Divyendu Sharma (born 19 June 1983), known mononymously as Divyenndu,[2] is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films and series. He had his break-out role in the comedy Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011), winning the Screen Award for Best Male Debut, after which he played supporting roles in the films Chashme Baddoor (2013) and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017). He gained further attention for his roles in streaming ventures such as the drama series Mirzapur (2018–2020) and the miniseries The Railway Men (2023).[3]
Divyenndu | |
|---|---|
 Divyenndu in 2024 | |
| Born | Divyendu Sharma 19 June 1983[1] |
| Alma mater | Kirori Mal College FTII, Pune |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Spouse | Akanksha Sharma |
Early and personal life
editDivyenndu was born on 19 June 1983 in Delhi, India. He is a graduate in political science from Delhi University's Kirori Mal College. He has three years of theatre experience in Delhi after which he pursued a two-year diploma in acting from FTII, Pune. He was previously seen in a number of ads for brands like Virgin Mobile, Birla Sun Life and Fidelity Mutual Funds.[4][1][5] He is married to Akanksha Sharma.[6]
In 2019, Divyenndu dropped his surname citing numerology and his belief that, in a country like India, it's important to remove the many caste divisions. His official documents, however, use his full name.[2]
Career
edit2007–2017: Early struggle and progress
edit
He first appeared in a minor role of a goon in 2007's Aaja Nachle. He struggled to get work for the next three years. His first major acting role came in comedy Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011), where he played a supporting character called Liquid.[7][8] The film was a sleeper hit and launched his career.[9][10] The film won him the Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male. In 2013, Divyendu played the role of the poet Omi in David Dhawan's remake of Chashme Baddoor,[11] another success.[12]
In 2014, he had a supporting role next to Anupam Kher in the satire film Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami, which got favourable reviews.[13] In 2015, Divyendu starred in his first lead role in the romantic comedy Dilliwali Zaalim Girlfriend, opposite Prachi Mishra.[14] Both of these films were inconsequential to his career.
In 2017, Divyendu gained attention for playing a supporting character named Naru in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.[15] It starred Akshay Kumar and was one of the biggest hits of the year.[16] In the same year, he appeared in the apocalyptic comedy 2016 The End.[17]
2018–present: Breakthrough
editIn 2018, he played another secondary role in Shahid Kapoor and Yami Gautam starrer Batti Gul Meter Chalu.[18] Divyendu played the character of Munna Tripathi, a spoilt son of a gangster in the Amazon Prime crime series Mirzapur. The show recorded strong viewership and praise. Divyendu's performance was also renowned and brought him fame.[19][20] He reprised his role in Mirazpur season 2 with positive reviews in 2020.[21] The show earned him a nomination for the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Supporting Actor (Male) - Drama, and won him the iReel Award for Best Supporting Actor.[22][23]
Following the success of Mirazpur, he worked in films such as Badnaam Gali (2019), Kanpuriye (2019), Shukranu (2020), Mere Desh Ki Dharti (2022), Odd Couple (2022), and Thai Massage (2023). And also web series like Bicchoo Ka Khel (2020) and Salt City (2022).
In 2023, he landed another popular role in Netflix miniseries The Railway Men based on the 1984 Bhopal disaster.[24] He portrayed Balwant Yadav, a robber masquerading as a police officer who played a key role in rescuing lives during the tragedy.[25]
In 2024, he starred in Madgaon Express alongside an ensemble cast and received mixed reception.[26] He starred alongside Kusha Kapila and Mukti Mohan in the Disney+ comedy-drama series Life Hill Gayi, playing a privileged young man who is forced to manage a hotel business in a village with his sister.[27] The series received negative to mixed reviews.[28]
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Aaja Nachle | MLA's Goon | ||
| 2011 | Pyaar Ka Punchnama | Nishant "Liquid" Agarwal | ||
| 2013 | Chashme Baddoor | Omkar "Omi" Sharma | ||
| 2014 | Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami | Subhash Joshi | ||
| 2015 | Dilliwali Zaalim Girlfriend | Dhruv Khanna | ||
| 2017 | Toilet: Ek Prem Katha | Narayan "Naru" Sharma | ||
| 2016 The End | Sunny Singh | |||
| 2018 | Batti Gul Meter Chalu | Sundar Mohan Tripathi | ||
| 2019 | Badnaam Gali | Randeep Singh Sodhi | ||
| Kanpuriye | Vijay Pal | |||
| Fatafat | Unknown | Short film | [29] | |
| 2020 | Shukranu | Inder | [30] | |
| 2022 | 1800 Life | Vishal | Short film | [31] |
| Mere Desh Ki Dharti | Ajay | |||
| Odd Couple | Piyush Mishra | |||
| Thai Massage | Santulan Kumar | [32] | ||
| 2024 | Madgaon Express | Dhanush "Dodo" Sawant | [33] | |
| Agni | TBA | [34] | ||
| TBA | RC16 † | [35] |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Permanent Roommates | Cameo | 1 episode |
| 2018–2020 | Mirzapur | Phoolchand "Munna" Tripathi | 2 seasons |
| 2020 | Bicchoo Ka Khel | Akhil Shrivastav | [36][37] |
| 2022 | Salt City | Saurabh Bajpai | [38] |
| 2023 | The Railway Men | Balwant | Miniseries[39][40] |
| 2024 | Life Hill Gayi | Dev | [41] |
References
edit- ^ a b c "Liquid in Chashme Baddoor remake". The Times of India. 3 December 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ a b Tulsiani, Kriti (26 May 2019). "EXCLUSIVE| Divyenndu on dropping his surname, playing Liquid in Pyaar Ka Punchnama and wishlist of directors". Times Now. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Divyenndu won't be part of 'Mirzapur 3': Was affecting my personality". India Today. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
- ^ "When love packs in a Punch". The Indian Express. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Divyenndu on a roll". The Times of India. 4 June 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ Gupta, Priya (5 October 2014). "Divyendu Sharma: I dedicated my debut actor award to my mother as her answer to society". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Jhunjhunwala, Udita (19 November 2020). "Divyenndu on his journey from Pyaar Ka Punchnama to Mirzapur: 'Artists only work for their own happiness'". Firstpost. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Guha, Aniruddha (3 January 2012). "Best of the Year 2011 in Bollywood". DNA India. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ डेस्क, एबीपी एंटरटेनमेंट (8 April 2024). "न प्रमोशन, न कोई बड़ा स्टार फिर भी इस फिल्म ने बॉक्स ऑफिस पर मचाया था तहलका, जानें मूवी नेम". ABP News (in Hindi). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Meet actor who once struggled for Rs 32 meal, shared rented room with 4 others, then became OTT star, he is now..." www.dnaindia.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Head Start". India Today. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Chasme Baddoor - Movie - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Movie Review: Dilliwaali Zaalim Girlfriend". Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar has got a great eye for cinema, says Toilet Ek Prem Katha actor Divyendu Sharma". The Indian Express. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Top India Total Grossers 2017 - - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Sarkar, Suparno (6 October 2016). "2016 The End's trailer is out!". International Business Times. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Batti Gul Meter Chalu - Movie - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Ahead of Mirzapur 3 OTT release, 'Munna Bhaiya' Divyenndu reveals he won't be part of the new season and why". The Economic Times. 6 April 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "5 Reasons Why 'Mirzapur's Divyendu Sharma Deserve Way More Recognition Than He Gets". MensXP. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ एजेंसी (7 November 2020). "Mirzapur 2: दिव्येंदु शर्मा बोले- ऐसे व्यक्ति का किरदार निभाना जो आपके व्यक्तित्व से अलग हो." www.abplive.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "iReel Awards 2019: Pankaj Tripathi Beats Sacred Games 2 co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui to win Best Actor (Drama) for Mirzapur". News18. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "My Glamm Filmfare OTT Awards 2021: Final Nominations List". The Times of India. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 4 December 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Ramnath, Nandini (18 November 2023). "'The Railway Men' review: A compelling saga of ordinary heroism". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "The Railway Men: From R Madhavan to Babil Khan, Meet The Cast and The Characters They Play". News18. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ SANAP, MAYUR. "Madgaon Express Review: Silly Done Right". Rediff. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Divyenndu Sharma Speaks About Adapting To Life In Uttarakhand Amid Shooting For Life Gill Gayi". NDTV. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ Gahlot, Deepa (9 August 2024). "Life Hill Gayi Review: Groan-Worthy". Rediff. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
- ^ "Divyendu Sharma's film Fatafat gathers buzz online". The New Indian Express. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- ^ "Promo of Divyendu Sharma, Shweta Basu Prasad Starrer Shukranu Released". News18. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- ^ IANS (23 April 2022). "Divyenndu Sharma: Having just a voice as a co-actor is unique experience". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Khan, Tahira (19 May 2022). "Thai Massage: Gajraj Rao plays a 70-year-old man with erectile dysfunction". Zee News. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
- ^ "Madgaon Express: First look of Kunal Kemmu's directorial debut with Pratik Gandhi, Divyendu, Avinash Tiwary unveiled". Hindustan Times. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Sarkar, Arpita (14 November 2024). "Agni OTT Release: Here's when and where to watch Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu, and Saiyami Kher's action-packed film about firefighters". OTT Play. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
- ^ Mukherjee, Anindita (30 November 2024). "Actor Divyenndu joins Ram Charan's RC 16, see first-look poster". India Today. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ "Divyenndu Sharmaa: Bicchoo Ka Khel is a tribute to the films of 80s and 90s". The Indian Express. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Bicchoo Ka Khel trailer: Divyenndu Sharmaa can't seem to let go of Mirzapur's Munna Tripathi". The Indian Express. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Salt City trailer: Piyush Mishra, Gauahar Khan, Divyenndu Sharma lead this complex family drama with 'unusual story'". The Indian Express. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "The Railway Men: YRF's First OTT Series, Starring R Madhavan, Is Based on Bhopal Gas Tragedy". News18. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Whittock, Jesse (26 October 2023). "Netflix & Yash Raj Films On Track To Launch 'The Railway Men' In November". Deadline. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Chatterjee, Sanghamitra (19 July 2024). "Life Hill Gayi trailer: Divyenndu and Kusha Kapila play siblings vying for inheritance in comedy series". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
