Paresh Rawal says he has done over 250 films but considers only 11 of them any good, reveals his favourite roles

After four decades in cinema and roles in more than 250 films, Paresh Rawal listed some of the movies that he considers good.

Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal has been part of the film industry for four decades. Over the years, he has appeared in films across genres, from action to comedy. Recently, Paresh, along with Aditya Rawal, Ananth Mahadevan, Sharib Hashmi and Tannishtha Chatterjee, attended the premiere of their film Pastt Tense at the Jagran Film Festival. During a conversation at the festival, Paresh revealed that he considers only 11 films from his extensive career to be good.

Paresh Rawal says he has only 11 good films in a career spanning over four decades.

Paresh Rawal talks about his illustrious career

During a Q&A session at the festival, Paresh was asked if he had ever counted the number of films in his filmography. The veteran actor laughed and said, “No. Jo acchi films hain, woh mujhe pata hain kitni hain (I only remember the good films).” When the host suggested that he might have acted in around 250 films, Paresh said the number could be higher but that he considered only 11 of them good.

His son, Aditya Rawal, also admitted to having counted the number of films that his father considers good. Paresh then recalled some of the films on his list, saying, "There was one role that I was very happy essaying. I put a lot of hard work into it and that was Sardar (1993). I got a chance to do a biopic. It was very close to my heart. Another role, which was also sort of a biopic, was Tamanna (1997). But that film’s second half went haywire. It was based on a real-life character, Tiku. Then came Oye Lucky Lucky Oye (2008). It’s also close to my heart. In Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008), I got to essay a lovely character. The Storyteller (2025) mein bahut maza aaya, followed by Hera Pheri (2000), Dacait (1987), etc. I can’t list all 11, but I can assure you there are 11 such films.”

About Paresh Rawal's career

Paresh made his film debut with Holi in 1984 and initially became known for playing negative roles. He gained recognition for his performances in films such as Naam (1986), Kabzaa (1988) and Sir (1993). He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Sir and Woh Chokri. Over the years, he moved from serious and villainous roles to comedy, with his portrayal of Baburao Ganpatrao Apte in Hera Pheri (2000) becoming one of his most popular performances.

He went on to feature in several comedy films, including Hungama, Garam Masala, Chup Chup Ke, Bhagam Bhag and Welcome. He also played notable roles in films such as Sardar, OMG – Oh My God! and Table No. 21. In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri.