Ashok Banthia

Ashok Banthia Biography

Ashok Banthia is a noted actor of Indian television, theater and cinema. He is best known for his role in Australian TV series Bodyline where he portrayed the character of Nawab of Pataudi Sr. He is associated with Bollywood playing character roles since 1983. He played the role of a news reporter in 1983 cult classic - Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. Rudaali, Bedardi and Dushmani are some of his works in 1980s and 1990s. Mission Kashmiri, Bawander, Aankhein, Rush, Mazi, Loknayak, Rush and Khoobsurat are some of his noted character roles since 2000. He studied at prestigious NSD.

Ashok Banthia was born in Udaipur, Rajasthan in a traditional business family. After earning a diploma in dramatics from Panjab University, Chandigarh, he joined National School of Drama, Delhi. He also did a course in direction at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney, Australia. In between he played a cameo role in Bollywood classic, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro. After completing the course in Sydney he got his first offer for an Australian television series, Bodyline. He got noticed for the role of Nawab of Pataudi Sr he played on mini screen.  

Later he moved to India where he started his career with Doordarshan. He played the role of Kritvarma in the most popular television series of 1980s – Ramanand Sagar’s Mahabharat. It was followed by the character role of Mahamantri Indra Dutt in Doordarshan historical series – Chanakya. Ek Kahani Aur Mili, Tahreer Munshi Premchand ki, Ramayan (2008), Mahadev, Balika Vadhu and Ramayan (2012) are other noted television works. In the early 1990s, he worked as an associate director too. Chanakya, Mohenjo-daro, The Last Train and Chanakyashashtra are his noted theater works since early 2000.

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Updated: January 17, 2016