Most Educated Actors in Bollywood List: It’s a widespread belief in Indian society that Bollywood or Cricket isn’t a profession for educated people. Right from the beginning, our parents would stop us from pursuing an acting career even if we were passionate about the art of cinema.
There are many examples throughout India, where a person has fulfilled the desire of his/her parents and pursued an education in the field they asked for. Mostly, it is medicine or engineering. Only then, they were allowed to pursue their passion, and hats off to their commitment and determination; they did that with flying colors.
While most Bollywood actors are either college dropouts or follow their family lineage, you may be surprised to know that there are few actors whose educational degrees put them on the list of scholars.
List of Most Educated Actors in Bollywood
Acting is also an art, but in India, hardly any parent would encourage their kids to pursue arts. Also, there’s a common belief that you don’t need any education for acting and it’s all about luck and talent.
Well, that’s not true. Acting does require talent, but some knowledge about the cinema business and human psychology can help you add the necessary depth and versatility to amaze the audience. Hence, you can see the best actors of Bollywood coming from NSD or other primary acting schools.
Here are some of the most educated actors in Bollywood you must know:
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is not only the Shehenshah of Bollywood, but he is also top on our list of most educated actors in Bollywood. Before entering the film industry and becoming the legend that he is today, he completed his graduation from Sherwood College in Nainital. After graduation, he also pursued two double majors in Arts and Science from Kirori Mal College. If that’s not enough, then he is also awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Queensland University in Australia.
Shah Rukh Khan
If Shehenshan claims the top spot, then how will Badshah stay behind? Shah Rukh Khan has almost aced at everything he has tried. During his schooling years at St. Columbia’s School, he excelled both in sports and studies alike. He also received the school’s highest award, the Sword of Honour for his achievements. Later, he went on to graduate in Economics from Hansraj College and then pursued a Masters in Mass Communication at Jamia Millia Islamia but quit to try his luck at acting. He also attended NSD to learn acting, and the rest is history.
Also Read: Best Movies of Shahrukh Khan
John Abraham
John Abraham is often known for his massive physique, but little do you know that he is also very highly educated. After completing his school at Bombay Scottish School, this handsome hunk earned a commerce degree in economics from Jai Hind College and an MBA degree from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. Well, that says it all why is successful more as a film producer than an actor?
Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan entered the limelight at the age of 16 when she played Radhika in the hit Balaji series Hum Paanch. However, since Hum Paanch, she quit the glamour world for a while and focused on her studies. She completed her graduation and got her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from St. Xavier’s College and later earned her Master’s degree from the University of Bombay before she became one of the successful actresses in Bollywood.
Preity Zinta
She may be known for her bubbly and charming personality, but there’s also a smart brain behind Preity Zinta’s infectious dimpled smile. Preity is one of the most accomplished actresses in Bollywood. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in English with honors from St. Bede’s College in Shimla, she also went on to have a Masters’s Degree in Criminal psychology.
Ayushmann Khurrana
Ayushmaan Khurrana is a hub of different talents hidden within a single person. He is a fantastic actor already, but on top of it, he is also a quality singer, music composer, guitarist, and lyricist. Well, his artistic skills overshadow his educational qualifications most of the time. This Delhi lad has a bachelor’s Degree in Arts with English literature as the primary subject from DAV College, Chandigarh as well as a Masters’s Degree in Mass Communication from the School of Communication Studies in Chandigarh.
Also Read: 15 Indian actors and their Career-Defining films
Varun Dhawan
The excellent mix of Salman Khan and Govinda, the star son David Dhawan is undoubtedly one of the most promising actors of Bollywood in the current generation. However, unlike his idols, he is not uneducated. In his early days, Varun didn’t think of becoming an actor or joining the film industry. Hence, he focused on his studies and earned his Business Management degree from Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom. However, fate had its plan and eventually, Varun Dhawan followed his family lineage and joined the film industry.
Parineeti Chopra
Parineeti Chopra is one of the talented actors in Bollywood from the current generation. Despite being the cousin of an already gifted actress Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti took her time before venturing into cinema business. She currently holds a triple honors degree in Business, Finance, and Economics from Manchester Business School, UK.
Randeep Hooda
One of the most versatile actors in Bollywood today, Randeep Hooda is known to experiment with different roles, unlike his other contemporaries. Before being noticed by Ram Gopal Varma, this Haryanvi actor had already finished his graduation in Marketing and also earned post-graduation in Business Management and Human Resource Management from Australia.
Soha Ali Khan
Soha Ali Khan didn’t venture into films directly as her mother and brother. Instead, she decided to focus on her studies before pursuing an acting career. This actress hailing from the family of Nawabs completed her schooling at The British School in New Delhi and then moved to Oxford to study geography. She also earned a Masters’s Degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
R. Madhavan
Madhavan began his career as a Television actor but little did you know that before starting his acting career, Madhavan had completed his graduation in Electronics. His excellence in studies also earned him the opportunity to represent India as a cultural ambassador in Canada. He was also awarded Best NCC Cadet in Maharashtra and has even trained with the Royal Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Ameesha Patel
This Gujju actress won our hearts in her debut film Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai alongside Hrithik Roshan. She later got recognition for her performance in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. While she couldn’t replicate the success of her first couple of films, she wouldn’t be much worried about failing in Bollywood. She already has a Bachelors degree in Economics from Tufts University in Medford in Massachusetts. On top of it, she is also a Biogenetic Engineer.
Also Read: Indian Actors Who Can Play F.R.I.E.N.D.S Characters
Sonu Sood
Another model turned actor, Sonu Sood is also a great addition to our list of most educated actors in Bollywood. Known for his negative roles in Bollywood and South films, Sonu Sood is a certified Electronics Engineer from Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering in Nagpur.
Genelia D’Souza
Well, Genelia D’Souza is a next door girl, and she has already won many young hearts with her cute smile and innocent face. However, you will be a bit surprised when I tell you that she was a state-level sprinter and a national-level footballer. If that wasn’t enough, she also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Studies from St. Andrew’s College.
Siddharth
Tamil actor Siddharth impressed us all with his staggering performance in Rang De Basanti. He is already a huge star in Tamil Cinema, but most of his fans are unaware of the fact that he is also a Commerce Graduate as well as holds an MBA degree from SPJIMR. He got honored as CNBC Manager of the year award in 1999 for his speaking skills.
Also Read: Best Hindi Movies with a Sad Ending
Riteish Deshmukh
Riteish Deshmukh has won our hearts as one of the best comedians, but he also has excellent knowledge of architecture. Yes, he has earned an architectural degree from Kamla Raheja College of Architecture. Also, before entering the film industry, he even used his educational expertise to work at an overseas architectural firm.
Also Read: Bollywood Movies where Villains overshadowed Heroes
Over to you!
So, I am pretty sure that this article will be an eye-opener for most of us. Now, you must acknowledge that these actors are beautiful with brains. If you think, we missed any of your highly educated Bollywood actors on our list of most educated actors in Bollywood, feel free to let us know in the comments below.
