Anil George is an Indian actor who is popular for appearing in the Bollywood film Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) and popular Hindi-language crime-thriller web series Mirzapur (2018-2020), Avrodh: The Siege Within (2020), and Cartel (2021).
Wiki/Biography
Anil George was born on 20 August, and he hails from Yamunanagar, Haryana. His zodiac sign is Leo. He caught the acting bug at a very young age. Belonging to a Christian family, Anil grew up acting in various skits and dramas based on the stories of the Bible. His acting skills were immensely appreciated since childhood. In an interview, Anil revealed that once he received a 100 rupee note from his elder brother for his remarkable performance in a play. Growing up, one of his friends would sneak him out of the church and take him to Saharanpur to watch movies as cinema halls in Saharanpur would put up the film earlier than in Yamunanagar. That’s how Anil turned into a cinephile and decided to pursue a career in the acting field. He was a close acquaintance of Indian actor Tom Alter, who died in 2017, and shared stage and screen with him on numerous occasions.
A picture of Anil George with Tom Alter (as Mahatma Gandhi) in a play staged at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune
They first met each other when Anil was 8 or 9 years old and Tom was working as a teacher at St. Thomas School, Jagadhri, in Haryana. Later, when Tom established a career in Bollywood, he called Anil to Mumbai after which he embarked on his career in the film industry.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper
Eye Colour: Moss Green
Family
Anil George belongs to a Christian family.
Parents & Siblings
Not much is known about his parents and siblings.
Wife & Children
Anil George is married to Nandi George. Together, they have a son, Neil George (born in 2004).
Anil George with his wife
Anil George with his wife and son
Religious Views
In an interview, Anil George revealed that he doesn’t follow any particular religion but believes in god.
Career
Anil George began his career as a theatre artist in Dehli.
TV and Web Series
In Mumbai, Anil started his acting career with a TV serial called Yug (1996), starring Hema Malini and Pankaj Dheer. The series followed a group of brave men and women from India who devote their youth to freeing their motherland from the tyrannical rule of the British.
In 2001, he appeared in the horror thriller anthology series Ssshhhh… Koi Hai, which was telecast on Star Plus. From 2001 to 2002, he appeared in various episodes of the show including Woh Kaun Thi (2001) as Tantrik of Dev Singh, Doosri Dulhan (2001) as Rajasaab’s servant, and Padosi (2002) as Murderer Ranga. In 2018, he rose to prominence with the action crime thriller web series Mirzapur in which he played Lala. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, the series follows Akhandanand Tripathi aka Kaleen Bhaiya (played by Pankaj Tripathi), the mafia don and proverbial ruler of Mirzapur in the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh. In the show, Lala is the maker and seller of opium who provides election funds to Kaleen Bhaiya when J.P. Yadav demands it.
In 2020, he starred in the military drama series ‘Avrodh: The Siege Within’ in which he played the lead antagonist Abu Hafeez, the mastermind of the Uri attack. The show streamed on SonyLIV.
In 2021, he appeared in the action-drama web series Cartel as Khan, one of the five gang-lords of Mumbai. Streaming on AltBalaji, the action-drama series centres around Khan, Anna, Angre, Gajraj and a mysterious movie producer who operates in different parts of Mumbai, while order and harmony are ensured by the Iron lady Rani Maai (played by Supriya Pathak).
Anil George (second from right) as Khan in Cartel (2021)
Bollywood
In 1999, Anil George made his Bollywood debut with Kabhi Paas Kabhi Fail in which he played the role of a taxi driver at a Dhaba.
In the same year, he appeared in the drama film Hu Tu Tu. In 2012, he came into the limelight with the critically acclaimed drama film Miss Lovely in which he played the role of Vicky Duggal. Set in the criminal depths of Mumbai’s C-grade industry, the film follows the story of the Duggal brothers, Sonu (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and Vicky, who produce sleazy sex-horror films in the mid-1980s.
Anil George as Vicky Duggal in Miss Lovely (2012)
In 2014, he garnered immense appreciation for his role of Lawyer aka Vakeel Sahab in the action thriller film Mardaani. Other films in which he appeared include The Blue Umbrella (2005) as a barber, Do Lafzon Ki Kahani (2016) as Srikant, and Babumoshai Bandookbaaz (2017) as Dubey. He came into the limelight with the film Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) in which he played the role of Zameer, a Pakistani minister who is drugged and interrogated by Indian spies for extracting crucial information.
Anil George (right) as Zameer in Uri The Surgical Strike (2019)
In the same year, he appeared in the films Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi, Romeo Akbar Walter, War, and Commando 3. In 2022, he was shooting for the multi-language South film Agent in which he played Qazi, a resident of Pakistan.
Facts/Trivia
- Anil George’s long locks and grey beard have been his trademark throughout his career, securing him roles of a terrorist, mafia, and an ISI chief in various films and TV series. However, in an interview in 2022, he revealed that although his beard look had fetched him important characters to play, it had also acted as a deterrent for him in getting him more versatile roles. In the interview, he said,
It’s a Catch-22 situation for me. Due to continuity of projects, I am getting trapped in sporting this beard and long lock looks. Makers want me in such looks and audience too loves it but I want to experiment! I am all game to give up on my beard to show my different side. Due to this look, I had to forgo an Abbas-Mastan film.”
- His social media account depicts that he is fond of playing cricket.