Vinay Forrt

Biography:

Vinay Kumar, professionally known as Vinay Forrt, is an Indian film and stage actor born on 13 January 1983 in Fort Kochi, Kerala. He holds a postgraduate degree in acting from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. Forrt made his debut in Malayalam cinema with the film Ritu (2009).

Born to M.V. Mani and Sujatha, Vinay adopted the name “Forrt” as a tribute to his birthplace. He has a sister, Suma, and a brother, Syam. He completed his schooling at St. John De Britto Anglo-Indian High School, Fort Kochi, and attended Aquinas College, Edacochin. Before pursuing acting, he worked in various jobs, including at a restaurant, coffee shop, medical shop, and call center. During his college days, he joined the Lokadharmi Theater group, becoming active in plays, and later dropped out to study acting at the Film and Television Institute. Forrt was awarded the National Scholarship for Best Senior Theatre Actor by the Government of India (2004–2006) and is also a contemporary dancer.

While at the Film and Television Institute, Forrt was cast by Shyamaprasad in Ritu (2009), where he played a small but impactful role as a gay character, earning early recognition. He later appeared in the English film The Blueberry Hunt (2011) alongside Naseeruddin Shah and had notable roles in films such as Navagatharkku Swagatham (2012) and Shutter (2012), the latter gaining critical acclaim and international festival screenings.

Forrt achieved widespread recognition for his comedic role as Vimal Sir in Alphonse Putharen’s Premam (2015), which gained a cult following. He also starred in Urumbukal Urangarilla (2015), which received mixed to positive reviews. His performances in films like Kohinoor (2015), Kammatti Paadam (2016), Kismath (2016), and God Say (2017) were well-received, though some, like Hello Namasthe (2016), underperformed at the box office.

In 2019, Forrt delivered one of his best performances in Thamasha, portraying a Malayalam professor struggling to find a life partner. His role in Paapam Cheyyathavar Kalleriyatte (2020) was also praised, as was his comedic turn in Mohan Kumar Fans (2021). His portrayal of David Christudas in Mahesh Narayanan’s Malik (2021) received critical acclaim, with many considering it among his finest performances.

Forrt married his longtime girlfriend, Soumya Ravi, a research scholar, on 6 December 2014 at Guruvayoor. The couple has a son.