Sunny Kaushal (born 28 September 1989) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. After working as an assistant director on the films My Friend Pinto (2011) and Gunday (2014), he made his acting debut in the comedy-drama Sunshine Music Tours and Travels (2016). He gained recognition for his supporting part in the sports biopic Gold (2018), and has since starred in the web series The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye (2020) and the film Shiddat (2021).
Early years
Kaushal was born on September 28, 1989, in a Mumbai suburb chawl to Sham Kaushal, an action director in Indian films, and Veena Kaushal. His older brother is actor Vicky Kaushal. His ancestors are Punjabi Hindus. Kaushal began his studies at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India but dropped out to pursue acting. He then started his acting career playing small roles in theater plays and skits.
Career
Kaushal made his Bollywood debut in the 2016 comedy-drama road film Sunshine Music Tours and Travels, as well as the TV Mini-Series Official Chukyagiri. In addition, he appeared in the short film Love at First Sight. In 2018, Kaushal starred in Reema Kagti's historical sports drama Gold, which is based on the 1948 Summer Olympics championship of the Indian hockey team. He played Himmat Singh, a character inspired by Balbir Singh Sr. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 25th Screen Awards for his performance in Gold. He also appeared in the TV Mini-Series Official CEOgiri, a spin-off of the 2016 series Official Chukyagiri, the same year. The short film The Embrace, in which Kaushal plays Siddharth, was nominated for a Filmfare Award in the Drama Short Film category.
The dance-based film Bhangra Paa Le, in which Kaushal co-starred with Rukshar Dhillon, was released in select theaters on January 3, 2020. Later that year, Kaushal starred in the original series The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye on Amazon Prime Video. Kabir Khan directed the series, which was based on true events from the Indian National Army's fight for Indian independence during World War II, and the New Indian Express called his performance "splendid." A year later, he starred in the romantic drama Shiddat where he played the role of Jaggi Dil, a man who desperately tries to reach London to be with his love who is getting married to another man. The film premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on October 1, 2021, after being delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Kaushal's dialogue deliveries and convincing performance will win your heart," said India Today's Samriddhi Srivastava.
In 2022, Kaushal appeared in Hurdang, a love story set against the backdrop of the 1990 Allahabad student agitation, alongside Nushratt Bharuccha and Vijay Varma. He also finished the survival thriller Mili with Janhvi Kapoor and Manoj Pahwa. He will also appear in the suspense thriller Chor Nikal Ke Bhaaga, opposite Yami Gautam.
Media
Kaushal was ranked 45th in The Times' Most Desirable Men in 2018, and 38th in 2019.
 | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | My Friend Pinto | — | Assistant director |
| 2014 | Gunday | — | |
| 2016 | Sunshine Music Tours and Travels | Sunburn | |
| 2017 | Love At First Sight | Kshitij | Short film |
| 2018 | Gold | Himmat Singh | |
| 2019 | The Embrace | Siddharth | Short film |
| 2020 | Bhangra Paa Le | Jaggi Singh / Kaptaan Singh | |
| 2021 | Shiddat | Joginder 'Jaggi' Dhillon | |
| 2022 | Hurdang | Daddu Thakur | |
| Mili | Sameer | ||
| 2023 | Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga | Ankit Sethi | |
| 2024 | Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba | TBA | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Official Chukyagiri | Spandan Chukya |
| 2018 | Official CEOgiri | |
| 2020 | The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye | Lieutenant/Captain Surinder Sodhi |
| Year | Title | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Taaron Ke Shehar | Neha Kakkar, Jubin Nautiyal |
| 2021 | Dil Lauta Do | Payal Dev, Jubin Nautiyal |
| Ishq Mein | Meet Bros, Sachet Tandon |
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Screen Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Gold | Nominated |
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | Actor and Assistant Director |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 178 cm in meters- 1.78 m in feet & inches- 5’ 10” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film (Assistant Director): My Friend Pinto (2011) Film (Actor): Sunshine Music Tours and Travels (2016) Web-Series: Official Chukyagiri (2016) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 28 September 1989 (Thursday) |
| Age (as in 2023) | 34 Years |
| Birthplace | Mumbai |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai |
| Educational Qualification | Chartered Accountant or CA (Dropout) |
| Religion | Hinduism [1]GQ India |
| Hobbies | Travelling, Swimming, Reading, Playing Squash, and Gymming |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents | Father- Sham Kaushal (Action Director) Mother- Veena Kaushal (Homemaker) |
| Siblings | Brother- Vicky Kaushal (Actor) |
| Favourite Things | |
| Cricketer | Sachin Tendulkar |
| Actor(s) | Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Anil Kapoor |
| Actress | Alia Bhatt |
| Film | Border (1997) |
| Song | “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran |
| Book(s) | Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and Naoko by Keigo Higashino |
We used to stay in a 10/10 chawl in Malad. We studied in an ordinary school. We used to travel by bus till we finished college. My mother (Veena Kaushal) has made huge efforts to keep the family together. She’s the normal quotient in our home.”
Yes, but before I knew that she was his girlfriend. Mujhe baad mein pata chala ki woh log date kar rahe hai. (I came to know later that they were dating.)”
