Bihari Babu to Bhiku Matre: Actors from Bihar who made it big in Bollywood

The results of the Bihar Assembly Elections will be announced on Tuesday (Nov 10) and most exit polls have given the Mahagathbandhan an edge over the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). While almost everyone is familiar with the political dynamics of the state, not many know that it is home to quite a few artistes. Here is a look at five popular actors from Bihar, who made it big in Bollywood.

Shatrughan Sinha

Sinha, the original 'Bihari Babu' of Hindi cinema, impressed fans with his stellar performance in Sanjeev Kumar's Khilona that hit screens in 1970. He subsequently went on to act in films such as Kalicharan and Vishwanath, consolidating his standing in the industry. He held his own against Amitabh Bachchan in the 1980 release Dostana, grabbing a fair deal of attention for the right reasons.

Sinha took a break from films after the release of Aan (2004) to concentrate on his political career. He eventually made an impressive comeback in Ram Gopal Varma's Rakht Charitra. Fans are eager to see him on the big screen again. The not-so 'Khamosh' actor who contested on the BJP ticket last election, has now joined the Congress and is hoping his son, Luv Sinha, sees victory from the Bankipur constituency.

R Madhavan

'Maddy', who was born in a Tamil-speaking family in Jamshedpur (erstwhile in Bihar), is a pan-India star in his own right. He impressed fans with his performances in popular Hindi films such as Dil Vil Pyar Vyar, Tanu Weds Manu, Rehnaa Hain Tere Dil Mein and Saala Khadoos, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with.

He acted alongside Aamir Khan in the well-received 3 Idiots, much to the delight of fans. The star will next be seen in the Tamil movie Maara, which is slated to release directly on Amazon Prime Video in December. He also has Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, co-starring Simran, in his kitty.

Manoj Bajpayee

Bajpayee rose to fame with his stellar performance in the RGV-directed Satya, featuring him in the role of the gangster 'Bhiku Matre'. He subsequently delivered stellar performances in Shool, Zubeidaa, Aks and Road, carving a niche in the industry.

He remains a an unquestionable force in the industry that is also teeming with younger stars. Bajpayee recently hit the right notes with his performance in Bhonsle. The actor is gearing up for the release of Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari, the first major Hindi movie to hit screens under the 'new normal'. He also has the Amazon Prime Video-backed web series The Family Man 2 in his kitty.

Vinay Pathak

Pathak, who was born in Ara, is widely regarded as one of the most versatile actors in the film industry. He tickled the audience's funnybone with the Bheja Fry films, expanding his fan base big time. The actor did full justice to a challenging character in Anant Mahadevan's 2016 release Gour Hari Dastaan.
Pathak was recently seen in Chintu Ka Birthday, which clicked with the target audience.

Pankaj Tripathi

A gem of a performer, Tripathi began his acting career with a minor role in Run but failed to get much recognition. He became a household name with the Gangs Of Wasseypur series, directed by Anurag Kashyap. He played key roles in critically-acclaimed films such as Nil Battey Sannata, Gurgaon, Newton and Stree. 'Kaleen' is the face of the popular Amazon Prime Video original Mirzapur.