Jay Upadhyay is a famous Indian actor who predominantly works in the Gujarati Cinema. He achieved stardom after he played the role of Pranav Sheth in the popular Hindi web series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, released in 2020.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Jay Upadhyay was born on 1 January in Borivali district of Mumbai. He completed his schooling from St. Francis D’Assisi High School in Mumbai, and then he went on to pursue his graduation at Malini Kishor Sanghvi College of Commerce and Economics also in Mumbai.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family & Caste
Jay Upadhyay belongs to a Gujarati-Upadhyay family. [1]YouTube
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Arvind Upadhyay who is self-employed, and not much information is available about his mother. Jay has two sisters, Mona Upadhyay Rawal and Falguni Upadhyay Pandya, both of them are married and settled in the US.
Jay Upadhyay with his parents
Jay Upadhyay with his sisters (Mona on the right and Falguni on the left)
Relationships, Wife & Children
Jay married Disha Savla Upadhyay on Sunday, 30 December 2007. As of 2020, he doesn’t have any kids.
Career
Theatre
Jay was very active on stage during his school and college days. He went on stage for the first time in 8th standard, when he did a one-act play. He loved the experience and knew that he wanted to become an actor. After completing his college studies in 2001, Jay joined the theatre group of Manoj Shah, a famous theatre director, actor, and producer who owns the production company Ideas Unlimited. Jay considers him as his idol and has worked with him in many famous plays; one of them is Mareez, a biographical drama that has been playing at Prithvi Theatre since 2004.
Jay Upadhyay’s play Mareez
Jay has an undying love for theatre. He considers theatre to be the purest form of acting because it involves live performances in which there are no retakes. Jay feels every new actor should do at least five years of theatre as it would really help to hone their craft.
Jay Upadhyay in a play with his wife
Film
Jay made his film debut with the 2012 Gujarati film ‘Kevi Rite Jaish,’ which according to him, started an epoch of urban films in Gujarat. Jay is often praised for his commendable performances in a lot of Gujarati movies and plays. His performance in another Gujarati film ‘Paaghadi’ (2018) fetched him the 18th Annual Transmedia Gujarati Screen & Stage Awards for Best Actor in Comic Role. 
Jay did a comedy film ‘Tu Hai Mera Sunday’ in 2016 that won the Audience Award at the Cinequest Film Festival. The film was released at the BFI Southbank theatre during the London Film Festival in 2016 and was loved by the audience.
Television
Jay has done his fair share of TV roles. Jay was part of a famous play Bhamasha, based on the life of Bhama Shah, a noted general, minister, and close aide of Maharana Pratap. He has also made a guest appearance on the famous Indian television show ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’ to promote his play Bhamasha.
His breakthrough role came in the 2020 Hindi web series Scam 1992 directed by Hansal Mehta. Jay’s role in the series was inspired by Ketan Parekh, a former stockbroker who was convicted in 2008 for manipulation of stocks. In an interview, describing his working experience with Hansal Mehta, he said,
Hansal sir jane jate hai serious films ke liye, but he is a prankster and a bully in a funny way. Wo aap par itna acha joke marenge ki aapko hasna aayega. He is inherently a very funny guy who is known for his serious content, which is very ironic.”
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- 2018 (Winner): 18th Annual Transmedia Gujarati Screen & Stage Awards for Best Actor in Comic Role, Film Paghadi
- 2020 (Winner): Ideas Unlimited Awards for Best Actor
Bike Collection
Jay owns a red Bajaj Pulsar RS200.
Facts/Trivia
- Jay considers himself a petrolhead and loves to travel.
- He occasionally smokes and drinks alcohol.
- Jay considers Pratik Gandhi (a well-known actor and his Scam 1992 co-star) a good friend of him. He has shared the stage with him during many Gujarati theatrical productions.
Jay Upadhyay doing a play with Pratik Gandhi
