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Kulbhushan Kharbanda Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth21 October 1944

Age80 Years

BirthplaceHasan Abdal, Attock District, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan)

ProfessionActor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseMaheshwari Devi Kharbanda

FamilyDaughter - Shruti Kharbanda

Kulbhushan Kharbanda Biography

Veteran Indian actor Kulbhushan Kharbanda has built a long career across theatre, Hindi and Punjabi cinema, and streaming television. Born in 1944 in what‑

Early life and background
Kulbhushan Kharbanda was born on 21 October 1944 in Hasan Abdal in the Attock district of Punjab, then part of British India (now in Pakistan). His family moved to India after the Partition of 1947, and his schooling took place in several cities including Jodhpur, Dehradun, Aligarh and Delhi. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Delhi University, where he participated actively in student theatre and helped form a theatre group called Abhiyaan.

Career
After his university years Kharbanda continued pursuing theatre. He joined the bilingual group Tarik and later moved to Kolkata in 1972 to work with the Padatik theatre group. While with Padatik he combined stage work with other jobs, including a stint as a trainee and sales executive at a gas factory. Controversy surrounding a production of Sakharam Binder led to his dismissal from that position, and offers from filmmakers eventually prompted a move to Mumbai and a transition into films.

Kharbanda’s onscreen debut came in the 1974 Bollywood film Nishant, in which he played Police Patel. Over the following decades he appeared in a wide range of films and became known for memorable supporting roles in titles such as Shaan (1980), Ghulami (1985) and the internationally recognized Lagaan (2001). He also worked in Punjabi cinema, with appearances in films including Mahaul Theek Hai (1999), Midnight’s Children (2012) and Kirpaan – The Sword of Honour (2014).

On television and streaming platforms, Kharbanda made his ZEE TV debut in Yeh Hai Mere Apne (1997) and later reached a new generation of viewers through the crime drama Mirzapur. In Mirzapur he portrayed Satyanand Tripathi, also called Bauji, across both the first and second seasons. In 2020 he took on the role of Karim Chand Seth in another project.

Throughout his career Kharbanda maintained ties to the stage, performing in plays such as Atmakatha, Teen Farishtay and Hatya Ek Akaar ki. After stepping away from theatre during a busy period in films, he returned to the stage with Atmakatha in 2013, a comeback that followed a serious horse‑riding injury he suffered in 2011.

Public profile
Physically, Kulbhushan Kharbanda is listed at approximately 170 cm (about 5 feet 7 inches) tall, with brown eyes and grey hair. He has expressed admiration for filmmakers and actors from earlier generations, naming directors such as Ramesh Sippy, Shyam Benegal and Raj Kapoor, and actors including Balraj Sahni, Naseeruddin Shah and Motilal, among his influences.

Personal life
Kharbanda married Maheshwari Devi Kharbanda on 8 December 1965. The couple has one daughter, Shruti Kharbanda. He holds Indian nationality and, as of 2024, is 80 years old. His residential address is listed as No. 501, Silver Cascade, Bandra West, Mumbai.

Latest updates
In recent years Kharbanda added prominent streaming work to his film and theatre résumé through his role in the Mirzapur series, appearing in both seasons 1 and 2. He continued taking film and regional roles into the 2010s and 2020s, including projects in Punjabi and Hindi cinema.

He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the PTC Punjabi Film Awards in 2015, recognizing his long contributions to regional and national cinema.

Other notes
During his early theatre days in Kolkata he briefly lost employment after a controversial play. He has been known to smoke occasionally. Kharbanda remains identified with character roles that span stage, mainstream cinema and web drama, and his career reflects decades of work across multiple acting media.
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Recent Work

Mirzapur (web series)

Played Satyanand Tripathi (Bauji) in seasons 1 and 2; later played Karim Chand Seth in 2020.

2018–2020
Kirpaan – The Sword of Honour

Punjabi film appearance.

2014
Midnight’s Children

Film appearance.

2012
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Career Highlights

  1. Debut film role in Nishant (1974)
  2. Notable performances in Shaan (1980), Ghulami (1985) and Lagaan (2001)
  3. Lifetime Achievement Award at PTC Punjabi Film Awards (2015)
  4. Prominent role as Bauji in the web series Mirzapur (2018)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Kulbhushan Kharbanda born?

21 October 1944

What is Kulbhushan Kharbanda known for?

Actor

What is Kulbhushan Kharbanda’s marital status?

Married

Who is Kulbhushan Kharbanda married to?

Maheshwari Devi Kharbanda