead and Windsor, the borough also covers the nearby towns of Ascot and Eton. It is home to Windsor ...
,
[''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007''] Berkshire, England, to a British-born Indian father and Indian mother. He was raised in Windsor, where he became a fan of
Indian films
The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
and American
hip hop. He was in his first year at the
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
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, image_size =
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, established = 1949
, type = Public
, staff =
, vice_chancellor =
, students = 779 (2017/18)
, undergrad ...
in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
in 2016 when he left after being cast in his first role.
Career
Kalra's first job was in the 2018
ITV miniseries ''Next of Kin'', which came after he sent a video audition. In 2019, he also starred in another ITV miniseries,
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha, (born 10 January 1960) is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in England. The common theme among her work showcases the trials of Indian women living in the UK and ho ...
's historical drama ''
Beecham House
''Beecham House'' is a short-lived British historical drama television series set in 1795, co-created, directed and produced by Gurinder Chadha. The six-part series was announced in August 2018 and was broadcast between Sunday 23 June ...
''. He was cast as Javed Khan in ''
Blinded by the Light
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, a which first appeared on his 1973 debut album ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'' A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the ...
'', about a British-Pakistani teen inspired by
Bruce Springsteen in 1987, after singing "
Born to Run
''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...
" in the audition.
For his role as Javed, Kalra was nominated as Best Actor at the
2019 SIFF.
He stars as Peter in the science fiction film ''
Voyagers'', along with
Tye Sheridan
Tye Kayle Sheridan (born November 11, 1996) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for playing the young Scott Summers / Cyclops in the reboot ''X-Men'' film series (2016–2019), as well as Wade Watts in ''Ready Player One'' (2 ...
,
Fionn Whitehead,
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell (; born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor. A leading man in projects across various genres in both blockbuster and independent films since the 2000s, he has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award. ''The ...
and
Lily-Rose Depp
Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 27 May 1999) is a French-American actress and model. Depp began her acting career with a small role in ''Tusk'' (2014), and went on to star in the period drama '' The Dancer'' (2016), in which she played Isadora Dunc ...
.
In 2022, he starred as
Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan Mellet ( ; born 5 June 1995) is an Australian singer-songwriter, actor and YouTuber. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan signed with EMI Australia in 2013 and released his thi ...
's love interest in the film ''Three Months.''
In 2023, he signed on to co-star with Indian superstar
Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the cross-cultural romantic comedy film titled "
Chennai Story," which is directed by Bafta-winning Welsh director
Philip John
Philip John (born in Newport, Wales) is a director and screenwriter. He is the managing director of his own production company, Orange River Ltd, named after the River Ebbw, which, in the 1960s, was one of the most polluted waterways in Europe.
...
.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalra, Viveik
Living people
1998 births
21st-century English male actors
Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
British male actors of Asian descent
English male film actors
English male television actors
English people of Indian descent
Male actors from Berkshire
People from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead