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Ashutosh Rana Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth10 November 1967

Age56 Years

BirthplaceGadarwara, Madhya Pradesh, India

ProfessionActor, Producer, Author, TV Presenter

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseRenuka Shahane

FamilyTwo sons - Satyendra Rana and Shouryaman Rana; father Ram Narayan Neekhra; siblings and extended family listed in public records

Ashutosh Rana Biography

Ashutosh Rana is an Indian actor, producer, author and TV presenter from Gadarwara, Madhya Pradesh, known for powerful negative roles in Hindi cinema and a

Early life and background
Ashutosh Ramnarayan Neekhra, professionally known as Ashutosh Rana, was born on 10 November 1967 in Gadarwara, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his school education in multiple locations including Christ Church Boys’ Senior Secondary School in Jabalpur and later finished college at Dr. H. S. Gour Vishwavidyalaya in Sagar, where he earned a B.A. and an LLB. He then pursued advanced training in performance, completing an M.A. in Dramatics at the National School of Drama in New Delhi between 1991 and 1994.

Early influences in his hometown included participation in local Ramleela productions, where he often portrayed the role of Ravana, and an introduction to theatre practice that shaped his interest in acting. After NSD, he joined the Satyadev Dubey group at Prithvi Theatre and took part in several Hindi stage productions, laying the groundwork for a screen career.

Career
Ashutosh Rana’s screen career began on television. His earliest recorded TV acting credit is an appearance in Tehkikaat (1994) as Shyam on DD National. He subsequently worked in a variety of Hindi serials through the 1990s and 2000s, including Swabhimaan (1995), Aahat (1995), Saturday Suspense (1997), Kabhi Kabhi (2003) and Kaali- Ek Agnipariksha (2010). In addition to acting, he has served as a television host on programmes such as Baazi Kiski (2001), Sarkaar Ki Duniya (2009) and an episode-based hosting role in Savdhaan India (2019).

Rana transitioned to film with early credits that include Sanshodhan (1996). Over the years he has appeared across multiple Indian film industries. Notable Hindi film roles include appearances in Tamanna (1997), Ghulam (1998), Zakhm (1998), Raaz (2002), LOC: Kargil (2003), Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo (2004), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014) and Rashtra Kavach Om (2022). He is widely recognised for intense negative portrayals, with memorable performances in Dushman (1998) and Sangharsh (1999).

Beyond Hindi cinema, Rana has worked in Telugu films such as Venky (2004), Okka Magadu (2008), Balupu (2013), Pataas (2015), Jai Simha (2018) and Kalki (2019). His Kannada credits include Vishnusena (2005), Kshana Kshana (2007) and Avatara Purusha (2022). He has appeared in Marathi cinema including Yeda (2013) and Sankasur (2013), and in Tamil films such as Vettai (2012), Meaghamann (2014), Tamilselvanum Thaniyar Anjalum (2016), Johnny (2018) and Sangathamizhan (2019).

Rana has also taken roles in the digital space, appearing in Hindi web series like Chhatrasal (2021) on MX Player, Aranyak (2021) on Netflix and The Great Indian Murder (2022) on Disney+ Hotstar.

Writing and honours
Ashutosh Rana expanded into writing with the publication of two Hindi books in 2020 titled Ramrajya and Maun Muskaan Ki Maar. He received the Madhya Pradesh Sahitya Akademi Award in 2022 for his novel Ramrajya. Over his career he has been recognised with multiple awards for film performances, including honours in the late 1990s and 2000 for villainous roles; he has also received an OTT Award in 2021 for Best Supporting Actor in the web film Pagglait. An honorary doctorate from Sanskriti University is recorded as conferred at its sixth convocation ceremony in 2025.

Public profile
Rana is noted for a distinctive on-screen presence and for playing complex antagonists in mainstream films. Physically, his height is listed as approximately 1.73 m (5 feet 8 inches) with brown eyes and brown hair. He maintains a public persona that includes work across stage, television, film and streaming platforms, and he has been active in multiple regional film industries.

Personal life
Ashutosh Rana is married to actor Renuka Shahane; the couple were married on 25 May 2001 in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh. They have two sons, Satyendra Rana and Shouryaman Rana. Rana’s father is named Ram Narayan Neekhra; he has several siblings and extended family mentioned in public records. He follows Hinduism and has spoken about spiritual influences in his life.

Latest updates
Recent credits include film roles continuing into the 2020s and appearances in streaming series through 2022. His Marathi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil film work and web series appearances reflect an ongoing, multi-lingual career. His writing received regional literary recognition in 2022, and an academic honour in 2025 marks a recent milestone.
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Recent Work

Avatara Purusha

Kannada film appearance

2022
Rashtra Kavach Om

Hindi film appearance

2022
The Great Indian Murder

Web series on Disney+ Hotstar

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Known for strong negative roles in Hindi cinema
  2. Multiple Filmfare Awards in the Best Villain category
  3. Acting across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Marathi films
  4. Authored two Hindi books published in 2020
  5. Performed in notable web series on major streaming platforms
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ashutosh Rana born?

10 November 1967

What is Ashutosh Rana known for?

Actor, Producer, Author, TV Presenter

What is Ashutosh Rana’s marital status?

Married

Who is Ashutosh Rana married to?

Renuka Shahane