Manohar Teli

full of opportunities to prove his self. His big detour as an artist was in 1997 when he was chosen to study at perhaps the best drama school in India, the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi. He described the NSD as if he was being thrown into the furnace to come out as pure refined gold and it crystallised his craft and made him more decisive and determined.

Manohar Teli's career consists of theatre, film and television and he has achieved success through his work in theatre as a theatre artist, as an actor, and also as a writer-director. In theatre, he has directed several workshops and has served as a camp director for organisations like the National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Academy in New Delhi, Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy in Jodhpur, West Zone Culture Centre in Udaipur, and S.I.E.R.T. in New Delhi.

His notable stage performances include Rehnuma, selected as Best Play by Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, Hum Muzhab by Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy, Duvidha based on Vijaydan Detha’s story, and Inspector Matadin based on Harishankar Parsai’s stories. In films, he has portrayed impactful characters such as Deepika Padukone’s father in Chhapaak, directed by Meghna Gulzar, a good cop in Mili, produced by Boney Kapoor, roles in Choole Aasman, the National Award-winning Turtle, Godmother, directed by Vinay Shukla, Mor Doongri, and Wounded.

As a filmmaker, he wrote and directed the 35mm Cinemascope digital Dolby Hindi feature film Shrramey: The Laborious, produced by D’Silva Productions, as well as the short film The Godfather. His writing credits also include Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Na Kijo, Kar Bhala Ho Bura, and Madhav. On television, he has appeared in shows such as Lal Banarasi, Ganga, and Tere Mere Sapne, often portraying father or father-in-law figures to the main female protagonists. Throughout his journey, he has remained committed to authentic storytelling, blending his rural roots, formal training, and rich experience to bring depth and truth to his performances.