Arjun Mathur

Biography:

Arjun Mathur is a British-Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films, web series, and television serials. He gained international recognition for his role in the British drama series “Indian Summers” and as the lead in the Amazon Original series “Made in Heaven,” which earned him an International Emmy nomination for Best Actor.

Mathur was discovered by Mira Nair and Farhan Akhtar through their short films “Migration” and “Positive,” part of the ‘Aids Jaago’ project that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2007. He delivered notable performances in mainstream Indian films such as “Luck By Chance,” “My Name Is Khan,” and “Ankur Arora Murder Case,” and in acclaimed independent films like “Barah Aana,” “Coffee Bloom,” the National Award-winning “I Am,” and “Fireflies,” which earned him a Best Actor nomination at the New York Indian Film Festival in 2013.

In 2012, Mathur was praised for his role in the youth-centric mini-series “Bring On The Night,” one of India’s pioneering productions before the streaming era. He has also appeared in numerous television commercials and was a brand ambassador for Godrej from 2013 to 2016. He portrayed the volatile nationalist Naresh Banerjee in Channel 4’s British drama series “Indian Summers.” In the 2018 Netflix original film “Brij Mohan Amar Rahe,” Mathur impressed audiences with his portrayal of a Delhi underwear salesman attempting to fake his own death.

In 2019, Mathur starred in Zoya Akhtar’s Amazon Original series “Made in Heaven,” earning a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor at the International Emmy Awards 2020 for his nuanced portrayal of a gay man in urban India when homosexuality was still illegal. The show received critical acclaim and a global audience, leading to a second season four years later.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Mathur appeared in the suspense thriller series “The Gone Game,” which was conceived, shot, and released during the pandemic. Born in London, England, and raised in New Delhi and Mumbai, Mathur’s father, Rakesh, is a hotelier. He has an older brother, Gautam, and a younger sister, Sonia. His mother, Reynoo, passed away in a car accident when he was thirteen.

Mathur born on 18 October 1981, attended St. Columba’s School, New Delhi, St. Mary’s School, Mumbai, The British School, New Delhi, and Oaklands College, St Albans, Hertfordshire, where he completed his A-Levels. He chose not to pursue a college degree, instead training as an actor at Barry John’s Institute and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. Before his acting career, he worked as an assistant director on “Bunty Aur Babli” (2005) and “Rang De Basanti” (2006).