Name	Ashish Vidyarthi
Height
Naionality	Indian
Date of Birth	19-June-1962
Place of Birth	Tellicherry, Kerala
Famous for	Acting

Ashish Vidyarthi is an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Hindi films and, more recently, in Bengali (Tollywood) & South Indian films. In 1995, he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for film Drohkaal. He has acted in several South Indian films including AK-47, Aa Dinagalu, Jothegara in Kannada, Dhill in Tamil, CID Moosa in Malayalam, Pokiri in Telugu and Bombaiyer Bombete, "Khokababu" Challenge 2 & Awara in Bengali (Tollywood). He also played a main character in the Zee TV serial, Vaaris.

Vidyarthi's film career began with a supporting role in the Kannada Film Anand with Shivraj Kumar. Later, he starred with Suresh Gopi in Hijack (1991). His break in Hindi films came with Naajayaaz and Baazi. He soon began appearing as atypical (by Bollywood standards) villains, spewing vitriolic dialogue rather than as the "classy" Pankaj Kapur-type villains who were becoming the norm. As a result most of his films were not top of the line and were more of standard commercial masala fare. He did have some hits like Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. He also acted in supporting roles in some films such as Ek Rishta or a comic villain in Jodi No.1 and Haseena Maan Jayegi.

As the film industry dried up in Mumbai, Vidyarthi received offers from South India. His role as Dawood in the Kannada movie AK 47 along with Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar and another Bollywood actor Om Puri is very memorable. He then appeared as a villain in South Indian films such as CID Moosa with Dileep, Baba as Ippo Ramasami with Rajnikanth, Dhill with Vikram, Pokiri and Athidhi in Telugu with Mahesh Babu. He has acted in TV serial Vaaris as an autocratic father. He played a strong character (Naxalite leader) named guruji in Bhagyavidhaata on Colors.