Ritesh Deshmukh

Riteish Deshmukh (born 17 December 1978) is an Indian actor, filmmaker and television presenter who predominantly works in Hindi and Marathi films. Known for his comic portrayals, Deshmukh is a recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, a Filmfare Award Marathi and five IIFA Awards.

Born to politician and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Deshmukh began his acting career with the film '' Tujhe Meri Kasam'' (2003). He has since worked in several successful comedies such as '' Masti'' (2004), '' Kyaa Kool Hai Hum'' (2005), '' Bluffmaster!'' (2005), '' Malamaal Weekly'' (2006), ''Heyy Babyy'' (2007), ''Dhamaal'' (2007), '' Housefull'' (2010), ''Double Dhamaal'' (2011), '' Housefull 2'' (2012), '' Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum'' (2012), ''Grand Masti'' (2013), '' Housefull 3'' (2016), ''Total Dhamaal'' (2019) and '' Housefull 4'' (2019). He has additionally played villainous roles of a serial killer in ''Ek Villain'' (2014) and corrupt politician in '' Raid 2'' (2025), both of which were huge critical and commercial successes.

In Marathi cinema, he started off as a producer with '' Balak-Palak'' (2013) and had his first acting role in the action film '' Lai Bhaari'' (2014). Deshmukh made his directorial debut with '' Ved'' (2022), which became one of the highest-grossing Marathi films.

Early life and family

Deshmukh was born on 17 December 1978, in Mumbai to former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Vaishali Deshmukh. His elder brother, Amit Deshmukh, is an MLA from Latur City and his younger brother, Dhiraj Deshmukh, was an MLA from Latur Rural, in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. His elder sister-in-law Aditi Deshmukh, is an actress and younger sister-in-law Deepshikha Deshmukh is a film producer.

Deshmukh studied at G. D. Somani Memorial School and earned an architectural degree from Kamla Raheja College of Architecture, Mumbai. He later practiced for a year with an overseas architectural firm and continued designing since his return to India.

Career

Breakthrough (2003-2007)

Deshmukh made his screen debut with the 2003 romance, '' Tujhe Meri Kasam'' opposite Genelia D'Souza. Taran Adarsh noted, "Ritesh is camera friendly, dances well and delivers the right expressions." The film was a commercial success at the box office and earned him a nomination for Screen Award for Best Male Debut. That year, he also appeared in '' Out of Control''.

In 2004, Deshmukh's career marked a turning point with his third film, '' Masti'', where he reunited with Genelia D'Souza. The comedy focuses on 3 close friends who reunite after 3 years, but are now married and are being harassed by their wives, with him playing one of the friend. Manish Gajjar of ''BBC'' stated, "Riteish imitating Jim Carrey will bring a smile to your face. He has improved from his film, ''Out Of Control''." The film was a box–office success. His subsequent releases that year, '' Bardaasht'' and '' Naach'', became box-office duds and received mixed reviews.

In 2005, Deshmukh had four releases, of which '' Home Delivery'' and '' Mr Ya Miss'' failed at the box office, while '' Bluffmaster!'' was a semi hit. His only major success that year was, the sex-comedy '' Kyaa Kool Hain Hum'' opposite Neha Dhupia, where he played a man who falls in love with a man. Shruti Bhasin of ''Planet Bollywood'' opined that Deshmukh "steals the show" with his antics. The film became a surprise success and helped Deshmukh earn a strong foothold in the Hindi films, with his comic roles.

Similarly in 2006, Deshmukh had two box office failures, with '' Fight Club: Members Only'' and '' Darna Zaroori Hai''. In '' Malamaal Weekly'', he played an unfortunate assistant to Om Puri. The film was a success at the box office. In his last release of the year, '' Apna Sapna Money Money'', Deshmukh played a conman opposite Koena Mitra, who pretends to be a woman to help his friend. The film emerged a moderate success. Sukanya Verma noted, "The caper rests hugely on Ritesh's shoulders to rake in the laughs. Here, the actor just keeps growing in confidence and talent."

Deshmukh started 2007 with a cameo in '' Namastey London'' and ''Om Shanti Om'', both of which was a box office hit. His next release, ''Cash'' failed at box office. He then appeared in the comedy ''Heyy Babyy'', co-starring Akshay Kumar and Fardeen Khan, which emerged as the sixth highest-grossing film of the year. He played a kid entertainer, who eventually took care of a child with his two roommates. Khalid Mohamed of ''Hindustan Times'' found him to be "reliably likeable".
His next release ''Dhamaal'', emerged a major box office success, and saw him play a man who loses his job and finds a hidden treasure along with his friends. Syed Firdaus Ashraf of '' Rediff.com'' found him to be "a treat to watch".

Downturn, resurgence and critical acclaim (2008-2014)

Both of Deshmukh's 2008 releases ''De Taali'' and '' Chamku'', performed poorly at the box office. In 2009, his first release was '' Do Knot Disturb'' with Govinda, which became an average grosser. He next played the titular role in '' Aladin'' opposite Jacqueline Fernandez. Kaveree Bamzai criticised the film but found him to be "sweet". His last two releases, '' Kal Kisne Dekha'' and '' Aao Wish Karein'' saw him play cameo roles.

Deshmukh's first release of 2010 was '' Rann'', which also premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and saw him play a journalist. Despite positive reviews, it failed at the box office. He then reunited with Jacqueline Fernandez in '' Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai'' and had a cameo in '' Jhootha Hi Sahi''. Deshmukh next played a Gujarati bartender in the comedy '' Housefull'' opposite Lara Dutta. The film grossed over at the worldwide box office and emerged as the fifth highest-earning film of the year. Komal Nahta stated, "Ritesh is very good. Especially when he pretends to be gay, he brings the house down with laughter." While, Anupama Chopra was appreciative of his chemistry with Akshay Kumar.

Deshmukh's first release of 2011 was '' F.A.L.T.U'', in which he played a fake college principal. It was an average grosser. A critic of ''The Times of India'' stated, "Ritesh's character is half-baked and though he is given enough screen-time, his presence remains peripheral to the primary plot." Later the year, he reprised his character in the comic sequel ''Double Dhamaal'', which was a major success at the box office. He also had a cameo in '' Love Breakups Zindagi'', that same year.

The year 2012 saw Deshmukh deliver three box office successes in ''Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya'', '' Housefull 2'', which was his biggest success to date and '' Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum''. He first played a hard-working simpleton opposite Genelia D'Souza in ''Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya''. A ''NDTV'' critic was appreciative of his "earnest, restrained performance" and added that he plays Viren to the hilt. He then starred in the comedy sequel, ''Housefull 2'', where he played an ex-dacoit's son opposite Zareen Khan. The film emerged as the year's eighth highest grosser. His final release that year was the sequel ''Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum'', where he played a struggling DJ opposite Sarah-Jane Dias. Sonia Chopra of ''Sify'' found him to be "effortlessly funny and charming".

In 2013, Deshmukh starred in another sequel, ''Grand Masti'' opposite Sonalee Kulkarni and Bruna Abdullah. Despite negative reviews, it emerged as the tenth highest-grossing film of the year. A cameo in '' Himmatwala'' was his final appearance of the year.

Deshmukh started 2014 with a triple role in comedy ''Humshakals'', opposite Bipasha Basu. The film failed at the box office and received negative reviews from critics. Following this, he played a serial killer in the thriller ''Ek Villain'', opposite Aamna Sharif. The film was a box office success and the ninth highest-grossing film of the year. Rajeev Masand stated that Deshmukh springs a surprise and was appreciative of him delivering a "compelling performance". Sweta Kaushal opined that he "steals the show with a stellar performance". He then expanded to Marathi films with '' Lai Bhaari''. and then did a cameo in ''Entertainment''. ''Lai Bhaari'' saw him play twin brother and emerged as the seventh highest grossing Marathi film ever. Mihir Bhanage found Deshmukh's Marathi debut "simply astounding".

Commercial fluctuations and renewed success (2015-2021)

Deshmukh's only release in 2015, was '' Bangistan'', which was a commercial failure. He started 2016 with the sequel '' Housefull 3'', where he played a car racer opposite Lisa Haydon. It became the seventh highest-grossing film of the year. After two cameos in '' Kyaa Kool Hain Hum 3'' and '' Mastizaade'', he appeared in another sequel '' Great Grand Masti'' opposite Puja Banerjee. Unlike the prequels, it failed at box office. His last release of the year was ''Banjo'' opposite Nargis Fakhri, where he played a local goon and band member. Tatsam Mukherjee found him to be "pretty entertaining".

Deshmukh then appeared in the 2017 film '' Bank Chor'' opposite Rhea Chakraborty, which was a commercial failure. In 2018, he first appeared as himself in '' Welcome to New York''. He then played twin brothers in his second Marathi film ''Mauli'' opposite Saiyami Kher. Nandini Ramnath of '' Scroll.in'' stated, "Deshmukh, an affable presence whatever the role, is a stretch in the action sequences." It was a box office success.

Deshmukh had two commercial successes in 2019, which broke his box office failure since ''Housefull 3''. He first appeared in the comedy sequel ''Total Dhamaal'', which became a box office success. Ronak Kotecha was appreciative of his comic timing and character. He then played dual characters, one of a classical dancer and other a modern boy in '' Housefull 4'' opposite Pooja Hegde and Kriti Kharbanda. It later became the seventh highest-grossing film of the year and Deshmukh's highest grosser till date.
Later the year, Deshmukh played a dwarf goon in '' Marjaavaan'', which became an average grosser and had a cameo in '' Dream Girl''.

Deshmukh had only one release in 2020, in '' Baaghi 3'', where he played a fearful police officer opposite Ankita Lokhande. Despite mixed reviews, it became the second highest-grossing film of the year.

Career expansion (2022-present)

Deshmukh firstly had two cameos in 2022, in '' Ek Villain Returns'' and Marathi film '' Adrushya''. This was followed by two streaming films, '' Plan A Plan B'' opposite Tamannaah Bhatia, and '' Mister Mummy'' opposite Genelia D'Souza. While ''Mister Mummy'' received negative reviews, for ''Plan A Plan B'', Archika Khurana took note of Deshmukh's portrayal of the "cynical character". Deshmukh then reunited with D'Souza for the Marathi film '' Ved'', also his debut as a director. He played an ex-cricketer forcibly married to his neighbour and later coaches his ex-lover's daughter. A commercial success, it became the fourth highest-grossing Marathi film of all time. Mayur Sanap opined: "From grief and anger, to frustration and cynicism, Riteish expresses a gamut of emotions in a fine performance." He earned a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Marathi.

With no film release in 2023, Deshmukh started 2024 with '' Kakuda'' opposite Sonakshi Sinha, playing a ghost hunter. Deepa Gahlot noted, "Riteish plays Victor with such relish that without him, the film would have deflated quickly." He then played a pilot opposite Priya Bapat in '' Visfot''. Devesh Sharma of ''Filmfare'' stated, "Deshmukh adds significant depth to Akash, skillfully conveying both vulnerability and inner conflict." These two films were followed by his streaming series debut, with ''Pill''. Deshmukh played a man fighting corruption in Pharma industry. Shubhra Gupta was appreciative of his ordinary man portrayal that made the series engaging.

Deshmukh started 2025 with '' Raid 2'', where he played a corrupt politician. Saibal Chatterjee was appreciative of his "solid performance", but criticised the character. The film was a commercial success at the box office. Deshmukh next played one of the primary character in '' Housefull 5'' opposite Sonam Bajwa and Nargis Fakhri. The film was released in two versions, titled ''Housefull 5A'' and ''Housefull 5B'', each featuring a different climax and murderer. Rishabh Suri opined that he "anchors" the film but is let down by weak writing.

Deshmukh will next direct and act in the Marathi–Hindi bilingual ''Raja Shivaji''. He also has ''Masti 4'' and ''Dhamaal 4'' in the pipeline.

Personal life

Tabloids repeatedly linked Deshmukh romantically with Genelia D'Souza, ever since they starred together in their debut film '' Tujhe Meri Kasam'' in 2003. They were reportedly ready to get engaged, but Ritesh's father, the then–Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh did not agree. D'Souza later denied any rumors of a relationship with Deshmukh, and responded that she was just friends with him. However, the couple eventually got married on 3 February 2012, according to Marathi marriage traditions in a Hindu wedding ceremony, and had a Christian wedding in church the next day. The couple's first child, a son named Riaan, was born on 25 November 2014, while their second son, named Rahyl, was born on 2 June 2016.

Humanitarian work

Deshmukh has donated Rs 2.5 million to his hometown Latur for "Jalyukta Latur", an initiative to provide sufficient water to the parched district after the droughts that Latur faced in April 2016. He along with his wife, Genelia donated Rs 2.5 million towards flood relief in Maharashtra during the 2019 Indian floods. Deshmukh and D'Souza have also pledge to donate their organs. In 2024, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) announced Deshmukh as the "Most Beautiful Vegetarian Men" of the year, owing to his dedication to animal welfare and commitment to a compassionate lifestyle.

Other ventures

Television

In addition to acting, Deshmukh has turned host for various award functions including International Indian Film Academy Awards, Stardust Awards and Zee Cine Awards. In 2013, he made his television debut as a Judge with the dance show, '' India's Dancing Superstar''. He has co-hosted the talk show '' Yaaron Ki Baraat'' and the quiz show ''Vikta Ka Uttar''. In 2024, Deshmukh hosted the reality show '' Bigg Boss Marathi 5''.

Additionally, Deshmukh hosted the web game show '' Ladies vs Gentlemen'' with Genelia D'souza. Since 2022, he is seen as the prosecuting lawyer in '' Case Toh Banta Hai''.

Producer and director

Deshmukh launched his own production house, Mumbai Film Company, in 2013 with the production of the Marathi film '' Balak Palak'', which won several awards. Later in 2014, he produced ''Yellow'', a critical success which won him the National Film Special Jury Award. He then produced another Marathi film '' Faster Fene'', in 2017.

Deshmukh turned director and screenwriter with the 2022 film '' Ved'', which was produced by Genelia. It became the highest grossing Marathi film of 2022 and the third highest-grossing Marathi film of all time. The film earned him MFK Award for Favourite Director along with a nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Director – Marathi. Deshmukh will next direct ''Raja Shivaji'', a film based on Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Enterpreneur

In 2021, Deshmukh turned an entrepreneur and started a plant based meat brand with his wife, named "Imagine Meats".

In the media

Deshmukh appeared on the ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list of 2012. He was placed at the 60th position with an estimated annual income of . In the Times Most Desirable Men list of 2011, Deshmukh was placed 40th, while in Maharashtra's Most Desirable Men list, he was placed 3rd in 2018. Deshmukh is a celebrity endorser for brands and products such as Videocon, TAB Capital, Pokémon Go, Pril Dishwash and Pregakem.

In 2013, he formed a cricket team with Dhiraj Deshmukh, later named Veer Marathi in the Celebrity Cricket League. He played in this league as the captain of his team. The team's brand ambassador was Genelia D'Souza. The team defunct in 2015, after three seasons. Since then, he play as the captain of Mumbai Heroes. Deshmukh maintains ownership in Evolutions, an India-based architectural and interior designing firm. He is also a board member of Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image. Deshmukh is also one of the highest grossing actors of Indian cinema.

Accolades

Deshmukh is a recipient of a National Film Award, the Special Jury Award for ''Yellow''. Deshmukh has won four Maharashtracha Favourite Kon? Awards including two Favourite Actor for ''Lai Bhaari'' and ''Ved''. Additionally, he earned the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut – Marathi for ''Lai Bhaari''.

References

External links

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Mister Mummy
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Bollywood Hungama

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deshmukh, Riteish
Indian male film actors
People from Latur
Male actors from Maharashtra
Marathi actors
21st-century Indian male actors
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni
Living people
People from Marathwada
1977 births
Screen Awards winners
Zee Cine Awards winners
International Indian Film Academy Awards winners
Male actors from Mumbai
Marathi people
Bigg Boss
Bigg Boss Marathi