Ashish Vidyarthi

Ashish Vidyarthi
Born	19 June 1965 Delhi, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Actor, motivational speaker, content creator
Years active	1992–present
Education	National School of Drama
Known for	Character and antagonist roles across Indian cinema

Ashish Vidyarthi is an Indian actor, motivational speaker and digital content creator, best known for his intense and versatile performances across Hindi and regional Indian cinema. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has appeared in over 300 films across 11 languages and is a recipient of the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Early life and background

Ashish Vidyarthi was born on 19 June 1965 in Delhi. He grew up in a culturally rich environment. His father, Govind Vidyarthi, worked with the Sangeet Natak Akademi documenting India’s traditional performing arts, while his mother, Reba Vidyarthi, was a noted Kathak exponent.

He has ancestral roots in Thalassery, Kerala, and West Bengal. Vidyarthi trained in theatre at the National School of Drama (NSD), graduating in 1990. Following this, he worked extensively with the Delhi-based theatre group Act One, which helped shape his performance style and understanding of character-driven storytelling.

Film career

Ashish Vidyarthi made his film debut with Sardar (1992), portraying V. P. Menon. His breakthrough came with Drohkaal (1994), for which he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1995.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, he became widely known for portraying powerful antagonist and supporting roles in Hindi films such as Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, Major Saab, Soldier, Vaastav: The Reality, Refugee, Ziddi and 1942: A Love Story. His performance in Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin earned him the Star Screen Award for Best Villain and a Filmfare nomination.

Regional cinema

Beyond Hindi cinema, Vidyarthi established himself as a prominent character actor in regional industries. He has acted extensively in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Odia and English-language films.

His Telugu performance in Athanokkade (2005) earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Villain – Telugu. He later received the Nandi Award for Best Character Actor for Minugurulu (2012). His ability to adapt across languages and cultural contexts made him one of India’s most sought-after pan-Indian actors.

Digital media and recent work

In 2021, Ashish Vidyarthi launched his YouTube channel Ashish Vidyarthi Actor Vlogs, focusing on food, travel and life experiences. The channel gained rapid popularity, crossing over two million subscribers and hundreds of millions of views.

In the 2020s, he continued acting in films and streaming projects including Kaun Pravin Tambe?, Goodbye, Kuttey, Khufiya, Tejas, Kill and Aavesham. In 2025, he appeared as a contestant on the reality series The Traitors.

Motivational work

Vidyarthi is also a motivational speaker and co-founder of AVID MINER Conversations, a platform that conducts workshops and interactive sessions for corporate and creative audiences. His talks focus on mindset, resilience, communication and creativity.

Personal life

Ashish Vidyarthi was previously married to Rajoshi Vidyarthi, with whom he has a son. In 2023, he married Rupali Barua. He has often spoken publicly about personal growth and embracing new phases of life.

Awards and honours

• National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor – Drohkaal (1995)
• Filmfare Award for Best Villain – Telugu – Athanokkade (2005)
• Nandi Award for Best Character Actor – Minugurulu (2012)
• Star Screen Award for Best Villain – Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin

Legacy

Ashish Vidyarthi is widely regarded as one of the most versatile character actors in Indian cinema. Known for elevating even brief roles with depth and intensity, his career is often cited as an example of longevity built on craft rather than stardom.