Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor associated with Hindi and Punjabi cinema. With a career rooted in theatre and parallel cinema, he is widely recognised for his portrayal of the antagonist Shakaal in Ramesh Sippy's Shaan (1980), and for his collaborations with directors such as Mahesh Bhatt and Deepa Mehta.
| Full name | Kulbhushan Kharbanda |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 October 1944 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Languages of work | Hindi, Punjabi |
| Notable role | Shakaal in Shaan (1980) |
| Theatre debut | Delhi-based theatre group, 1974 |
Kharbanda began his acting career on stage in 1974, joining a Delhi-based theatre group. His grounding in theatre informed his later transition to film, where he initially worked extensively in parallel cinema before crossing over into mainstream Hindi productions.
After working in several parallel cinema productions, Kharbanda established himself in mainstream Hindi films. His breakthrough in popular cinema came with Shaan (1980), where he played the bald-headed villain Shakaal, a role that has remained closely identified with him.
After nearly two decades away from the stage, Kharbanda returned to theatre in the production of Atmakatha, directed by Vinay Sharma, staged at the Padatik Theatre in Kolkata.
Kharbanda's work bridges the parallel cinema movement of the 1970s and 1980s and the popular Hindi mainstream, and extends to internationally acclaimed diaspora cinema through his appearances in all three films of Deepa Mehta's Elements trilogy. His portrayal of Shakaal in Shaan remains one of the more recognisable antagonist roles in Hindi cinema.