Devesh Ranjan
Devesh Ranjan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Devesh Ranjan Ojha December 12, 1986 Jarda, Kendujhar district, Odisha, India |
| Alma mater | Vyasanagar College Mandi School of Drama |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 2013-present |
Devesh Ranjan is an Indian actor known for his work in several Indian independent and mainstream films as well as international cinema, such as Vara: A Blessing,[1] Bhor, and Jajabara 2.0.[2] He received the best actor in a leading role for Beherupiya at the 17th Jaipur International Film Festival, 2025.[3][4]
Early life
[edit]Devesh Ranjan was born in a small village called Jarda of Kendujhar district in Odisha. His father worked as an oath commissioner in the Board of Revenue, Cuttack, Odisha. Mumbai-based famous painter Ratnakar Ojha is his uncle. He did his graduation in B.Com from Vyasanagar College.
After graduation, Devesh gravitated towards fulfilling his childhood dream to pursue career in acting. He later joined for a Diploma of acting course in Mandi School of Drama of Himachal Pradesh. He is trained in Mayurbhanj form of Chhau dance under chhau exponent Sadashiv Pradhan and Guru Janmejay Sai Babu.
He continued doing theater in Delhi with renowned directors like Robin Das, MK Sharma, BV Karanth, Alok Chatterjee, and Surendra Sharma, gaining extensive experience during this time. Devesh attributes his success to famous casting director Dilip Shankar, the casting director of Life of Pi -- whom he regards as his mentor and guru.[5]
Career
[edit]After his diploma in acting course, he moved to Mumbai to try his luck in films. In the initial days, he used to do modeling, voice-over for ad films, and casting for some renowned films and series such as A Suitable Boy directed by Mira Nair, Angry Indian Goddesses by Pan Nalin, Axone by Nicholas Kharkongor, In the Shadows by Dipesh Jain, etc. in association with Dilip Shankar.
He acted in a few TV serials for a short period. In 2012 Dilip Shankar cast him in Vara: A Blessing, an international project directed by Bhutanese director Khyentse Norbu of The Cup (1999 film) fame, which marked his debut as a lead actor opposite Shahana Goswami.[1] The movie was shown at the opening of the 18th Busan International Film Festival.[1] Vara went on to win several international awards, including the best online feature award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017.
Devesh also played a supporting role alongside Adil Hussain, Tisca Chopra, and Rasika Dugal in the popular short film Chutney. In 2018, he starred in the Hindi film Bhor which tells a story of struggle for education and basic sanitation in a small tribal community of Musahars in Bihar. Bhor has been selected for the Panorama section at the 49th International Film Festival of India, Goa in 2018, and it was in the world panorama section of the Cairo International Film Festival, Cairo, Egypt, 2019.
In 2024, he debuted as the main protagonist Jagat Panda in an Odia film, Jajabara 2.0.[2]
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Vara: A Blessing | Shyam | English | Feature |
| 2016 | Chutney | Vicky | Hindi | Short |
| 2018 | Bhor: Dawn | Sugan | Hindi | Feature |
| 2022 | Joothan† | Santosh | Hindi | Feature |
| 2022 | Freedom Fighter | Boyfriend | Hindi | Short |
| 2023 | Trial by Fire | Javed (episode 1) | Hindi | TV mini series |
| 2023 | Sita | Domraja | Hindi | Short |
| 2023 | Behrupiya - The Impersonator | Behrupiya | Hindi | Short |
| 2024 | Jajabara 2.0 | Jagat Panda | Odia | Feature |
| Kantarati† | Nithari | Odia | Feature | |
| Kuhaan† | Yamraj | Hindi | Short |
Casting director
[edit]- Angry Indian Goddesses (2015)
- In The Shadows (2017)
- Axone (2019)
- A Suitable Boy (TV series) (2020)
Producer
[edit]- Joothan (2022)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "'Vara: A Blessing' Review: Khyentse Norbu's Tale of Forbidden Love". Variety. 2 Oct 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Jajabara 2.0". The Times of India. E Times. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Devesh Ranjan". IMDb. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ "Devesh Ranjan". Letterboxd.com.com. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Film with Odia Actor Devesh Ranjan to open Buddhist Film Festival Europe". Bhubaneswarbuzz.com. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2025.