Ashutosh Rana - Biography

No matter how many films he does, a lot of people still refer to Ashutosh Jaisingh Rana as Tyagi, a character he played in the popular soap opera Swabhimaan. After conquering the small screen he moved on to Bollywood and eventually Tollywood, only to return to TV to host a show. First step to greatness: Ashutosh was born on 10th January 1964. He is from Gadarwara in Madhya Pradesh. As a kid he was interested in dramatics, and played Ravana in the Ramleela quite often. His acting prowess led everyone to believe that he would make it big one day. Successful Television Career: Ashutosh debuted in Swabhimaan (1995), a soap opera Directed by none other than Mahesh Bhatt, written by Shobha De. The serial went on to become a huge hit with fantastic TRPs and Ashutosh’s character Tyagi, became a household name. Soon after, he worked in a handful of other serials like Farz, Sazish, Kabhi Kabhi and Waris. He has also anchored a TV show called Baazi Kiski. Though he entered films, his love for television seems to have stayed on. As a result, in 2009 he hosted a reality show Sarkaar ki Duniya, where he plays “Sarkar”. Bollywood Career: • Ashutosh’s first Bollywood film was Sanshodhan (1996). It sank without a trace. • His next film was Tamanna (1997). The film didn’t do too great commercially, but is praised for the well-written script and strong social message it sends out, and the fantastic acting. Ashutosh played a small role here. • Dushman (1998) brought Ashutosh in the spotlight. His portrayal of Gokul Pandit, a rapist and ruthless killer, made people loathe his character, which is what the filmmaker wanted.   • Ashutosh played a small role in the hit Ghulam (1998). • Mahesh Bhatt seemed to pick him for a lot of his films. One such movie was Zakhm (1998); powerful film with a great impact. • Then came Sangharsh (1999). He played Lajja Shankar, a religious fanatic on a killing spree. His brilliant acting and superb dialogue delivery ensured that though the film did an average business he shone through it. • In 2001 he played a cop in Kasoor , another film from the Mahesh Bhatt clan. • As Professor Agni Swaroop in the horror film Raaz (2002) he looked and behaved as spookily as the film was. • In 2005 he played Farid in Kalyug (2005). The kajal-wearing bad guy turns over a new leaf to help the hero in distress. A small yet well performed role. • Awarapan (2007) saw him in the role of a gangster, Bharat Malik. In 2009 he appeared in Coffee House and The Murderer. Both movies disappeared without notice. He has a 2 more films that are to be released in 2009: Hamilton Palace and Alibaba and the 41 Thieves. Tollywood: AShutosh has worked in Telugu films as well: • Venky (2004) • Bangaram (2006) • Okka Magadu (2008) Accolades: For his mind blowing performances in Dushman and Sangharsh he received Filmfare awards for best villain.   Quick facts: Ashutosh is married to Renuka Shahane, a Bollywood actor and popular TV show host. They have 2 sons named Shauryaman and Satyendra. His mother tongue is Bundelkhandi. His Hindi is amazing. Movies like Sangharsh showcase his excellent oratory skills.