Biography
Tanuj Anil Virwani is the sole son of veteran actress Rati Agnihotri. Born and raised in Mumbai, he is a Hindi film actor and passionate cricket enthusiast. He enjoys collecting movie props and superhero figures and creates short films under his banner, 'Pin Drop Violence' films.
Tanuj attended Arya Vidya Mandir for primary education and Bombay Scottish School for secondary education. During his school years, he showed no interest in films, aspiring instead to follow his father's path as a real estate developer. However, after playing a minor role in a school production of 'Merchant of Venice' in 10th grade, he discovered a passion for acting. His interest deepened while studying at HR College, where he became more involved in drama.
His first job in the film industry was as a clapper boy on the film 'Aao Wish Karein'. He then assisted on the Shahid Kapoor and Genelia-starrer 'Chance Pe Dance', working on it for over a year. By the end of the shoot, he realized that although he enjoyed working behind the camera, acting in front of it was his true calling. In the summer of 2011, Tanuj began formal training, marking a crucial stage in his personal and professional development.
By mid-2012, Tanuj secured his first film role in a coming-of-age love story titled 'Purani Jeans', produced under B.R. Chopra's banner. However, due to financial difficulties faced by the production house, the film was shelved. Soon after, he was cast in Kabir Sadanand's 'Fugly', but that project was also dropped.
Later, producer Joe Rajan offered to launch him in a romantic comedy opposite Miss India International Neha Hinge. The film was shot in 2013 but remained unreleased due to a lack of buyers. Around this time, Tanuj's 'Purani Jeans' director informed him that the project had been revived with Eros International as the producer. Subsequently, other production houses showed interest in his current project, 'Luv U Soniyo'. Eventually, Viacom backed the film and released it in 2013. 'Purani Jeans' followed with its release the next year.
In December 2014, Tanuj was cast opposite Sunny Leone in a film for which he underwent rigorous preparation, including a workshop with renowned acting coach Atul Mongia. The film was released in May 2016 and, despite modest box office success, Tanuj received praise for his performance.
Following 'One Night Stand', Tanuj assisted on a trilingual film (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu) titled 'Shabash Naidu', starring Kamal Haasan and Shruti Haasan and directed by Kamal Haasan himself. More recently, he contributed to the web series 'Inside Edge', produced by Excel Entertainment and Amazon Prime.
