Neeraj Kabi

Last updated

Neeraj Kabi
Neeraj Kabi in 2018.jpg
Kabi in 2018
Born (1968-03-12) 12 March 1968 (age 56)
Jamshedpur, Bihar, India
Occupation(s)Film Theatre actor
Theatre director
Years active1996–present
AwardsBest Actor at the 4th Sakhalin International Film Festival, Russia

Best Actor for Cinematic Excellence at the 4th Jagran Film Festival

Newsmakers Achievers’ Award for Best Actor for his contribution to the Indian theatre and cinema

Contents

Neeraj Kabi is an Indian film entertainer and theatre actor, theatre director, and acting coach known for his works in International films and Hindi cinema, theatre, and television. [1] [2]

Early life

Neeraj Kabi was born on 12 March 1968 in Jamshedpur, Bihar, now in Jharkhand. He did his schooling from Loyola School, Jamshedpur. Later, he did a diploma in computer science from Symbiosis College, Pune.

Personal life

His father's name is Tushar Kabi, and his mother's name is Zarin Kabi. He has one brother, Partha Kabi and sister Radhika Virdi. He is married to the fashion designer, Deepali Kosta, and the couple is blessed with a daughter, Shatakshi Kabi. He is odia from his father’s side.

Career

Neeraj Kabi is a self-taught actor, director, trainer who is working towards building a Theatre and Film Residency involved in performance, directing, training and research. [3] The techniques he uses are his own discoveries and experiments that he has been working on for many years to evolve his skill of acting in films and theatre. [4]

Since the last two decades, he has been working as a professional actor with renowned national and international theatre and film directors. As a theatre director, he's been exploring the concept of collaborating Indian traditional artistes with urban actors to interpret Indian and Global theatre texts. Neeraj has travelled across the country since 1996 to conduct theatre and acting workshops for actors, children and other industries. As theatre and films deal with advanced levels of behavioural sciences which can be life changing, these workshops are based on the foundations of deep explorations of theatre philosophies, theatre sciences and theatre arts.

Theatre

Neeraj began work as a professional theatre actor in 1998 in Mumbai. He has performed in major or lead roles in plays by Shakespeare (as Banquo), Tom Stoppard (as Hamlet), Molière (as Sganarelle), Marivaux (as Harlequin), Chekov (as Gurov & Chekov), Oscar Wilde (as King Herod), Ibsen (as Tesman), Margurite Duras (as Peter Morgan), Florian Zeller [ Pierre] amongst others and has worked with International and Indian directors such as Jean Jacques Bellot and Eric Vigner from France, Gil Alon from Israel, Rene Migliaccio from USA and with Atul Kumar, Rehaan Engineer and Naseeruddin Shah from India.

His theatre production of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' which he directed and produced in 2006 with support from the British Council Division of Mumbai, was performed at The Nehru National Theatre Festival in Mumbai, the National School of Drama's Bharat Rang Mahotsav and opened at the Kala Ghoda Festival in Mumbai, the same year. The production involved actors from Mumbai and original artistes from Indian traditions of Dhrupad singing and Yakshagana dance-drama.

Cinema

Neeraj's work in cinema began in 1997 with the film "The Last Vision", [5] a feature film directed by Mr. A.K. Bir and produced by the NFDC which won a national award in 1998 and made it to the competition section of Cairo and Singapore International Film Festivals. [5] Thereafter, he performed in the lead role as an Indian monk in Anand Gandhi's hugely acclaimed international award-winning feature film, "Ship of Theseus". (BEST ACTOR - Jury Special Mention at the 4th Jagran Film Festival, 2013) [6] (BEST ACTOR at the 4th Sakhalin International Film Festival, Russia).

He played various distinctive roles, from performing as Mahatma Gandhi in Shyam Benegal's television series, 'Samvidhaan', to a Villain in Dibakar Banerjee's "Detective Byomkesh Bakshy" (Yash Raj Films) and the role of a convicted father in "Talvar", based on a true life story directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Vishal Bharadwaj. (Nominations for ACTING at Sony Guild Awards, Zee Cine Awards, Stardust Awards in 2016) (Newsmakers Achievers' Award for BEST ACTOR).

He's also been a part of multiple web-series projects for Netflix, Amazon and others. He performed as DCP Parulkar in a Netflix Original, 'Sacred Games'. (BEST ACTOR in a Supporting Role at the Indian Television Academy Awards in 2019) (Nomination at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in Singapore). He also won BEST ACTOR in a Supporting Role at the Indywood Academy Awards in Hyderabad for his performance in the feature film, 'Hichki' (Yash Raj Film Productions). His latest Lead Role performance as a Romantic Actor in an Indo-German Feature film called "Once Again" was honoured by the Times Now 2019 edition of Power Brands: Bollywood Film Journalist's Award with the title of "Editor's Choice BEST ACTOR".

Neeraj's latest feature film "Raahgir" directed by the legendary Goutam Ghosh premiered at the Busan International Film festival in October 2019.

He has also been a parr of acclaimed web-series such as Paatal Lok and Avrodh and Sacred Games.

In an interview, he shared the story of his struggling days in the film industry, he said, “Just nothing worked. Nobody called me. It went on and on, endlessly, relentlessly... I’ve [taken up jobs such as] production work, AD, spot boy, all kinds of things. I was the junior copywriter in certain ad agencies. I used to sell books from door to door for many, many years. I gave tuitions, home to home, all over the city. All kinds of tuitions: elocution, speech, mathematics, English. And that's where I learned a very important thing in my life: humility. My ego got crushed because I was pulped to the ground by everything that was happening to me. You never [imagine] that doors would be slammed on your face, you will be abused, you will be pushed, you will be kicked, so many things will happen to you. And, not for one year, two years, but for ten, 15, 18 long years. That's where the survival issue came in, and I started to teach [acting]. Because when you get so abused all the time, you lose faith in yourself. And, you think, ‘If you don't get out now, you'll fall sick.’ Because you can't take it every single day of your life.”

Neeraj Kabi essays pivotal role in “Sherni”, directed by the award-winning filmmaker Amit Masurkar. [7]

Awards

Nominations

Filmography

Films

YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
1997 The Last Vision (Shesha Drushti)Sangram (lead)OriyaNational Award for Best film
2012 Ship of Theseus MaitreyaEnglish, HindiBest Actor at the 4th Sakhalin International Film Festival, Russia [10]

Best Actor [Jury Special Mention] at the 4th Jagran Film Festival, 2013

Nominated for most promising newcomer (Male) at the 20th Annual Screen Awards 2015

2013 Monsoon Shootout Inspector KhanHindiNominated for Golden Camera award at Cannes Film Festival

Nominated for Audience Choice Award at Chicago International Film Festival

2014Gandhi of the MonthMr. GiriEnglish, Hindi
2015 Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! Dr. Guha/Yang GuangHindiNominated for Best Actor in a negative role at the IBNLive Movie Awards 2016

Nominated for Best Actor in a negative role at the Zee Cine Awards 2016

Nominated for Best Actor in a negative role (Readers Choice) at the Stardust Awards 2016

2015 Talvar Dr. TandonHindiNominated for Best Actor in a supporting role at the 11th Sony Guild Awards 2015
201535 mm (short film)GuruHindi
2017 Viceroy's House Mahatma Gandhi English
2017 Gali Guliyan LiakatHindiFinalists at Sundance screenwriting lab, 2015

Won the Grand Jury Prize at MAMI Film Festival, 2017

2017Tabeer (post-production)Lieutenant GeneralHindi
2017 The Hungry Arun KumarEnglish, Hindi
2018 Hichki Prof WadiaHindi, EnglishBest Actor in a supporting role at the Indywood Academy Awards 2019
2018 Once Again AmarHindiBest Actor (Editor's Choice) at the Times Now 2019 Edition of Power Brands: Bollywood Film Journalist's awards
2019Raahgir - The WayfarersChopat LalHindi
2019 Laal Kaptaan Sadullah KhanHindi
2019 Line of Descent Siddharth SinhaHindiMovie released on ZEE5
2020FreedomHindi Netflix Original
2021 Sherni [11] NangiaHindi Amazon Prime Video Release
2022 Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga Hindi
2022 Sita Ramam Pakistani LawyerTelugu
2023 Neeyat Sanjay SuriHindi
2023 Sam Bahadur Jawahar Lal Nehru Hindi
2024Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (remake)HindiIt will be directed by Darshan Ashwin Trivedi. [12] [13]

Television and web series

YearShowRoleLanguageNetworkAwards & Nominations
2014 Samvidhaan Mahatma Gandhi Hindi Rajya Sabha TV
2018-19 Sacred Games DCP ParulkarHindi Netflix Best Actor in a supporting role at the ITA awards 2019

Nominated for Best Actor in a supporting role at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2019 in Singapore

2019 The Final Call V. KrishnamurthyEnglish, Hindi ZEE5
2019 Taj Mahal 1989 Akhtar BaigHindi Netflix
2019The BearKhader KhanEnglish/HindiApple TV
2020 Paatal Lok Sanjeev MehraEnglish, Hindi Amazon Prime Video
2020 Avrodh Shailesh MalviyaEnglish, HindiSony Liv
2023 Star Wars: Visions: The Bandits of Golak Inquisitor (voice)English Disney+

Theatre

YearPlayWriterRoleLanguageDirector/Producer
1998 Macbeth William Shakespeare Banquo, English DoctorEnglishSalim Ghouse - Phoenix Players
2000 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead Tom Stoppard HamletEnglishThe Company Theatre
2000Love is the best remedy Molière SganarelleEnglishJean Jacques Bellot (from France)
2001 The game of love and chance Marivaux HarlequinEnglishRene Migliaccio (from USA)
2003 Lady with Lapdog (play adaptation) Anton Chekov Gurov and ChekovEnglishAtul Kumar (The Company Theatre)
2004 Salome Oscar Wilde King HerodEnglishGil Alon (from Israel)
2004AhamExperimental work by 13 young workshop actors-English, HindiNeeraj Kabi
2005 Hamlet William Shakespeare and Harivansh Rai Bachchan -English, HindiNeeraj Kabi
2010 Hedda Gabler Henrik Ibsen TesmanEnglishRehaan Engineer / The Company Theatre
2013Gates to India song Marguerite Duras Peter MorganEnglishEric Vigner (from France)
2017The Father Florian Zeller PierreEnglishNaseeruddin Shah / Motley

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manoj Bajpayee</span> Indian actor

Manoj Bajpayee, also transliterated as Manoj Bajpai, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi cinema and has also done Telugu and Tamil language films. He is the recipient of numerous accolades including three National Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards, and two Asia Pacific Screen Awards. In 2019, he was awarded India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, for his contributions to art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajit Kapur</span> Indian actor (b. 1963)

Rajit Kapur is an Indian film and theatre actor and director. He is known for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1996 film, The Making of the Mahatma for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor. Other notable roles are as the protagonist Unni in the Malayalam film Agnisakshi, and the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi in the eponymous television series, directed by Basu Chatterjee and broadcast on Doordarshan. His debut film was Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1992), directed by Shyam Benegal.

Mulraj Rajda was an Indian writer, actor and director who predominantly worked in Hindi and Gujarati films, television shows and theatre. He is regarded as one of the most finest artist in the Gujarati cinema. He has appeared in over 50 films, television serials in Gujarati cinema and in Hindi Cinema as an actor, writer, and director, in a career that has spanned over five decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kranti Kanade</span>

Kranti Kanade is a National Award winning Indian filmmaker. His films include Peepal Tree, CRD (film), Gandhi of the Month, Mahek and Chaitra. He studied at UCLA and FTII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibakar Banerjee</span> Indian film director

Dibakar Banerjee is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer and advertisement-filmmaker known for his work in Hindi films. Banerjee started his career in advertising, being a feature filmmaker, he still continues to be an ad-filmmaker. He also runs his own film production company, Dibakar Banerjee Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sushant Singh Rajput</span> Indian actor (1986–2020)

Sushant Singh Rajput was an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He starred in a number of commercially successful Hindi films such as M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), Kedarnath (2018) and Chhichhore (2019). He received a Screen Award and was nominated for the Filmfare Awards on three occasions. He appeared on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list twice since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meghna Gulzar</span> Indian writer, director and producer (born 1973)

Meghna Gulzar is an Indian writer, director and producer. She is best known for directing critically acclaimed films; Talvar (2015) and Raazi (2018). Born to Gulzar and actress Raakhee, Gulzar joined her father as an assistant to his films and became a screenwriter for her father's 1999 directorial Hu Tu. Meghna later became an independent director and directed her first film, the drama Filhaal... (2002), though she did not achieve directorial success that decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vishal Bhardwaj</span> Indian film director, screenwriter and composer

Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of eight National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arfi Lamba</span>

Arfi Lamba is an Indian-born actor, producer, entertainer, philosopher, and humanist who has appeared in films, television shows, theatre productions, television commercials, and print advertisements. His acting debut on screen came in 2008 with the film Slumdog Millionaire. He is known for his role in the action-comedy film Singh Is Bliing, directed by Prabhu Deva and co-starring Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Lara Dutta and Kay Kay Menon.

Prateeksha Lonkar is an Indian actress who mostly appeared in Hindi and Marathi films and television series. She is best known for playing the lead title role in the Marathi TV serial Damini, that aired on DD Sahyadri.

<i>Ship of Theseus</i> (film) 2012 Indian drama film by Anand Gandhi

Ship of Theseus is a 2012 Indian drama film written and directed by Anand Gandhi, and produced by actor Sohum Shah. The film explores "questions of identity, justice, beauty, meaning and death through the stories of an experimental photographer, an ailing monk and an enterprising stockbroker", played by Aida El-Kashef, Neeraj Kabi and Sohum Shah.

<i>Talvar</i> (film) 2015 film by Meghna Gulzar

Talvar (transl. Sword), released internationally as Guilty, is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language crime-thriller drama film directed by Meghna Gulzar and written by Vishal Bhardwaj. Produced by Bhardwaj and Vineet Jain, the film is loosely based on the 2008 Noida double murder case involving a teenage girl and her family's servant. Starring Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi, the film follows the investigation of a case from three different perspectives in which her parents are either guilty or innocent of the murder charges by the police investigation, the first Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and an investigation by a different CBI team.

<i>Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!</i> 2015 Indian film

Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language mystery action thriller film directed and co-written by Dibakar Banerjee, and produced by Banerjee and Aditya Chopra. The story is based on the fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi created by the Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Sarbh</span> Indian actor (born 1987)

Jim Sarbh is an Indian actor known for his work in films and stage productions. He has received several awards including a Filmfare OTT Award, and an IIFA Award with a nomination for an International Emmy Award. Additionally, he has directed and acted in numerous theatre productions in India.

Indrajit Nattoji is an Indian film director, artist, and producer known for his works in Bollywood, television, and advertising. Nattoji started his career in documentary filmmaking and then moved from television to advertising to be a feature filmmaker. He continues to be an ad filmmaker and runs his own film production company, Blink Pictures. Nattoji has made his directional debut Aagey Se Right (2009) which was produced by Ronnie Screwvala under the banner of UTV Spotboy, a subsidiary of UTV Motion Pictures. Indrajit has also directed a feature film titled Aafat-E-Ishq starring Neha Sharma, Ila Arun, Deepak Dobriyal, and Namit Das which is produced by Zee Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prasun Gain</span> Bengali actor

Prasun Gain is an Indian actor and dramatist who works in Bengali cinema and television. He is best known for his roles in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015), Alifa (2016), and Prem Amar (2009). He also played the character based on Tillius Cimber in the Bengali adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Zulfiqar (2016). On television, he plays the role of Prafulla Roy in Byomkesh. Prasun Gain is currently releasing his short films on his YouTube channel.

In the Indian state of Jharkhand, films are produced in various regional and tribal languages including Kudmali, Hindi, Nagpuri, Khortha and Santali. Film industry in state of Jharkhand is also known as Jollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junglee Pictures</span> Indian film production and distribution company established in 2014

Junglee Pictures is a film production and distribution company that was established by Vineet Jain of The Times Group in 2014. As of 2022, the company has produced nine Hindi films

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sohum Shah</span> Indian Actor

Sohum Shah is an Indian actor, producer, and entrepreneur who works in Hindi films. He made his first screen appearance in 2009 with the film Baabarr, where he played the antagonist and in 2012 with the National Award-winning film Ship of Theseus which was produced under his banner, Recyclewala Films. Following his debut, Shah featured in Talvar (2015) and Simran (2017). His film Tumbbad received critical acclaim.

<i>Raahgir – The Wayfarers</i> 2019 film

Raahgir – The Wayfarers is a Hindi film by director Goutam Ghose. The film stars Adil Hussain, Tillotama Shome, Neeraj Kabi and Omkardas Manikpuri. The film is produced by Amit Agarwal.

References

  1. "Neeraj Kabi". IMDb. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  2. "I am hungry for good work: 'Talvar' actor Neeraj Kabi". The Indian Express. 6 September 2015. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  3. Ghosal, Sharmistha (12 July 2019). "Actor Neeraj Kabi on living his dream in Goutam Ghose's Hindi film, Raahgir". Indulge Express. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020.
  4. "4 underrated theatre actors you'd love to watch on stage!". Blogbuster Tata Sky.
  5. 1 2 Khan, Murtaza Ali (4 September 2018). "Neeraj Kabi and his art of transformation". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020.
  6. Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (3 August 2013). "The monk and the producer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014.
  7. "Vidya Balan On Her 'Exciting' & 'Fulfilling' Journey In Bollywood: "I Was At The Right Place At The Right Time"". Koimoi. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  8. Korablinov, Alexander (2 September 2014). "Ship of Theseus wins Grand Prix at Sakhalin film festival". Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  9. "Curtains fall on 4th Jagran Film Festival". mid-day. 30 September 2013. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  10. "'I don't want to be easily recognised when I come on screen'". The Indian Express. 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  11. "Vidya Balan starrer Sherni to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in June 2021". Bollywood Hungama . 17 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  12. "Basu Chatterjee's 'Ek Ruka Hua Faisla' remake to go on floors in December". India Today. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  13. PTI (6 November 2023). "Remake of Basu Chatterjee's cult classic 'Ek Ruka Hua Faisla' in the works". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 16 November 2023.