Paras Kalnawat

Paras Kalnawat (born 9 November 1996) is an Indian model and actor best known for portraying Sanjay Singh Ahlawat in Meri Durga, Faraz Sheikh in Ishq Aaj Kal and Samar Shah in Anupamaa.
==Early life==
Kalnawat belonging to a Brahmin family was born to a Nagpur-based businessman Bhushan Kalnawat and Anita Kalnawat on 9 November 1996 at Bhandara, a district near Nagpur and has an elder sister named Pragati Kalnawat Sharma also. He completed his schooling from a local school in Nagpur and later joined S.K. Somaiya College of Arts, Science and Commerce to earn his Bachelor of Commerce degree. Later he moved to Mumbai to become an actor and completed his dance diploma from Terence Lewis (choreographer)|Terence Lewis Dance Academy.
==Personal life==
In 2021, Kalnawat revealed that he is in a serious relationship with someone outside the entertainment industry. On 27 March 2021, while shooting for Holi sequence in Anupamaa, he got the news of his father's sudden demise due to heart attack.
==Career==
===Debut and early success (2017-2020)===
Kalnawat begun his television career in 2017 by appearing as Dhruv in Aye Zindagi. From July 2017 to March 2018 he portrayed main lead Sanjay Singh Ahlawat, the protagonist's husband in StarPlus's Meri Durga opposite Srishti Jain. In May 2018, he was cast to play Rehaan Thakur opposite Priyanka Kandwal in Mariam Khan - Reporting Live by the same channel Star Plus. However the duo quit the show in September 2018 due to some personal reasons.
Later in the same year he portrayed episodic roles in Kaun Hai? and Laal Ishq (Indian TV series)|Laal Ishq. In 2019, he made his digital debut by portraying Shivam Noon in ALT Balaji's Dil Hi Toh Hai|Dil Hi Toh Hai 2 opposite Palak Purswani. He went on to play main protagonist turned antagonist Faraz Sheikh in all four seasons of the web series Ishq Aaj Kal opposite Ankitta Sharma in the same year and reprised his role as Shivam in Dil Hi Toh Hai|Dil Hi Toh Hai 3 opposite Poulomi Das in early 2020.
===Breakthrough through Anupamaa, fallout and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 (2020-present)===
In March 2020, Kalnawat signed to portray the role of a dancer Samar Shah in Anupamaa opposite Anagha Bhosale and Alma Hussein. It turned out to be a turning point in his career as he became a household name as Samar due to show's immediate success.
He subsequently appeared in music videos like Tere Naal Rehna, Akhaa Vich, Khumariyaan, Yaar Ki Mehfil, Baadal Barse etc. opposite actresses like Ashi Singh, Anagha Bhosale, Onima Kashyap, Ashnoor Kaur, Payal Rajput.
In July 2022, Kalnawat announced his participation in dance-based reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (season 10)|Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10. However it led to the termination of his three-years-long contract by Anupamaa's producer Rajan Shahi and he termed the actor "unprofessional" as the show was scheduled to air on rival channel Colors TV. To his defense Kalnawat claimed that "he already informed the makers about the same to which they asked him to choose between Anupamaa and Jhalak in return and he chosed the latter for his career growth claiming his ouster to be a PR Tactic" supporting his former co-actor Anagha Bhosale's allegations of "set politics" on makers and signed off calling whatever happened was a "nightmare" and "sigh of relief" and revealed many dark secrets of the production house including his return to show within five days of his father's demise as leads were tested COVID-19 positive. Subsequently, his intro promo was released by Colors TV on 7 August 2022 along with other participants Dheeraj Dhoopar, Shilpa Shinde and Nia Sharma. On beginning his reality journey through Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (season 10)|Jhalak Kalnawat said, "I want audience to watch the first episode of Jhalak to know me better".
==Media==
On Indian Independence Day 2022, he took an initiative for Clean India Campaign and asked his fans to join and support him for the same.
Apart from acting Kalnawat is also known for his poetries.
==Filmography==
===Television===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes 	Ref.
2017 	Aye Zindagi 	Dhruv 	Episode 16 	
2017–2018 	Meri Durga 	Sanjay Singh "SP/Prince" Ahlawat 	 	
2018 	Mariam Khan - Reporting Live 	Rehaan Thakur 	 	
2018 	Kaun Hai? 	Kunwar Ratan Pratap Singh Rathore	Episode: "The Heir of Dhawalgarh"	
2019 	Laal Ishq (Indian TV series)|Laal Ishq	Kabir 	Episode: "Khooni Wig" 	
2019 	Laal Ishq (Indian TV series)|Laal Ishq	Mannu Mittal 	Episode: "Mayavi Shev" 	
2020–2022 	Anupamaa 	Samar "Bakuda/Samu" Shah 	 	
2022–present	Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 	Contestant 	 	
===Web series===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes 	Ref.
2019–2020	Dil Hi Toh Hai	Shivam "Shivi" Noon	Seasons 2-3	
2019 	Ishq Aaj Kal 	Faraz Sheikh 	 	
===Music videos===
Year	Title 	Singer(s) 	Ref.
2020	Tere Naal Rehna 	Jeet Gannguli, Jyotica Tangri	
2021	Akhaa Vich 	Sonu Kakkar 	
2021	Ladki Star Hai 	Himani Bairwa 	
2021	Dil Nu Dildaar 	Yasser Desai 	
2021	Khumariyaan 	Raj Barman, Samira Koppikar 	
2021	Sun Yaara 	Rahat Fateh Ali Khan 	
2022	Tum Subah Tum Shab	Mohammad Danish, Sarodee Bora	
2022	Yaar Ki Mehfil 	Stebin Ben 	
2022	Humnashi 	Palak Muchhal, Ashok Ojha 	
2022	Baadal Barse 	Yasser Desai 	
==Awards and nominations==
Year	Award 	Category 	Work 	Result	Ref.
2022	Gold Awards|14th Gold Awards	Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Anupamaa	 	
2022	Gold Awards|14th Gold Awards	Most Stylish Actor 	 	 	
Category:1996 births
Category:Indian male models
Category:Indian male television actors