Overview
Mohit Raina is an Indian actor primarily known for his work in Hindi television and web series. He achieved widespread recognition for portraying the Hindu deity Shiva in the mythological television series Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev, which aired on Life OK from 2011 to 2014. He has since transitioned to films and digital streaming platforms, appearing in productions on Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
Key facts
| Full name | Mohit Raina |
|---|---|
| Profession | Actor |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Place of origin | Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Primary languages of work | Hindi |
| Notable role | Shiva in Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev |
| Active since | 2000s |
Background
Mohit Raina hails from Jammu and Kashmir. Before establishing himself as an actor, he worked as a model and appeared in television commercials. He moved into acting through small roles on Hindi television, gradually progressing to lead parts in mythological and historical genres, which were a dominant strand of Indian general entertainment programming during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Career
Television
Raina's early television appearances included supporting and guest roles in serials such as Antariksh, Bhaskar Bharti, Chehra and Ganga Kii Dheej. He played mythological roles in shows including Dwarkadheesh – Bhagwaan Shree Krishn, where he portrayed Indra.
His breakthrough came in 2011 with Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev, produced by Triangle Film Company for Life OK. The serial, which dramatised stories from Shaiva traditions and the Puranas, ran for over 800 episodes and made Raina a household name. He continued to appear in mythological projects, reprising the role of Shiva across related crossover episodes on the same channel.
He later starred in Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat and headlined the historical drama Porus on Sony TV (2017–2018), in which he played the Macedonian king Alexander.
Web series and films
Raina shifted focus to streaming platforms in the late 2010s. He featured in the Disney+ Hotstar Specials series Kaafir (2019), set against the backdrop of the India–Pakistan conflict, opposite Dia Mirza. In 2020 he appeared in the ensemble web series Mrs. Serial Killer on Netflix.
His feature film debut came with Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019), directed by Aditya Dhar, in which he played a senior Indian Army officer. He has since appeared in other film and streaming projects, including Bhaukaal on MX Player and the legal drama The Freelancer on Disney+ Hotstar.
Timeline
- Late 2000s: Begins career in modelling and Hindi television.
- 2011–2014: Plays Shiva in Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev on Life OK.
- 2017–2018: Stars as Alexander in Porus on Sony TV.
- 2019: Film debut in Uri: The Surgical Strike; lead in web series Kaafir.
- 2020 onwards: Continues work across web series and films on streaming platforms.
Significance
Raina is regarded as one of the prominent faces of the mythological television revival in India during the early 2010s, a period when channels such as Life OK, Star Plus and Colors invested heavily in Puranic and historical storytelling. His portrayal of Shiva is frequently cited alongside earlier televised depictions of Hindu deities for its visual styling and long broadcast run. His subsequent move to films and OTT platforms reflects a broader trend among Indian television actors transitioning to digital long-form content.
Personal life
Raina is known to keep his personal life relatively private. He has spoken in interviews about his roots in Jammu and Kashmir and the influence of his upbringing on his career choices.
Related topics
- Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev
- Uri: The Surgical Strike
- Porus (TV series)
- Life OK
- Indian Television
- Hindi Web Series
- Mythological Television in India
References
- Programme listings and broadcast records of Life OK and Sony Entertainment Television.
- Production credits of Uri: The Surgical Strike (RSVP Movies, 2019).
- Streaming catalogues of Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix India.