Actors and filmmakers from Gorakhpur bring a different perspective

Gorakhpur, a major city in eastern Uttar Pradesh, is named after the revered saint Gorakshnath, who is also the founder of ‘Nath Sampradaya’.  The place in itself has great historical as well as commercial relevance due to its proximity to Bihar and Nepal. Another fact that adds to Gorakhpur’s popularity is that many famous actors and filmmakers hailing from the region have tasted the sweet fruit of success in Bollywood, the city of dreams. True to the land, these people are full of passion and bring a different perspective and energy to their work, making them popular for their craft. However, their work always reflects their roots. Here are some popular actors and filmmakers from Gorakhpur, and some might even surprise you.

Anurag Kashyap

Anurag Kashyap entered the industry with a bang as his directorial film, Paanch was embroiled in controversy and ended up unreleased. However, this did not stop the passionate filmmaker from talking about things that matter the most. His films like Black Friday, No Smoking, Dev D, Gulaal, and That Girl in Yellow Boots always stirred up the viewers. Along came Gangs of Wasseypur and the man put all his experience of early childhood in Gorakhpur into the film and showcased a hitherto unknown side of Uttar Pradesh, which was loved by everyone. Not for nothing is he hailed the face of new wave cinema in India. This multiple award-winning filmmaker manages to strike a chord every time he comes up with a film.

Jimmy Shergill:

Born into a Sikh family in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, he moved to Punjab soon after. However, his birthplace always impacted his life. He debuted with the 1996 thriller Maachis, went on to do a romantic drama Mohabbatein, and after playing the romantic hero in quite a few films, he moved on to do impactful character roles in films like Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Hum Tum, A Wednesday!, Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster Returns among others. The character of Raja Awasthi played by him in the humongously popular Tanu Weds Manu was inspired by characters in Gorakhpur. The actor has also forayed into the Punjabi cinema as a producer.

Sudhanshu Rai:

As India’s favorite storyteller, Sudhanshu Rai has more than 500 stories to his credit and has made a mark across platforms like radio and OTT. His acting and directorial debut in 2021, Chaipatti, a horror comedy was loved by all. Later he brought to screen a popular character of his- Detective Boomrah in a web series wherein he played the lead. Chintaa Mani, his last outing also managed to impress the viewers. His next untitled Bollywood sci-fi thriller starring Sourabh Raaj Jain, Hiten Tejwani, Tarun Khanna, has brought life to a full circle as the film has been majorly shot in a small village near Gorakhpur. The film is a first-of-its-kind sci-fi thriller with elements like time travel and is slated for a theatrical release.

Saurabh Shukla:

Saurabh Shukla is a National Award-winning Indian actor. He dons many hats and has been a screenwriter, and film director. Interestingly he has appeared in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films. He was born to Jogamaya Shukla, India's first female tabla musician, and Shatrughan Shukla, an Agra Gharana vocalist. Shukla's family moved from Gorakhpur to Delhi when he was two years old. His acting career began in 1984, when he started doing theatre. In Bollywood, he has played some of the most iconic roles with conviction. He is often remembered for his roles in films like Satya, Nayak: The Real Hero, Yuva, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Barfi!, Jolly LLB, PK, Jolly LLB 2, Raid, and Drishyam 2. In fact, his acting prowess also won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for his stellar performance in Jolly LLB.

Avinash Dwivedi:

Also hailing from Gorakhpur, Avinash Dubey (screen name Avinash Dwivedi) is an actor and trained dancer. He has won two reality shows: Ibibo i.videostar, an online dance reality program judged by renowned Bollywood choreographers Bosco Caeser in 2009, and Dance Sangram, judged by Saroj Khan in 2010. Avinash has appeared in over a dozen television ads, including those for Quikr, Tata Sky, Aqualite Footwear, Videocon D2H, and Mahindra. He has also appeared in the lead roles in the films Ranbanka, Nachaniya, and Chameli. He is currently married to Sambhavna Seth and is also popular for his Vlogs on YouTube.

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