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Anang Desai Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth4 May 1953

BirthplaceAhmedabad, Bombay State, India (now Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India)

ProfessionTheatre artist; Film & Television actor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseChitra Desai

FamilyTwo sons: Tanuj Desai and Nachiket Desai

Anang Desai Biography

Veteran Indian theatre, film and television actor known for his role as Tulsidas Parekh in the sitcom Khichdi, with a long career across Hindi and Gujarati

Early life and background

Anang Desai was born on 4 May 1953 in Ahmedabad, then part of Bombay State and now in Gujarat. He grew up in a family with medical and artistic influences: his father worked as a cardiologist, while his mother was involved in singing and painting. He is the eldest among siblings that include three younger sisters, one of whom, Gopi Desai, pursued a career as a television actress.

Desai completed his undergraduate studies at St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, earning a BA in psychology and economics. He later undertook formal training in acting at the National School of Drama in New Delhi and at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. Those formative years included work with NSD’s professional repertory company, where he remained for more than five years.

Career

Anang Desai’s career has spanned theatre, film and television. He began in theatre and is known for numerous stage productions in both Hindi and Gujarati. His stage repertoire has included plays such as Mukhya Mantri, Begum ka Takiya, Tughlaq, Kotwal and Virasat. He also worked with a theatre group in Gujarat and performed in school and college productions from an early age.

Desai’s screen debut came with a role in the English-language film Gandhi (1982), in which he portrayed J.B. Kripalani. He went on to appear in Hindi, French and Gujarati films, with early Hindi credits that include Antaheen (1986), and a French-language part in Amok (1993). His Gujarati film appearances include Kevi Rite Jaish (2012) and more recent Gujarati films listed from 2022, Jaysuk Zdpayo and Tu Rajee Re.

Across Hindi cinema, Desai has appeared in films such as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Mamta (2002), Ishq Vishk (2003), Good Boy, Bad Boy (2007), Khichdi: The Movie (2010) and Rustom (2016). On television he played roles beginning with Bharat Ek Khoj (1988) and later appeared in Parinati (1989) and Byomkesh Bakshi (1994).

Desai gained widespread recognition for his television work, most notably for the role of Tulsidas Parekh, often called Babuji, in the Hindi sitcom Khichdi (2002) which aired on Star One. Other prominent TV credits include Woh Rehne Waali Mehlon Ki (2006), Chidiya Ghar (2016) and a role in Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! (2021).

Public profile

Apart from acting, Desai is trained in Hindustani classical singing and has performed as a singer for All India Radio in Ahmedabad. Early in his career he worked to improve his Hindi—his mother tongue being Gujarati—by reading books, magazines and newspapers to develop fluency for film and television work.

He is married to Chitra Desai, a poet and writer, and the couple have two sons, Tanuj Desai, who has worked at Star India Pvt Ltd, and Nachiket Desai. Desai’s physical profile is listed as approximately 178 cm (around 5 feet 10 inches) in height, with black eyes and salt-and-pepper hair. His zodiac sign is Taurus.

Awards and recognition

In 2019 Anang Desai received the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 12th Transmedia Awards, a recognition of his continued presence and contribution to screen acting.

Latest updates

Recent film credits include Gujarati titles released in 2022, and his television work has continued into the 2020s with appearances such as in 2021. He remains known to audiences for his enduring television persona from Khichdi as well as for a long career in theatre and film.
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Recent Work

Jaysuk Zdpayo

Gujarati film appearance (2022)

2022
Tu Rajee Re

Gujarati film appearance (2022)

2022
Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!

Television appearance (2021)

2021
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Career Highlights

  1. Longstanding theatre career including work with NSD’s professional repertory
  2. Played Tulsidas Parekh (Babuji) in the sitcom Khichdi (2002)
  3. Screen debut in Gandhi (1982) as J.B. Kripalani
  4. Appearances in notable Hindi films including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Rustom
  5. Best Supporting Actor at the 12th Transmedia Awards (2019)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Anang Desai born?

4 May 1953

What is Anang Desai known for?

Theatre artist; Film & Television actor

What is Anang Desai’s marital status?

Married

Who is Anang Desai married to?

Chitra Desai