Rahul Bose is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, rugby player, and social activist who mainly works in Bengali and Hindi films. He is the founder of the anti-discrimination NGO, The Foundation.
Wiki/Biography
Rahul Bose was born on Thursday, 27 July 1967 (age 53 years; as in 2020) in Kolkata. His zodiac sign is Leo.
Rahul Bose in his childhood
He did his schooling from Mumbai’s Cathedral and John Connon School. He was good at sports and acting from a very young age. He made his first stage performance at the age of 6 by playing the lead role in his school play, “Tom- The Piper’s Son.”
Rahul Bose in his teenage
After passing his class 12, Rahul applied in around 18 different American Universities, but got rejected by all of them. He, then, enrolled himself in Mumbai’s Sydenham College to pursue his graduation. While in college, Rahul was a part of the school’s rugby team and he competed in the Western India Championships, winning a silver medal in boxing. Bose’s mother passed away when he was just 20 years old. After his mother’s demise, Rahul started working as a copywriter at a radio and TV signals distribution company, “Rediffusion.”
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family & Caste
Rahul Bose belongs to a Hindu Family. [1]Wikipedia
Parents & Siblings
Rahul’s father, Rupen Bose was a Marketing consultant. His mother’s name is Kumud Bose. Rahul has an elder sister, Anuradha Bose Ansari. His sister, Anuradha is married to Tariq Ansari, the director of Mid-Day Multimedia.
Rahul Bose’s father
Rahul Bose’s mother and sister
Rahul Bose with his father and sister
Rahul Bose with his mother
Rahul Bose and his sister
Relationships
Rahul Bose was in a relationship with the late actress and model, Nafisa Joseph. [2]Times of India
Rahul Bose’s ex-girlfriend, Nafisa Joseph
Acting Career
Rahul Bose started his career as a theatre artist in 1989 with the play, “Topsy Turvey.” He, then, appeared in several plays”, like “Are There Tigers in the Congo?,” “Art,” “The Square Circle,” and “Seascape with Sharks and Dancer.” He started his acting career in 1994 with the Hinglish film, “English, August” in which he played the role of ‘Agastya Sen.’ After that, he found work in television; he was offered the role of ‘Sarkar/Pavan’ in the TV serial, “A Mouthful of Sky.”
Rahul Bose in English, August
Subsequently, Bose featured in films like “Bomgay,” “Bombay Boys,” “Split Wide Open,” “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer,” “Pyaar Ke Side Effects,” “Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii,” and “The Japanese Wife.”
Rahul Bose in Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii
His directorial debut came in the year 2001 with the film, “Everybody Says I’m Fine!.” In addition to acting and directing, Rahul has also worked as a playback singer for the song “Akashe chhorano megher” from the film, “Anuranan.” In 2020, he played the role of ‘Mahendra/Indranil’ in Netflix Original Release, “Bulbbul.”
Rahul Bose in Bulbbul
Sports Career
Rahul Bose started his sports career in 1998 as a Rugby player. He was a part of the first Indian national Rugby team to play in an international event, “Asian Rugby Football Union Championship.”
Rahul Bose with 1999 Indian Rugby Team
For the Indian national team, he has played at both, the scrum-half and right-winger positions.
Rahul Bose as a Rugby Player
Social Activism
Bose founded a non-government organisation named “The Foundation” in 2007. The NGO worked towards the removal of discrimination from all walks of life. As a social activist, Bose has been a part of a number of national and global campaigns, like “Narmada Bacho Andolan,” “2004 World Youth Peace Summit,” and “2009 Copenhagen World Climate Change Summit.” He is closely associated with many charitable organisations, like “Teach for India,” “Akshara Centre,” “Breakthrough,” “Citizens for Justice and Peace,” and “The Spastics Society of India.”
Rahul Bose working for his NGO, The Foundation
In 2007, Bose became the first Indian Oxfam global ambassador. He is also the ambassador for the American India Foundation, the World Youth Peace Movement, and Planet Alert. He has given lectures on gender equality and human rights at Oxford and during the World Youth Peace Summit (2004). On 17 February 2013, Bose delivered a speech at the 8th convocation of BRAC University, Bangladesh.
Rahul Bose at the 8th convocation of BRAC University, Bangladesh
In 2017, Rahul launched “HEAL,” an NGO against child sexual abuse.
Rahul Bose at the launch event of HEAL
Controversy
In 2013, Rahul Bose attracted criticism for commenting in favour of the Delhi gang rape accused. Bose said,
We have to ask ourselves of the five or six of the rapists of the December 16 is there anyone who wants to change, who wants to reform… Nobody is saying about commuting any sentence, the sentence stands as it is but while it stands can we create a gender warrior among them?”
The actor further said,
If anybody is open to reaffirmation, do we have it in us to subvert our patriarchal mindset and tell them that we are ready to confer even the right to reform to you, even if there is such a massive public upsurge against you?… If we have to… evolve as a civilization further beyond the boundaries of India, then we have to look at forgiveness.”
His comments attracted backlash from Twitterati. However, Bose again tweeted that he stands by what he had said. [3]India Today
Awards
- “Artiste for Change” Karmaveer Puraskaar Award (2007)
- IBN Eminent Citizen Journalist Award (2008)
- Youth Icon Award for Social Justice and Welfare (2009)
- Green Globe Foundation Award for Extraordinary Work by a Public Figure (2010)
- Hakim Khan Sur Award for National Integration – Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation (2012)
- Lt. Governor’s Commendation Award for services to Andaman & Nicobar Islands (2012)
Favourite Things
- Food: Shami Kebabs, Baingan Ka Bharta
- Dessert: Haagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate Ice-cream
- Actor: Jeetendra
- Actress: Konkona Sen Sharma
Rahul Bose with Konkana Sen Sharma
- Musicians/Brands: Radiohead, Bhimsen Joshi, Billie Holiday
- Books: Ulysses by James Joyce, Brando: The Biography by Peter Manso, Elia Kazan: A Life, The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
- Authors/Writers: Haruki Murakami, Bruce Chatwin, Anthony Bourdain
- Festival: Holi
Facts/Trivia
- His hobbies include reading and watching cricket.
- Rahul follows a non-vegetarian diet.
Rahul Bose’s Instagram Post
- It was Bose’s mother, Kumud Bose who introduced him to Rugby and Boxing when he was young. She motivated him to become a sportsman.
- In addition to Rugby and Boxing, Rahul was also good at Cricket in his young age and he has once played cricket under the guidance of the late cricketer, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
- Rahul’s debut film (as a lead), “August” was the first film to have been bought by an American film distribution company named 20th Century Fox.
- In 1998, Rahul observed a drug-dealer in a Mumbai slum for two weeks in order to prepare for his role of ‘roving water vendor’ in the film, “Split Wide Open.” Later, he was awarded the Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Actor at the 2000 Singapore International Film Festival for this film.
- Bose adopted six children aged 11 with the consent of his charity institution from Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2007. Not just that, he even raised Rs. 2.4 million for their upbringing and education.
- He was once named the Time Magazine’s “Superstar of the Indian Arthouse Cinema” and “Maxim’s Sean Penn of Oriental Cinema.”
- He has featured on the cover of the Just Urbane Magazine.
Rahul Bose on the cover of Just Urbane magazine
- Rahul has worked in several shelved films, like “Exchange Offer” (2008), “Click and Marry” (2009), “Jeene Do” (2012), and “Travelling With Mohammed” (2013).
- In July 2019, Rahul ordered a room service for two bananas during his stay at a luxury hotel in Chandigarh and he was in for a shock when the bill arrived. The hotel had charged him Rs. 442.50 for it, after which, he took to Twitter to share the incident. His post gained instant attention from the public and he started trending on Twitter. Later, a fine of Rs. 25000 was imposed on the hotel by the Excise and Taxation Department of the UT for over-charging Bose for fruits served to him. [4]India Today
- Bose is a fitness enthusiast and visits the gym regularly.
References
| ↑1 | Wikipedia |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Times of India |
| ↑3 | India Today |
| ↑4 | India Today |
