Pulkit Samrat (born 29 December 1987) is an Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi films along with Hindi television. Best known for playing "Hunny" in the Fukrey film series, Samrat made his acting debut with the series Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2006) and made his film debut with Bittoo Boss (2012). He is a recipient of an Indian Telly Award.Samrat had his first commercial success with Fukrey (2013). His highest grossing release came with Jai Ho (2014). This success was followed with a string of failures including Dolly Ki Doli (2015) and Sanam Re (2016), causing a setback. He later received praises for starring in Fukrey Returns (2017), 3 Storeys (2018) and Taish (2020).In addition to his acting career, Samrat is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products. Samrat is married to actress Kriti Kharbanda.

Early life

Samrat was born on 29 December 1983 and brought up in a Punjabi Hindu family in Delhi, where his family has its real estate business. He studied at Manav Sthali School, and completed his schooling from Montfort Senior Secondary School, Ashok Vihar, Delhi.He joined an advertising course at Apeejay Institute of Design, Delhi. However, after studying for five months, he received a modelling assignment. Thereafter, he quit his education and shifted to Mumbai, where he joined an acting course run by Kishore Namit Kapoor. and completed his schooling from Montfort Senior Secondary School, Ashok Vihar, Delhi.He joined an advertising course at Apeejay Institute of Design, Delhi. However, after studying for five months, he received a modelling assignment. Thereafter, he quit his education and shifted to Mumbai, where he joined an acting course run by Kishore Namit Kapoor.

Career

Samrat moved to Mumbai in 2005, and made his acting debut in 2006 with the long-running television show by Balaji Telefilms, ''Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi''. He portrayed Laksh Virani opposite Mouni Roy and Tia Bajpai. This got him his first recognition, and he won Indian Telly Award for Fresh New Face - Male for his performance. Samrat quit the show in 2007.In 2008, he appeared as a Contestant on ''Kaho Na Yaar Hai'' with Roy, marking his final television appearance. In 2011, Samrat appeared as the lead in choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant's musical theatrical ''Taj Express''. ''Times of India'' noted, "With a character sketch, screen-name and styling so reminiscent of Ranveer Singh, debutant Pulkit Samrat has little scope to create his own identity. However, he pulls off the small-town-munda act with sincerity, and a natural ease." He next played the lead role of Hunny in the ensemble comedy film ''Fukrey'', opposite Priya Anand. The film emerged as a Sleeper hit. Anupama Chopra wrote, "The characters and actors are a perfect match. Pulkit embodies the over-confident charmer Hunny."In 2014, he had two releases. He first appeared in ''Jai Ho'' in the role of a Police Inspector. It became his highest grossing release and collected 195.04 crore. He next played the lead in ''O Teri'', opposite Sarah Jane Dias. It met with negative reviews but ''Bollywood Hungama'' mentioned, "Pulkit Samrat is pitch-perfect in his part. He seems to be getting better with every film."In his first release of 2015, Samrat portrayed Inspector Robin Singh in ''Dolly Ki Doli'' opposite Sonam Kapoor. ''Firstpost'' said, "Samrat's face is pretty enough, but has no expression and he does a godawful Haryanvi accent that's all the more jarring because Rao's is pitch perfect." He next appeared ''Bangistan'' with Riteish Deshmukh. It received negative reviews. Samrat had two releases in 2016 too, both opposite Yami Gautam. He first appeared in ''Sanam Re'', and next appeared in ''Junooniyat''. Both these films received negative reviews and were box-office failures. ''News 18'' mentioned that Samrat portrays the "same old confident Hunny" well. In 2018, Samrat first played Veer Arora in the romantic comedy ''Veerey Ki Wedding'' opposite Kriti Kharbanda. ''Hindustan Times'' wrote, "Pulkit Samrat as always, portrays himself as an extension of Salman Khan. He appears comfortable displaying his brawn and swag but emotes poorly, making no impact at all." Later that year, he played Vilas Naik in the independent drama film ''3 Storeys''. ''Times of India'' mentions that Samrat is "competent" in his role, His only release in 2019 was Anees Bazmee's ''Pagalpanti'', alongside Kharbanda. His only release in 2019 was Anees Bazmee's ''Pagalpanti'', alongside Kharbanda. ''Bollywood Hungama'' mentions, "Pulkit Samrat tries his best but doesn’t succeed in giving the performance that his character demanded." In 2020, he starred as Sunny Lalwani in the thriller drama film ''Taish'' directed by Bejoy Nambiar, which was released on ZEE5 on 29 October 2020. ''Times of India'' noted, "Pulkit Samrat’s put in some serious efforts to render justice to Sunny’s trauma-fuelled anger; he is good when he’s mad and unconvincing when he’s happy, and that’s a problem." ''Scroll'' cited, "Pulkit Samrat and Harshvardhan Rane swagger about and clench fists and jawlines."Samrat had only one release in 2021, the trilingual film ''Kaadan''. He portrayed Shankar in the Hindi version. The Hindi version received negative reviews.Samrat will next appear in the third installment of ''Fukrey'' titled ''Fukrey 3''. He will also appear in ''Suswagatam Khushamadeed'' opposite Isabelle Kaif.

Television career (2006-2008)

Samrat moved to Mumbai in 2005, and made his acting debut in 2006 with the long-running television show by Balaji Telefilms, ''Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi''. He portrayed Laksh Virani opposite Mouni Roy and Tia Bajpai. This got him his first recognition, and he won Indian Telly Award for Fresh New Face - Male for his performance. Samrat quit the show in 2007.In 2008, he appeared as a Contestant on ''Kaho Na Yaar Hai'' with Roy, marking his final television appearance. In 2011, Samrat appeared as the lead in choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant's musical theatrical ''Taj Express''.

Film career (2012–present)

In 2012, Samrat made his debut with a romantic comedy film Bitto Boss, wherein he played the role of a wedding videographer from Punjab, alongside Amita Pathak. In the year 2013, he played the lead role of Hunny in the ensemble comedy film Fukrey, produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. In 2014, he appeared in a cameo role in Jai Ho as a police inspector. Then he played the lead in O Teri, produced by Atul Agnihotri, opposite Bilal Amrohi and Sarah Jane Dias. In 2015, his first film was Arbaaz Khan's Dolly Ki Doli opposite Sonam Kapoor and Rajkumar Rao.Samrat starred in Divya Khosla Kumar's Sanam Re opposite Yami Gautam. and was again paired with Yami Gautam for Junooniyat in 2016. Pulkit came back with the second installment of Fukrey titled Fukrey Returns in 2017. The film was a box office success. In 2018, Samrat played the lead role of Veer in romantic comedy film Veerey Ki Wedding opposite Kriti Kharbanda. Later that year, he played the role of Vilas Naik in the independent drama film 3 Storeys. He appeared in Anees Bazmee directorial Pagalpanti in the year 2019, alongside John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Kriti Kharbanda, Ileana D'Cruz, Urvashi Rautela, Anil Kapoor & Saurabh Shukla.
In 2020, he starred as Sunny Lalwani in the thriller drama film Taish directed by Bejoy Nambiar, which was released on ZEE5 on 29 October 2020. Pulkit Samrat confirmed starting work on Fukrey 3.

Film breakthrough and setback (2012–2016)

''Times of India'' noted, "With a character sketch, screen-name and styling so reminiscent of Ranveer Singh, debutant Pulkit Samrat has little scope to create his own identity. However, he pulls off the small-town-munda act with sincerity, and a natural ease." He next played the lead role of Hunny in the ensemble comedy film ''Fukrey'', opposite Priya Anand. The film emerged as a Sleeper hit. Anupama Chopra wrote, "The characters and actors are a perfect match. Pulkit embodies the over-confident charmer Hunny."In 2014, he had two releases. He first appeared in ''Jai Ho'' in the role of a Police Inspector. It became his highest grossing release and collected 195.04 crore. He next played the lead in ''O Teri'', opposite Sarah Jane Dias. It met with negative reviews but ''Bollywood Hungama'' mentioned, "Pulkit Samrat is pitch-perfect in his part. He seems to be getting better with every film."In his first release of 2015, Samrat portrayed Inspector Robin Singh in ''Dolly Ki Doli'' opposite Sonam Kapoor. ''Firstpost'' said, "Samrat's face is pretty enough, but has no expression and he does a godawful Haryanvi accent that's all the more jarring because Rao's is pitch perfect." He next appeared ''Bangistan'' with Riteish Deshmukh. It received negative reviews. Samrat had two releases in 2016 too, both opposite Yami Gautam. He first appeared in ''Sanam Re'', and next appeared in ''Junooniyat''. Both these films received negative reviews and were box-office failures.

Recent work and expansion (2017-present)

''News 18'' mentioned that Samrat portrays the "same old confident Hunny" well. In 2018, Samrat first played Veer Arora in the romantic comedy ''Veerey Ki Wedding'' opposite Kriti Kharbanda. ''Hindustan Times'' wrote, "Pulkit Samrat as always, portrays himself as an extension of Salman Khan. He appears comfortable displaying his brawn and swag but emotes poorly, making no impact at all." Later that year, he played Vilas Naik in the independent drama film ''3 Storeys''. ''Times of India'' mentions that Samrat is "competent" in his role, His only release in 2019 was Anees Bazmee's ''Pagalpanti'', alongside Kharbanda. His only release in 2019 was Anees Bazmee's ''Pagalpanti'', alongside Kharbanda. ''Bollywood Hungama'' mentions, "Pulkit Samrat tries his best but doesn’t succeed in giving the performance that his character demanded." In 2020, he starred as Sunny Lalwani in the thriller drama film ''Taish'' directed by Bejoy Nambiar, which was released on ZEE5 on 29 October 2020. ''Times of India'' noted, "Pulkit Samrat’s put in some serious efforts to render justice to Sunny’s trauma-fuelled anger; he is good when he’s mad and unconvincing when he’s happy, and that’s a problem." ''Scroll'' cited, "Pulkit Samrat and Harshvardhan Rane swagger about and clench fists and jawlines."Samrat had only one release in 2021, the trilingual film ''Kaadan''. He portrayed Shankar in the Hindi version. The Hindi version received negative reviews.Samrat will next appear in the third installment of ''Fukrey'' titled ''Fukrey 3''. He will also appear in ''Suswagatam Khushamadeed'' opposite Isabelle Kaif.

Personal life

Khan was also involved in the promotion of Pulkit Samrat's debut film. The couple separated in November 2015. Samrat then dated actress Yami Gautam, his co-star in ''Sanam Re'', but the couple eventually broke up in 2018. Samrat met actress Kriti Kharbanda in 2018 and they eventually started dating in 2019. The couple has worked together in the films — ''Veerey Ki Wedding'', ''Pagalpanti'' and ''Taish''. Samrat met actress Kriti Kharbanda in 2018 and they eventually started dating in 2019. The couple has worked together in the films — ''Veerey Ki Wedding'', ''Pagalpanti'' and ''Taish''. After being in a relationship for five years, the couple got engaged in 2024. He married Kharbanda in a traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, on 15 March 2024, in Manesar, Haryana.