This Actor Started His Career With BR Chopra's Mahabharat, Now He Is Part Of Ramayana

A familiar face on Indian television, this actor began his career with BR Chopra's Mahabharat. Now, he's in Ramayana.

When audiences watch Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, they may recognise a familiar face playing a relatively small but significant character. Actor Chetan Hansraj, who portrays Raja Mali, Ravana's maternal grandfather, has been part of the entertainment industry for over four decades. Interestingly, his association with mythological dramas goes back to the late 1980s, when he played young Balram in BR Chopra's iconic television series Mahabharat. (Image: Instagram/@chetan_hansraj)

Hansraj's journey in showbiz began much before he became a familiar face on Indian television. Born on June 15, 1972, in Mumbai, the actor entered the entertainment industry as a child artiste at the age of five. In a 2020 interview, he recalled how his mother helped him take his first steps towards acting after he expressed an interest in following his cousin Jugal Hansraj's footsteps. He soon began appearing in advertisements and reportedly went on to feature in around 250 print advertisements and several television commercials. His early film appearance included Kook Doo Koo, which was selected for a children's film festival in France in 1984. (Image: Facebook)

One of Hansraj's earliest notable acting assignments came with BR Chopra's Mahabharat, which premiered in 1988. He played young Balram in the popular mythological series. The experience gave him an early introduction to television, although he subsequently took a break from acting. (Image: Facebook)

He returned to the small screen in 2001 with Ssshhhh...Koi Hai. However, it was his association with Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms that brought him wider recognition. Hansraj became particularly popular for portraying negative characters in television dramas. He played Garv Sachdev in Kkusum and Shashank, popularly known as Sasha, in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii. Both roles helped establish his reputation as an actor who could convincingly portray complicated and antagonistic characters. (Image: IMDb)

His television career also included shows such as Kkavyanjali, Kaisa Ye Pyar Hai, Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr, Jodha Akbar, Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, Mahakali - Anth Hi Aarambh Hai and Naagin 3. Over the years, he has also explored mythological and historical characters, playing Ravana in RadhaKrishn, Malla in Mahakali and Samrat Bindusar in Pracchand Ashok. (Image: IMDb)

Hansraj's latest appearance in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend brings him back to the mythological genre. He plays Raja Mali, also referred to as Sumali, Ravana's maternal grandfather, who has an important place in the story's narrative. (Image: Instagram/@chetan_hansraj)

The actor has revealed that his association with the film goes beyond this character. After completing his portion as Raja Mali, he was offered six additional motion-capture roles, taking his total number of characters in the film to seven. These included one of Ravana's brothers and a demon. (Image: Instagram/@chetan_hansraj)

While television remains a significant part of Hansraj's career, he has also appeared in several films across languages. His Hindi film credits include Anthony Kaun Hai, Bodyguard, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara, Shootout at Wadala, Hero and The Power. He also made appearances in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Apart from acting, Hansraj has participated in reality television shows. He was a contestant on Fear Factor India, Nach Baliye 4 and Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao. In 2022, he also entered the reality show Lock Upp. (Image: Instagram/@chetan_hansraj)