Biography
Sadat Shamsi (born 1980), also known as Shams, is an Indian actor in the film industry. He made his television debut playing Babban Miyan in Hi Padosi Kaun Doshi (2011). He went on to appear in various TV series including F.I.R., Darna Mana Hai, Crime Patrol, and others. His strong performances earned him supporting roles in Bollywood films such as Chalis Chaurasi (2012), Dabangg 2 (2012), Zila Ghaziabad (2013), Policegiri (2013), Manto (2018), and Hotel Milan (2018).
Early life and education
Sadat Shamsi hails from Kanpur, the financial hub of Uttar Pradesh. He grew up with five siblings—two brothers and three sisters.
After completing a science degree at a local college, he worked as a sales representative at Leather Zone on Meston Road in Kanpur. However, his passion for acting and theatre led him to Hyderabad, where he saw opportunities in the Telugu film industry and received family support from his maternal uncle (naniyal). He began his journey by taking private acting lessons from Babban Khan. Gaining admission into Babban Khan's "Guinness Man" Actors' Academy (a theater group) was itself a challenge, but it helped Sadat hone his theatre skills, eventually opening doors to roles on television and in films.
Prepared to pursue his dreams, Sadat moved to Mumbai in 2007 and began his struggle to become a recognized artist. To support himself, he initially sold clothes door-to-door to vendors but eventually incurred losses. After two months, he quit and took a sales position at a private company. Working 16-hour days made him realize this path wasn’t sustainable for his acting ambitions.
During difficult times, he sometimes survived on just two biscuits and water a day but never complained. Coming from a well-off family, he kept his struggles private, fearing they might call him back home.
After a challenging year, Sadat started taking on junior and extra roles whenever possible. His goal was to showcase his acting talent and impress industry professionals. Over the next three years, his persistence paid off when he landed a role in the comedy-drama series Hi Padosi Kaun Doshi in early 2011, which brought him initial recognition.
In 2012, he auditioned for his first film, Chalis Chauraasi, and was selected despite strong competition for the scene. Remarkably, the scene was filmed in one take and featured prominent actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni, and Ravi Kishan alongside Sadat.
He continued to secure roles in films including Dabangg 2 (2012), Zila Ghaziabad (2013), Policegiri (2013), Manto (2018), and Hotel Milan (2018), steadily advancing his career.
