Ashutosh Rana – Bollywood screen villain since mid-1990s

Ashutosh Rana is a famous Bollywood actor best known for playing powerful antagonist roles on screen. He shot to fame after playing villain in Kajol starrer Dushman in 1998, and his negative role in 1999 film Sangursh established his career in Bollywood. Both these roles earned him Filmfare awards for best actor in a negative role, and many other honours. He is perhaps the most scariest villain of Bollywood screen. He has also acted in south Indian films, mostly in negative roles and in TV soaps since 1990s. He has also surprisingly done positive roles on screen such as Kasoor and Raaz, both in early 2000s. Popular actress Renuka Shahane of Surabhi fame is his wife.

Alumni of National School of Drama

Ashutosh Rana was born in Gadarwara, Madhya Pradesh in year 1967. He started playing villain roles right from childhood when he used to play Ravana at local Ramaleela celebrations every year in his village. Later he studied acting from the prestigious NSD, New Delhi. He started off with theatre and has done plays for Prithvi Theatre under the legendary theatre persona Satyadev Dubey.

His career in television gave him early break to films

He was first seen in a small role of Shyam in the 9^th episode of Doordarshan’s investigation series, Tehkikaat (1994), followed by Swabhimaan (1995). He also appeared in the first season of horror series, Aahat in 1995. It was his spiritual guru, who he calls as ‘Daddaji’ who asked him to go to Mumbai and meet filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. He also advised Rana to take any project with name starting with ‘S’. When Swabhimaan was offered to him, he quickly said yes. He did the role of Tyagi in this soap.

Farz, Sazish, Jax Kabhi, Waris etc are some of the shows he did later. He also anchored the show, Baazi Kiski and also hosted the reality show, Sarkaar Ki Duniya. Though he appeared in many TV shows throughout 1990s, it was one breakthrough role as dangerous rapist and psycho in Dushman which changed his life forever.  

Dushman – His life changing role

Govind Nihalani’s offbeat film Sanshodhan (1996) was his first movie, though it went unnoticed. It was followed by Tamanna where he played a contract killer and Krishna Arjun, before he got the breakthrough role – Dushman. The path breaking villain’s character in the movie created new benchmark to Bollywood screen villain. His role as a coldblooded murderer and rapist was something audience never experienced on screen before. His expressive eyes and mannerisms forcefully asked people to hate him most.

He played a similar role in Sangharsh, who sacrifices kids to achieve immortality. From there on he played some of the powerful negative characters throughout 1990s and later. Ghulam, Zakhm, Sangharsh, Janwar, Badal, Ansh, Dhoka, Tarkieb etc are some of the noted negative roles during his early phase in Bollywood. These roles were enough to establish him as one of the most powerful screen villains of present generation cinema.

His positive roles in Kasoor and Raaz too received appreciation. His role as possessed in Raaz at the climax was the highlight of the film. His negative roles in Awarapan and Kalyug, both starring Emraan Hashmi were appreciated. Some of his noted roles in the recent times such as Sonchiriya, War, Simmba, Dhadak, Mulk etc too were well received. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Brothers, Zila Ghaziabad etc are a few more. He currently presents the show, Saavdhan India since 2019.

His presence in other language films

Among other languages, he worked in more than a dozen Telugu films, mostly in negative roles. He has also done Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi language films. Sangathamizhan, Johny, Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva, Vettai, Tamilselvanum Thaniyar Anjalum and Meaghamann are his works in Tamil. Kalki, Pataas, Okka Magadu, Victory, Krishnashtami, Jai Simha, Saakshyam, Viswamitra etc are among his Telugu releases.

Ashutosh Rana – 10+ Interesting and less-known facts

1. Noted Indian translator and theatre critic Shanta Gokhale is his mother-in-law. Shanta’s daughter Renuka Shahane was legally separated from her first husband Vijay Kenkare, a theatre personality after a brief marriage and is currently married to Ashutosh Rana. They got married in 2001, when Rana was gaining success in Bollywood.

2. His brother-in-law Girish Shahane is an artist, contemporary writer, columnist and art critic.

3. Ashutosh Rana is 13 months younger to his wife Renuka.

4. He is also a poet and TV presenter, though he is best known as an actor.

5. He was basically exposed to art and poetry during his childhood days. When he became a teenager he got interested in politics. He even tried to find his luck in politics, but couldn’t fetch a seat.

6. He is a follower of Hindu spiritual guru Pandit Dev Prabhakar Shastri, who he addresses as Dadda Ji. He took advice from his guru before moving to Mumbai to pursue his dreams.

7. He wanted to see his posters across the city. It was the main reason why he turned desperate when he failed to get a seat. However his guru predicted that something bigger is meant for him, and asked him to go to Delhi and join NSD. His guru asked him to show his Ramleela to entire world.

8. Only Ashutosh Rana and two other actors have managed to crack NSD test for admission in the first attempt.

9. Both the films which earned him early recognition – Dushman and Sangursh, released towards the end of 1990s were directed by newcomer Tanuja Chandra.

10. He played corrupt politician and policeman multiple times on screen.