Purab Kohli is an Indian television and movie actor and a former video jockey. He carved his career from television shows like Hip Hip Hurray and slowly moved to movies. The show became a rage among the younger generation. Purab loves to travel and is a nature lover. His Instagram account is filled with photos of nature.
Watch ZEE5’s London Confidential starring Purab Kohli here:
Early Life And Family:
Purab Kohli was born on 23 February 1979. His father Harsh is a hotelier and a film producer and his mother is a corporate trainer. Kohli did his schooling at St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra, and at The Bishop’s School, Pune, Maharashtra. He switched his education stream from Science to Commerce and finally to Arts where he studied Economics, Psychology and Literature. He also joined a flying school to be a pilot but later dropped out to pursue the field of acting.
Kohli had ties with the Bollywood industry through his relatives. Former actor Bhisham Kohli, also known as Vishal Anand who featured in movies like Chalte Chalte and Taxi Driver, is his paternal uncle. Kohli’s paternal grandmother was Dev Anand’s sister (making Kohli the late actor’s grand-nephew). Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (son of another of Dev Anand’s sisters) is thus Kohli’s uncle.
Kohli got married to his longtime girlfriend Lucy Payton in a private ceremony on 15 February 2018. The couple has a daughter Inaya Amelia and a son Payon Kohli.
Career:
Purab Kohli started his career with the television show Hip Hip Hurray on Zee TV which aired from 1998 to 2001. He showcased his talent in veejaying for a music show on Channel V. He hosted a travel show Gone India where he travelled across the length and breadth of the country within a limited budget.
He made his debut in the Bollywood industry with Bas Yun Hi in 2003. He was spotted in other roles in movies like Supari, Vaastu Shastra and 13th Floor.
In 2005, his role as Nigel De Costa in My Brother… Nikhil got him recognised. He also appeared in an episode of the TV fantasy sitcom Shararat, as the genius science student Dhumketu. After this, he featured in Woh Lamhe (2006), Awarapan (2007), and Rock On!! (2008), which made him popular.
He played significant roles in films like Yeh Mera India (2009), Hide & Seek (2010), Turning 30, I Am (2011). In 2012, he featured in Fatso!, 10ml Love and the short film Kuch Spice To Make It Meetha. He starred in the 2014 romantic comedy Shaadi Ke Side Effects along with Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar. Kohli was roped in for the movie Jal which was based on the villagers’ fight for water and dignity.
In 2010, he anchored the Zee TV music talent hunt reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Singing Superstar. In 2014, the actor appeared on the seventh season of the star-studded reality dance show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Purab played a key role in the Netflix series Sense8 (2015-2018).
Purab Kohli has also acted in a number of web series. He appeared as Angad Shergil in the Voot web series It’s Not That Simple (2018). In 2019, Kohli was cast in Typewriter directed by Sujoy Ghosh. He also has the 2019 Hotstar web series Out of Love to his credit.
In 2016, the actor starred in Airlift, Rock On 2 and P.O.W.- Bandi Yuddh Ke. He has also been a part of high budget films like Noor (2017), Mission Mangal (2019) and his most recent release London Confidential (2020).
Awards:
Purab Kohli won the following awards:
2009: Filmfare Awards Special Mention (Rock On!!)
2017: Indian Television Academy Awards for Best Actor – Drama (P.O.W. Bandi Yuddh Ke)
The actor has also been nominated for many awards:
2004: Screen Award for Most Promising Debut Actor (Bas Yun Hi)
2009: Apsara Award for Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Rock On!!)
2017: Stardust Awards for Best Supporting Actor – Reader’s Choice (Airlift)
Actors Worked With:
Watch Purab Kohli in Rock On!!, only on ZEE5.