Vicky Kaushal

Vicky Kaushal (born 16 May 1988) in a suburban chawl of Bombay, Maharashtra, India, rose from modest beginnings to become one of the most celebrated actors in contemporary Hindi cinema. The son of action director Sham Kaushal and homemaker Veena Kaushal, Vicky grew up in a Punjabi Hindu family with deep roots in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, and initially pursued a stable career in engineering, earning a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology in 2009. After a pivotal industrial visit revealed his lack of passion for office work, he pivoted to acting, training under Kishore Namit Kapoor and gaining experience with theatre groups such as Manav Kaul's Aranya and Naseeruddin Shah's Motley Productions. His early break came as an assistant director to Anurag Kashyap on the acclaimed crime saga Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), after which he appeared in minor roles before landing his first leading part in the indie drama Masaan (2015). The film’s success at Cannes and critical acclaim catapulted him into the spotlight, earning him IIFA and Screen Awards for Best Male Debut. He continued to impress with intense performances in Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) and the Netflix romance Love per Square Foot (2018), while supporting roles in the blockbusters Raazi and Sanju showcased his versatility and earned a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. Vicky’s breakthrough as a national hero arrived with the 2019 war film Uri: The Surgical Strike, a role that demanded rigorous physical transformation and led to a National Film Award for Best Actor. Subsequent portrayals, from the revolutionary Udham Singh in Sardar Udham (2021) to the charismatic field marshal Sam Manekshaw in Sam Bahadur (2023) and the Maratha ruler Sambhaji in the record‑breaking Chhaava (2025), have cemented his reputation as a method actor willing to undergo drastic physical changes to serve his characters. Off‑screen, Vicky is known for his measured public persona, brand endorsements, and philanthropic initiatives, while his personal life garnered widespread attention after his 2021 marriage to actress Katrina Kaif. His continued commitment to diverse roles and social causes positions him as a dynamic figure shaping the future of Indian cinema.