Veteran Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal has made a surprising revelation about his four-decade-long career in the film industry. Despite appearing in more than 250 films, the actor says he considers only 11 of them particularly good.
Rawal shared this candid assessment during an audience interaction following the screening of his film Pastt Tense at the Jagran Film Festival. His son and co-star, Aditya Rawal, was also present at the event.
Paresh Rawal Names His Most Memorable Films
During the discussion, Rawal was asked whether he had ever counted the number of films he had worked in. The actor responded humorously that he remembered the good films rather than keeping track of the total.
When asked how many films met his personal standards, he answered 11. Aditya Rawal confirmed that they had counted them.
Among the films Paresh Rawal mentioned were Sardar (1993), Tamanna (1997), Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008), The Storyteller (2025) and Hera Pheri (2000).
‘Sardar’ Remains Close to His Heart
Rawal spoke particularly warmly about playing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the 1993 biographical film Sardar. He said the role required considerable hard work and remained especially meaningful to him.
He also mentioned Tamanna, which was inspired by a real-life story, although he felt its second half could have been better.
The actor said he particularly enjoyed working on The Storyteller, adding it to the list of performances he remembers fondly.
Actor Picks ‘Dacait’ as His Favourite Villainous Role
The conversation also turned to Rawal’s memorable negative characters. When asked which villainous performance gave him the greatest satisfaction, he selected Dacait (1987).
He explained that he preferred antagonists who felt like believable people rather than characters defined by exaggerated appearances. According to him, a convincing villain should feel like someone audiences might encounter in everyday life.
Paresh Rawal Turns Down a Baburao Dialogue Request
The audience also requested that Rawal recreate a dialogue as his iconic character Baburao Ganpatrao Apte from Hera Pheri. The actor declined with a humorous reply, saying that people would have to buy a ticket to hear it.
His comments have attracted attention because they come amid continued uncertainty surrounding Hera Pheri 3 and his earlier departure from the project.
Rawal’s candid remarks offer a glimpse into how he evaluates his extensive filmography, showing that a long career does not necessarily mean an actor considers every project equally memorable.
