Atul Kulkarni (born September 10, 1965 in Karnataka, India) is an Indian Actor who has won two National Awards.
Atul Kulkarni is an Indian actor and winner of a National Award for his portrayal of Shriram Abhyankar( श्रीराम अभयंकर ) in the film Hey Ram. Although he started his career in theatre, he has won critical acclaim for his performances in films like Page 3 and more recently, the Aamir Khan starrer Rang De Basanti. He has acted in several Marathi movies including Maati Maay (A Gravekeeper's Tale) that was recently premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
Atul Kulkarni was born on September 10, 1965 at Belgaum in Karnataka. Atul completed his secondary education (10th Standard) from Haribhai Devkaran High School, Solapur, Maharastra. His father, a businessman and his mother a housewife were settled in Solapur. He completed his Junior College (12th Standard) from Belgaum and was able to secure a seat at Engineering College in Belgaum. Due to his dis-interest in Engineering he quit the college and came back to Solapur to join D. A. V. College, Solapur which was affiliated to Shivaji University. He completed his graduation in English Literature.
Atul Kulkarni's first stint with stage was during his highschool days while studying at Haribhai Devkaran High School and later during his college days at D. A. V. College he was actively participating in cultural gatherings. While studying itself Atul joined Natya Aradhana, an amateur theatre group from Solapur. Working with this group helped him groom better. After working back stage for two years, finally he got a chance to act. He decided to pursue his career in professional acting.
Atul joined the National School of Drama, New Delhi. (1992-1995 batch) His acting skills were given final touches at this institutions which has produced legendary actors of international fame. Atul Kulkarni holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Dramatic Arts from National School of Drama, New Delhi
