Arshad Warsi

Arshad Hussain Warsi (born 19 April 1968) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films.

He is the recipient of several awards including a Filmfare Award from five nominations and is noted for acting in varied film genres.

Before making his acting debut, also served as an assistant director to Mahesh Bhatt in Kaash (1987) and also choreographed a song in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993).

Meanwhile, he developed a keen interest in dancing and received an offer to join Akbar Sami's Dance group in Mumbai, which started his dancing and choreographing in Thikana (1987) and Kaash (1987).

Then in 1991, he won the Indian dance competition, followed by the fourth prize in the Modern Jazz category in the 1992 World Dance championship, London, at the age of 21.

Soon, he started his own dance studio, "Awesome" with that money and also formed a dance troupe.

It was here that his future wife, Maria Goretti, a St. Andrew's College student, joined him before she became a VJ.

He was also associated with English theatre group in Mumbai, choreographing shows for Bharat Dabholkar and got an opportunity to choreograph the title track for the film Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1993).

During this time he was offered a role by Jaya Bachchan for Tere Mere Sapne.

Warsi made his acting debut in 1996 with Tere Mere Sapne, which was a box office success.

He got his first offer to act in Amitabh Bachchan's production company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation's first production Tere Mere Sapne in 1996.

Before that he had made a small appearance as a dancer in a song in Aag Se Khelenge.

He followed this by roles in films such as Betaabi (1997), Mere Do Anmol Ratan and Hero Hindustani (both 1998).

He featured in several commercially successful comedy films, including Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet (1999), Hulchul (2004), Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? (2005), Salaam Namaste (2005), Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Dhamaal (2007), Krazzy 4 (2008), Golmaal Returns (2008), Ishqiya (2010), Golmaal 3 (2010), F.A.L.T.U (2011), Double Dhamaal (2011), Jolly LLB (2013), Golmaal Again (2017) and Total Dhamaal (2019), and received critical recognition for his work in films including Sehar (2005), Kabul Express (2006), Dedh Ishqiya (2014) and Guddu Rangeela (2015).

He is widely regarded by many as one of the most underrated actors in the Hindi film industry.

Warsi is married to Maria Goretti since 1999 with whom he has two children.

Warsi was born into a Muslim family in Mumbai.

His father, Ahmed Ali Khan (Ashiq Hussain), had worked as a musician in Hindi films and adopted the name Warsi after he became a follower of the Sufi saint Waris Ali Shah.

Arshad is the half-brother of singer Anwar Hussain and actress Asha Sachdev from his father's first marriage to actress Ranjana Sachdev.

He did his schooling at a boarding school, Barnes School, in Deolali, Nashik district, Maharashtra.

He was orphaned at the age of 14 and struggled for a living in Bombay during his early days.

His performance in P. Vasu's Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet (1999) was praised by Rediff.com's Suparn Verma.

Warsi's next release was Madhur Bhandarkar's directorial debut Trishakti (1999).

Completed in 3 years, the film performed poorly at the box office.

In addition to acting in films, Warsi has hosted the dance show Razzmatazz in 2001, Sabse Favourite Kaun in 2004 and the first season of the reality television show Bigg Boss for which he was awarded the Indian Television Academy Award for Best Anchor – Game/Quiz Show.

His only film appearances of 2001 were in Ghaath, followed by Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao (2001) and Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani (2002).

Most of these failed to do well at the box office.

In Shashanka Ghosh's Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, he played a common man who saves the life of a goon who is fatally shot.

Ronjita Kulkarni wrote that he gave a "winning performance".

His portrayal of Circuit in the comedy film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003), and its sequel Lage Raho Munna Bhai (2006) for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role marked a turning point in his career.

He starred opposite Karisma Kapoor in the TV serial Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny (2003) and featured as a judge for Zara Nachke Dikha in 2010.

In 2003, he rose to fame when he starred as Circuit to Munna Bhai (Sanjay Dutt) in Rajkumar Hirani's comedy Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. which turned out to be a huge box office success and gained him much critical acclaim and a nomination at the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He won the Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for the same.

Warsi said in an interview that had the film not worked, his career would have finished.

His only release in 2004 was the comedy Hulchul which earned him the GIFA Best Comedian Award and nominations for the Screen Award for Best Actor, Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role and IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role.

Warsi played an airport manager opposite Mahima Chaudhry in Samar Khan's Kuchh Meetha Ho Jaye (2005).

His performance in Sehar was positively received by critics and Sanhita Paradkar of Rediff.com wrote that: "finally [he is] in a much-deserved lead role".

He left school after 10th standard.

Financial circumstances forced Warsi to start work as a door-to-door cosmetics salesman at age 17.

Later he worked in a photo-lab.