Not Just The Fame Game, Manav Kaul Is Great In Almost Every Role He Plays. Here's The Proof

Manav Kaul is a master of his craft. His acting credits are not as protracted as many others in Bollywood but each appearance of his on-screen abounds in depth that is rare. Beyond the screen, he is an accomplished theatre persona and poet as well - dimensions that perhaps explain the vivid reflectiveness he brings to the roles he essays.

Kaul made his film debut with the well-loved 2003 film Jajantaram Mamantaram, going on to star in films surreptitiously in the years after. However, he had by then proved his stage skill through successful plays like Shakkar ke Paanch Daane. 

Most recently, audiences saw him as the charming Manish Khanna on The Fame Game, opposite Madhuri Dixit. Theirs was a complex love affair, in which compromises were abundant and unavoidable. His character was a study in contrasts, lifted up by superstardom on one end and weighed down by heartbreak on another.

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Best Manav Kaul Movies: You Cannot Miss These!

1. Tumhari Sulu 

Seldom do we get to see authentically written supportive husbands in Hindi cinema. But Manav Kaul as Ashok Dubey, a simple, middle-class man who is secure with his wife striding ahead of him, was a refresher in Tumhari Sulu. Kaul played a husband who stands firm by his wife Sulu (Vidya Balan) even as society stands against her for the unconventional career in radio jockeying she chooses over domestic duties. This break from toxic masculine tropes is something we want more of in films!

2. Wazir 

The incredible thing about Kaul is the easy versatility with which he slips into the shoes of likeable and unlikeable characters both. The range of his acting was explored in Wazir, in which he played Yazaad Qureshi, a terrorist turned politician who is guilty of kidnapping and murder. His screen presence as a villain was captivating and terrifying, prompting real-time effect on the audience - a sure-shot way of affirming the credibility of the actor behind the character.

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3. Ajeeb Daastaans 

One of the two most impactful stories from the Ajeeb Daastaans anthology was that which starred Kaul and Shefali Shah (the other being &t=231s">Konkona Sensharma's Geeli Pucchi). Titled Ankahi, the short has a layered narrative on romance beyond words. Kaul plays a hearing-impaired man who strikes up a friendship with Shah's character, who he doesn't know is married. Kaul's delivery is sensitively done, and when the companionship ends in heartbreak, one can't help but feel pain for his character.

4. Nail Polish

A legal thriller, Nail Polish is one of Kaul's lesser-known but more powerful films. He plays the role of a social activist accused of rape and murder of minors, with Arjun Rampal playing the role of his lawyer. Made for OTT, the film makes an impact with important themes such as sexual violence in an experimental manner hardly seen in films. The movie is a testament to Kaul's active involvement in projects that deviate from mainstream narratives.

5. Saina 

Kaul is the king of supportive roles, it seems, in both senses of the term. Despite not being in the lead, he works his charm in the backdrop, always propping the protagonist up. In Saina too, which traces the story of ace badminton star Saina Nehwal played by Parineeti Chopra, Kaul comes through wonderfully in the character of her coach Pullela Gopichand. He revealed in interviews he knew little about badminton and had to learn the sport from scratch.