Viveik Kalra

Viveik Kalra
Born
Viveik Kalra [1]

Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England
Alma materRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama
OccupationActor
Years active2016–present
Notable workBlinded by the Light

Viveik Kalra (/vɪˈvɛk ˈkɑːlrə/)[2] is an English actor. His breakout role came in 2019's Blinded by the Light, directed by Gurinder Chadha.[3]

Early life and education

Kalra was born in Windsor and Maidenhead,[1] Berkshire, England, to a British-born father and Indian-born mother of Punjabi Hindu descent.[4] He was raised in Windsor, where he became a fan of Indian films and American hip hop.[5][6] He was in his first year at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff in 2016 when he left after being cast in his first role.[7][8]

Career

Kalra's first job was in the 2018 ITV miniseries Next of Kin, which came after he sent a video audition. In 2019, he also starred in another ITV miniseries, Gurinder Chadha's historical drama Beecham House.[9] He was cast as Javed Khan in Blinded by the Light, about a British-Pakistani teen inspired by Bruce Springsteen in 1987, after singing "Born to Run" in the audition.[10] For his role as Javed, Kalra was nominated as Best Actor at the 2019 SIFF.[11]

He stars as Peter in the science fiction film Voyagers, along with Tye Sheridan, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell and Lily-Rose Depp.[12]

In 2022, he starred as Troye Sivan's love interest in the film Three Months.[13]

In 2023, he signed on to co-star with Indian superstar Shruti Haasan in the cross-cultural romantic comedy film titled "Chennai Story," which is directed by Bafta-winning Welsh director Philip John.[14]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes Ref.
2019 Blinded by the Light Javed Khan
2021 Voyagers Peter
2022 Three Months Estha
2024 Lift Luke
TBA Chennai Story [15]

Television

Year Film Role Notes
2018 Next of Kin Danish Shirani TV mini-series
2019 Beecham House Baadal TV mini-series

References

  1. ^ a b England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007
  2. ^ "'Blinded by the Light' Star Viveik Kalra Wants to Dance With Helen Mirren". IMDb. YouTube. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Viveik Kalra: New face to watch". Boston Herald. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  4. ^ de Semlyen, Phil (6 August 2019). "'Blinded by the Light' star Viveik Kalra is quietly changing the world". Time Out London. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  5. ^ Chew, Erin (28 August 2019). "Main Actor Viveik Kalra Of 'Blinded By The Light' Gets Deep And Personal About The Film And About Himself". AsAm News. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  6. ^ "How Viveik Kalra found Springsteen in suburban Luton". Dazed. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  7. ^ Wolfson, Sam (18 August 2019). "Viveik Kalra: 'I feel represented, like finally there's a part of me on the screen'". The Observer. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  8. ^ Gant, Charles (8 August 2019). "Stars of Tomorrow 2019: Viveik Kalra (actor)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  9. ^ Bhandara, Neville (9 August 2019). "Meet Viveik Kalra, the star of Gurinder Chadha's new film". Elle India. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  10. ^ Bell, Crystal (15 August 2019). "How Blinded By The Light's Viveik Kalra Learned To Love The Boss". MTV News. Archived from the original on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  11. ^ "SIFF 2019 Award Winners". Seattle International Film Festival.
  12. ^ Prokopy, Steven (19 August 2019). "'Blinded by the Light' Star Viveik Kalra on Taking a Crash Course in Bruce Springsteen [Interview]". /Film. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  13. ^ Nelson, Jeff (2 February 2022). "Troye Sivan Plays a Florida Teen in Paramount+ Coming-of-Age Film Three Months: First Look". people.com. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  14. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (24 January 2024). "Shruti Haasan to Headline BFI-Backed Indo-U.K. Co-Production 'Chennai Story' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Samantha Ruth Prabhu Rom-Com 'Chennai Story' Launched For Sales By Metro International — AFM". ca.movies.yahoo.com. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2023.