Vicky Kaushal Bio, Age, Family, Movies, Wife, Career & More

Vicky Kaushal was born on May 16, 1988, in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra. He grew up in a modest household that knew both struggle and grit.

His father, Sham Kaushal, moved to Mumbai from Punjab and worked his way up to become one of Bollywood’s most respected stunt coordinators and action directors.

In interviews, Vicky has spoken about his father’s difficult early years in the city, including periods of joblessness and moments when he felt utterly low.

Those stories shaped Vicky’s own sense of discipline and humility as he pursued acting.

Overwhelmed and ecstatic !
On the 2nd anniversary of ‘URI-The Surgical Strike’ , the team gives you a glimpse into the world of #TheImmortalAshwatthama
Cannot wait to get onto this journey with the dream team of @AdityaDharFilms @RonnieScrewvala @RSVPMovies @soniakanwar22 pic.twitter.com/tYOVQ4FG1P

— Vicky Kaushal (@vickykaushal09) January 11, 2021

His mother, Veena Kaushal, helped keep the family grounded, and his younger brother, Sunny Kaushal, is also an actor. ¹

Vicky’s upbringing in a small chawl room offered constant reminders of the value of effort. Years later, when he began to headline major films, his father would still recall those early days and the family’s second-hand motorcycle with a kind of grateful disbelief.

The contrast between those beginnings and Vicky’s later success is part of his public story and a big reason many fans feel connected to him.²

Education and First Steps Toward Cinema

Before films, Vicky followed a conventional path. He completed an engineering degree (Electronics and Telecommunications) at Mumbai’s Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology.

But campus placements and a life behind a desk never appealed to him. He gravitated to the set instead, assisting director Anurag Kashyap on the two-part crime epic Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).

Those behind-the-scenes months gave him a front-row education in filmmaking blocking, lenses, rhythm, and the all-important patience required on set. He took small parts, auditioned constantly, and nurtured an actor’s toolkit.³

That combination of technical curiosity and practical set experience engineer’s brain, actor’s heart would later show up in his work. Vicky often plays men who keep their emotions on a tight leash until the story forces them open.

That economy of gesture and attention to detail likely traces back to those apprenticeships and his exposure to directors who prize naturalism.

Breakthrough: Masaan and the Cannes Moment (2015)

Vicky’s first leading role arrived with Masaan (2015), a spare, moving film set in Varanasi and directed by Neeraj Ghaywan.

The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section and won two key honors there: the FIPRESCI Prize and the Promising Future (Avenir) award for the director.

For a first-time lead, this was a dream launch one that stamped Vicky as a serious performer before Bollywood stardom came calling.⁴

On screen, he was all quiet ache hopeful and raw, without a trace of showiness. Masaan gave him credibility with critics and programmers worldwide. It also helped him build a reputation among Indian filmmakers who saw in him a rare mix of sensitivity and steel.

Also Read: Katrina Kaif’s Bio, Age, Movies, Family, Career & Net Worth 2025

Momentum Years: Raman Raghav 2.0, Raazi, and Sanju (2016–2018)

After Masaan, Vicky chose parts that stretched him. In Anurag Kashyap’s Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), he played a troubled cop circling a serial killer.

The film’s worldview was bleak, but Vicky brought a coiled vulnerability that kept the character human.

Then came 2018—his busiest year to that point. In Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi, opposite Alia Bhatt, he brought restraint and warmth to a Pakistani military officer caught between duty and love.

The same year, he scene-stole as Kamli in Rajkumar Hirani’s Sanju, a friend whose loyalty steadies the film’s chaotic center. That performance won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor and expanded his reach with mainstream audiences.⁵

Stardom Arrives: Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)

The turning point was Uri. As Major Vihaan Shergill, Vicky combined physicality with precision commanding tactics on screen while letting flashes of vulnerability leak through.

The film became one of the top Hindi hits of 2019, grossing over ₹340 crore worldwide and over ₹244 crore net in India. “How’s the josh?” jumped from screenplay to pop culture.

Vicky won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance one of Indian cinema’s highest honors. ⁶

Uri pushed him into the A-list, the place where you can open a film on name value and also be trusted with difficult material. From here, he could have coasted on action dramas. Instead, he zig-zagged.

Craft Peak: Sardar Udham (2021)

In Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham, Vicky played the revolutionary Udham Singh with haunted intensity. The film is patient and severe; it asks the viewer to sit with grief and moral clarity.

Vicky’s restraint pays off in quiet scenes that land like thunder. The performance won him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor, and the film itself dominated the ceremony’s critics categories that year. ⁷

This was an actor at full command voice, stillness, eyes doing work that dialogue can’t. If Uri showed he could carry a blockbuster, Sardar Udham proved he could be the still center of a serious, uncompromising film.

Commercial Run and Range: 2023–2024

In 2023 he mixed tones again: the mid-budget hit rom-com Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, the biopic Sam Bahadur (as India’s first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw), and a key part in Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki.

In 2024 he fronted the comedy Bad Newz with Triptii Dimri and Ammy Virk. The film released in theaters on July 19, 2024, amid heavy promotion and a buzzy soundtrack.

Although the opening was decent, its overall box office performance was mixed to disappointing, undercut by uneven word of mouth. Vicky nevertheless won praise for his comic timing and easy chemistry with his co-stars.⁸

Sam Bahadur at the National Film Awards (2025)

In August 2025, Sam Bahadur earned three National Film Awards, a proud moment for the team and for Vicky’s filmography.

While the specific categories belong to the film and its makers, the wins cemented Sam Bahadur as an acclaimed addition to his résumé and extended the strong year he built across genres.⁹

Historical Epic and Beyond: Chhaava and Love & War

Vicky’s historical action film Chhaava in which he portrays Chhatrapati Sambhaji released in 2025 and emerged as a major box-office success, with reports noting that it crossed the ₹600-crore global mark and lifted him to a fresh career peak.

Looking ahead, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s star-studded Love & War, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal, is slated for a March 20, 2026 release, with large-scale climax portions planned in Sicily, Italy.

Industry coverage has highlighted an intense face-off sequence between Vicky and Ranbir, adding to the buzz around the production.

On-Screen Traits

1) Stillness and control. Vicky often underplays. He lets silence carry tension, which gives his big moments extra voltage.

2) Physical commitment without showboating. In action or uniformed roles, he focuses on posture, economy, and tactical choices—more soldier than swagger.

3) Feel for romance and comedy. Rom-coms and light entertainers reveal an easy, colloquial charm. He doesn’t oversell jokes; he rides their rhythm.

4) Research-driven biopics. His approach to Sardar Udham and Sam Bahadur shows a respect for historical context and a willingness to disappear into period detail.

 

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Off-Screen Persona, Brand Work, and Public Image

Vicky’s public image feels both starry and approachable. He performs at award shows, lends his face to major brands, and still maintains a reputation for being grounded.

His social media presence rotates between film promotions, family moments, and the occasional behind-the-scenes slice of life.

This balance a marquee actor who still seems like a classmate you could have known is a big reason he’s become a pan-India favorite.

Personal Life

Vicky married actress Katrina Kaif on December 9, 2021, in a traditional ceremony at Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan.

The wedding drew intense media attention and became one of the most discussed Bollywood events that year. Since then, the couple has maintained a low-key profile, surfacing together for select events while keeping most of their private life private.

Awards and Honors (Highlights)

• National Film Award (Best Actor) — Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019). India TodayPress Information Bureau

• Filmfare Awards — Best Supporting Actor for Sanju (2019); Best Actor (Critics) for Sardar Udham (2022); Best Supporting Actor for Dunki (2024). The Financial ExpressFilmfareWikipedia

• IIFA Awards — Best Actor for Sardar Udham (2022). IMDb

• Cannes (for the film Masaan) — FIPRESCI Prize and Un Certain Regard’s Promising Future award (2015). fipresci.orgThe Times of India

• National Film Awards Recognition for Sam Bahadur — Three wins announced in August 2025. The Times of India

Quick Stats Table

1) When is Vicky Kaushal’s birthday?

May 16, 1988. He was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra.

2) How did he get into films?

He studied engineering but shifted to cinema, assisting Anurag Kashyap on Gangs of Wasseypur before transitioning to acting.

3) Which film brought him mainstream stardom?

Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019). It became one of the top Hindi films of the year and earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor.

4) What are his most acclaimed performances?

Masaan (breakout), Sanju (Filmfare Supporting Actor), Uri (National Award), and Sardar Udham (Filmfare Critics Best Actor).

5) Whom is Vicky Kaushal married to?

He married actress Katrina Kaif on December 9, 2021, at Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan.