Paras Kalnawat (born 9 November 1996) is an Indian model and actor best known for his roles in Meri Durga as Sanjay Singh Ahlawat, Ishq Aaj Kal as Faraz Sheikh, and Anupamaa as Samar Shah.
Early years
Kalnawat was born on November 9, 1996, in Bhandara, a district near Nagpur, to Nagpur-based businessman Bhushan Kalnawat and Anita Kalnawat. He has an elder sister named Pragati Kalnawat Sharma. He finished his education at a local school in Nagpur before joining S.K. To obtain his Bachelor of Commerce degree, he attended Somaiya College of Arts, Science, and Commerce. Later, he moved to Mumbai to pursue a career as an actor, where he earned a dance diploma from Terence Lewis Dance Academy and formal acting training from Barry John's Acting Classes.
Private life
Kalnawat revealed in 2021 that he is in a serious relationship with someone who is not in the entertainment industry. On March 27, 2021, while filming the Holi sequence in Anupamaa, he learned of his father's sudden death from a heart attack.
During his stint on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 in November 2022, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with Spondylitis.
Career
Modeling, making a debut, and early success (2016-2020)
Kalnawat began his modeling career in 2016 and his acting career in 2017 when he appeared in an episode of Aye Zindagi as Dhruv. He made his television debut in July 2017 opposite Srishti Jain in StarPlus's Meri Durga, where he played the lead role of Sanjay Singh Ahlawat until the show was cancelled in March 2018. In May 2018, he was cast as Rehaan Thakur opposite Priyanka Kandwal in Star Plus's Mariam Khan - Reporting Live. However, due to personal reasons, the duo left the show in September 2018.
Later that year, he played recurring roles in Kaun Hai? as well as Laal Ishq. In 2019, he made his digital debut as Shivam Noon opposite Palak Purswani in ALT Balaji's Dil Hi Toh Hai 2. In the same year, he played Antihero Faraz Sheikh in all four seasons of the web series Ishq Aaj Kal opposite Ankitta Sharma, and in early 2020, he reprised his role as Shivam in Dil Hi Toh Hai 3 opposite Poulomi Das.
Anupamaa's breakthrough, fallout, and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 (2020-present)
Kalnawat signed on to play dancer Samar Shah in Anupamaa, opposite Anagha Bhosale and Alma Hussein, in March 2020. Due to the show's immediate success, he became a household name as Samar, which proved to be a watershed moment in his career.
He later appeared in music videos such as Tere Naal Rehna, Akhaa Vich, Khumariyaan, Yaar Ki Mehfil, Baadal Barse, and others.
Kalnawat announced his participation in the dance-based reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 in July 2022. However, Anupamaa's producer Rajan Shahi terminated his three-year contract, calling the actor "unprofessional" because the show was scheduled to air on rival channel Colors TV. To his defense, Kalnawat claimed that "he already informed the makers about the same, to which they asked him to choose between Anupamaa and Jhalak in return, and he chose the latter for his career growth, claiming his ouster to be a "PR Tactic" supporting his former co
He has been playing Rajveer Luthra opposite Sana Sayyad in Zee TV's Kundali Bhagya since March 2023.
Media
On Indian Independence Day 2022, he launched the Clean India Campaign and invited his fans to join and support him.
Kalnawat is well-known for his poetry as well as his acting.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Aye Zindagi | Dhruv | Episode 16 |
| 2017–2018 | Meri Durga | Sanjay Singh "SP/Prince" Ahlawat | |
| 2018 | Mariam Khan - Reporting Live | Rehaan Thakur | |
| Kaun Hai? | Kunwar Ratan Pratap Singh Rathore | Episode: "The Heir of Dhawalgarh" | |
| 2019 | Laal Ishq | Kabir | Episode: "Khooni Wig" |
| Mannu Mittal | Episode: "Mayavi Shev" | ||
| 2020–2022 | Anupamaa | Samar "Bakuda" Shah | |
| 2022 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 | Contestant | 10th place |
| 2023–present | Kundali Bhagya | Rajveer Luthra |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | Dil Hi Toh Hai | Shivam "Shivi" Noon | Seasons 2-3 |
| 2019 | Ishq Aaj Kal | Faraz Sheikh | |
| 2023 | Butterflies Season 4 | Neeraj | Episode 3: "Kebab Mein Haddi" |
| Year | Title | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Tere Naal Rehna | Jeet Gannguli, Jyotica Tangri |
| 2021 | Akhaa Vich | Sonu Kakkar |
| Ladki Star Hai | Himani Bairwa | |
| Dil Nu Dildaar | Yasser Desai | |
| Khumariyaan | Raj Barman, Samira Koppikar | |
| Sun Yaara | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan | |
| 2022 | Tum Subah Tum Shab | Mohammad Danish, Sarodee Bora |
| Yaar Ki Mehfil | Stebin Ben | |
| Humnashi | Palak Muchhal, Ashok Ojha | |
| Baadal Barse | Yasser Desai | |
| 2023 | Zariya Tu | Romy |
| Gallan Mithiyan | Anmol Daniel |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 14th Gold Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Anupamaa | TBA |
| Most Stylish Actor | — | TBA |
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Paras Bhushan Kalnawat |
| Nickname | Paru |
| Profession(s) | Actor, Model |
| Famous Role | ‘Sanjay Prince’ in the TV serial, “Meri Durga” (2017) |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 187 cm in meters- 1.87 m in feet & inches- 6’ 2” |
| Eye Colour | Hazel Grey |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | TV: Meri Durga (2017) Web Series: Dil Hi Toh Hai Season 2 (2019) |
| Award | ‘Digital Debut of the Year’ for the web series “Dil Hi Toh Hai” (2019) |
Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 9 November 1996 (Saturday) |
| Age (as of 2022) | 26 Years |
| Birthplace | Bhandara, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Bhandara, Maharashtra, India |
| School | He did his schooling from Nagpur. |
| College/University | S.K. Somaiya College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | B.Com |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Brahmin |
| Hobbies | Gymming, Writing |
| Tattoo(s) | • On His Back: Wolf • On His Right Ankle: His ex-girlfriend, Urfi's name |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Father- Bhushan Kalnawat (Businessman) Mother- Name Not Known |
| Siblings | Paras has one elder sister. |
| Favourites | |
| Food | Salad, Waffle, Pizza |
| Actor(s) | Ranbir kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Hrithik Roshan |
| Actress | Alia Bhatt |
| Singer | Arijit Singh |
| Colour(s) | Black, White, Red |
| Travel Destination(s) | Kashmir, Paris |
| Restaurant | Salad Station in Mumbai |
| Apparel Brand | Under Armour |
| Season | Winter |
| Film | Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) |
| Perfume Brand | Gucci |
| Mobile Application | |
| Emoji | Love Struck |
| Animal | Lion |
| Festival | Diwali |
| Cartoon | Tom & Jerry |
