Mehta made his television debut in 2012 with Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara playing Aditya Kumar, which earned him two Best Debut Male awards. Later, he earned critical acclaim with his portrayals in Ishqbaaaz and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2. Both these shows earned him two ITA Awards for Best Actor Popular and established him as a leading television actor.[2]
Mehta made his web debut in 2016 with I Don't Watch TV, which he co-produced. He has since starred in the series Never Kiss Your Best Friend (2020-2022), the short film Ved and Arya (2020) and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 3 (2023). Mehta is married to singer Jankee Parekh with whom he has a son.
Early life
Nakuul Mehta's family hails from Udaipur, Rajasthan.[3][4] His father, Pratap Singh Mehta, is a veteran of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, while his great-great grandfather Laxmilal Mehta was the military commander of the Mewar region.[5]
Mehta completed his Master of Commerce from Mumbai University. He was also trained in dance forms including jazz, hip hop, break, folk, salsa and contemporary. He is a trained ballroom dancer having learned under India's foremost ballroom teacher and Bollywood choreographer Sandip Soparrkar. He represented Maharashtra in the All India Dance Sport Federation in June 2011. He was a silver medalist in the Latin Ballroom Category and is a gold medal winner in the Standard Ballroom category.[6]
Career
Debut and television breakthrough (2005–2015)
Mehta did commercials, music videos, and was associated with theatre for a long time. He made his acting debut with the 2005 Telugu film, Abhimaani and then worked in another Telugu film Indian Beauty in 2006.[7] In 2008, he made his Hindi film debut with Haal-e-Dil, playing a painter Shekhar opposite Amita Patak. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama noted, "Nakuul Mehta in all fairness, is very confident, a bundle of energy and knows his job well. His expressions are perfect at all times."[8]
In 2011, he appeared in the short film Avant Garde, which received praises and was showcased at various film festivals.[9] The film was a box office failure.[10]
In 2016, Mehta made his web debut with I Don't Watch TV, which he also co-produced. It is a satire on the Indian television industry.[21] In 2020, Mehta first appeared in the short film Ved and Arya alongside Sanaya Irani, playing a supportive brother. Rahul Desai of Film Companion stated, "Nakuul Mehta doesn't overdo the urbane drawl-coolness while reacting to his sister's confessions. His eyes are softer than his mannerisms."[22]
Later in 2020, Mehta expanded his web career with Never Kiss Your Best Friend, playing Sumer Singh Dhillion, opposite Anya Singh.[23] Shweta Keshri of India Today noted, "Nakuul Mehta played the 20 something Sumer with ease. The actor easily transitioned from a grown-up to a college boy in the flashback scenes." In the same year, he appeared in another series, BAE Control, playing Shyam.[24]
In 2022, Mehta first played Somesh alongside Naveen Kasturia in the short film Tasalli Se. Archika Khurana of The Times of India praised Mehta's for his "believable and restrained" performance.[27] In the same year, he reprised Sumer Singh Dhillon in the second season of Never Kiss Your Best Friend, opposite Anya Singh and Sarah-Jane Dias.[28]News18's Zinia Bandyopadhyay stated, "Nakuul Mehta is a good actor, and that translates on the screen here as well."[29]
In 2023, Mehta played Ram Kapoor in Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 3, a sequel to the previous seasons, opposite Disha Parmar.[30]
Personal life
Mehta with his wife Jankee Parekh, in 2015
Mehta met singer Jankee Parekh in his teenage and the couple was in a relationship for over a decade. On 28 January 2012, Mehta married Parekh in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony.[31][32] The couple had their first child on 3 February 2021, a boy, Sufi.[33][34]
Health
In June 2022, Mehta was hospitalised for 2 days in Sujoy Hospital in Juhu, Mumbai, with appendicitis. He underwent appendectomy, a minor surgery, and had his appendix removed.[35]
Other work and public image
Mehta at an event in 2016
Adit Ganguly of Cosmopolitan India termed him "charming, classy and charismatic" and noted, "Mehta is one of the biggest names in Indian television today and is perennially expanding the scope of his art and talent."[36] Asjad Nazir from Eastern Eye noted Mehta's dashing "good looks" and ability to deliver a "winning performance".[37] In the UK-based newspaper Eastern Eye's list of 50 Sexiest Asian Men, Mehta was placed 35th in 2017 and 16th in 2018.[38][39] In the Times' Most Desirable Men on TV, Mehta was placed 15th in 2017.[40]
