# Karan Patel (करण पटेल)
**Karan Patel** (करण पटेल) is an Indian television and film actor, born in 1983 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal, best known for playing Raman Bhalla in the Star Plus daily soap *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein* from 2013 to 2019[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/). He comes from a Gujarati family[2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/karan-patel.html) and has worked mostly in Hindi-language television, with supporting roles in Hindi films and, more recently, web series.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/) |
| Signature role | Raman Bhalla in *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein*, 2013–2019, 1,837 episodes[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/) |
| Lead debut | Robbie Sabbarwal in *Kasturi* (2007–2009)[3](https://indianexpress.com/about/karan-patel/) |
| Web work | ACP Himanshu Patnaik in *Raktanchal 2* (2022) and *Raktanchal 3*[4](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/tv/karan-patel-as-an-actor-the-challenge-is-to-find-work-in-films-to-break-the-stigma-that-tv-actors-can-t-become-film-stars-101614589461633.html) • [5](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/karan-patel-ott-vs-television-daily-soaps-have-lost-importance-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-2952572-2026-07-21) |
| Spouse | Ankita Bhargava Patel, married 3 May 2015; one child[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/) |
| Awards | 18 wins and 9 nominations, including Indian Television Academy Best Actor - Drama (2015) for *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/) • [3](https://indianexpress.com/about/karan-patel/) |
## Early life and education
Patel was born in Calcutta in 1983 into a Gujarati family[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/) • [2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/karan-patel.html). He did his early schooling at Utpal Sanghvi Global School in Mumbai, studied at [Mithibai College](https://www.edgepedia.org/mithibai-college), and trained at the Kishore Namit Kapoor acting institute before moving to London, where he earned a higher degree in art from the [University of London](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-london)[6](https://www.abplive.com/web-stories/bollywood/karan-patel-education-qualification-3079307). [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) lists Mithibai College as his college and records his active years as beginning in 2003[3](https://indianexpress.com/about/karan-patel/).
## Television career
**Early roles.** Patel began on [Ekta Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/ekta-kapoor)'s daily soap *Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki*, and played supporting parts in shows including *Kasautii Zindagi Kay*, *Kesar*, *[Kkavyanjali](https://www.edgepedia.org/kkavyanjali)*, and *Kasamh Se* through the mid-2000s[3](https://indianexpress.com/about/karan-patel/). His lead-actor debut came with Star Plus's *Kasturi*, in which he played the spoiled Robbie Sabbarwal from 2007 to 2009[3](https://indianexpress.com/about/karan-patel/). In a 2017 interview he said he had started his career in 2000 but got his big break only in 2007 with *Kasturi*[7](https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/people-who-make-you-a-star-can-forget-you-easily-too-karan-patel/story-dJlOfJ1STBNiLJ7oCFqL4O.html).
**Yeh Hai Mohabbatein.** In 2013 Patel took the role of Raman Bhalla opposite [Divyanka Tripathi](https://www.edgepedia.org/divyanka-tripathi)'s Ishita Iyer in *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein*, a [Balaji Telefilms](https://www.edgepedia.org/balaji-telefilms) serial created by Ekta Kapoor that premiered on 3 December 2013 and centered on the couple's love story[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/). The show ran for 1,837 episodes and made him a household name; his pairing with Tripathi became one of Indian television's most popular[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/) • [8](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/happy-birthday-karan-patel-4950484/lite/). Fans began calling him "TV's SRK", a reference to the film star [Shah Rukh Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shah-rukh-khan), whom Patel has described as a personal idol[9](https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/i-am-a-devotee-of-shah-rukh-khan-he-is-god-for-me-karan-patel/story-qEveTwlKjvUdsrl0ngZzyI.html). In July 2019 he left the show to participate in the stunt reality series *Khatron Ke Khiladi 10*, hosted by Rohit Shetty and shot in Bulgaria; Chaitanya Chaudhary replaced him as Raman[10](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/karan-patel-quits-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-raman-bhalla-5838348/).
## Films and web series
Patel's film career began with [Mahesh Manjrekar](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahesh-manjrekar)'s *City of Gold* (2010), in which he played Naru Dhuri[2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/karan-patel.html). He appeared as Jamal, Bhaskar's bodyguard, in [Sanjay Gupta](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanjay-gupta)'s *[Shootout at Wadala](https://www.edgepedia.org/shootout-at-wadala)* (2013), as Goli in *Phamous* (2018), and in *Darran Chhoo* (2023)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/). In a 2021 interview he said that despite these roles he had not found the film work he wanted, and attributed the difficulty to what he described as a producer-director mindset about television actors being overexposed[4](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/tv/karan-patel-as-an-actor-the-challenge-is-to-find-work-in-films-to-break-the-stigma-that-tv-actors-can-t-become-film-stars-101614589461633.html).
His web debut came with *Raktanchal 2* (2022), in which he played ACP Himanshu Patnaik of the Mumbai Police[4](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/tv/karan-patel-as-an-actor-the-challenge-is-to-find-work-in-films-to-break-the-stigma-that-tv-actors-can-t-become-film-stars-101614589461633.html). He later appeared in *Raktanchal 3*[5](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/karan-patel-ott-vs-television-daily-soaps-have-lost-importance-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-2952572-2026-07-21).
## Awards
Patel's awards are concentrated on *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein*. They include the Indian Television Academy Award for Best Actor - Drama (2015), the Indian Telly Award for Best Actor (2015), Gold Awards for Best Actor in 2016 and 2017, the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival award for Best Actor in a Television Series (2018), and several Star Parivaar Awards for Favorite Pati and Favorite Jodi[3](https://indianexpress.com/about/karan-patel/). IMDb records 18 wins and 9 nominations in total[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/).
## Later career
**Time away from daily soaps.** After leaving *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein* in 2019, Patel subsequently appeared in *Kasautii Zindagii Kay* as Mr. Rishabh Bajaj in 2020, less than a year after the series ended[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/karan-patel-new-mr-bajaj-kasautii-zindagii-kay-ksg-6476309/). In April 2025, on [Bharti Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/bharti-singh)'s podcast, he said he had not received a single television offer in the previous six years[11](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/i-have-not-received-a-single-offer-in-the-last-6-years-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-actor-karan-patel-expressed-his-pain-with-bharti-singh-8114442). He has also said he would not join *Bigg Boss*, saying he could not tolerate that show's environment[12](https://www.aajtak.in/entertainment/television/story/tv-actor-karan-patel-not-want-to-participate-in-salman-khan-bigg-boss-show-reveal-the-reason-said-he-has-zero-tolerance-tmovx-dskc-2212178-2025-04-09). In a 2026 interview with India Today, he argued that OTT and binge-watching had weakened the hold daily soaps once had on family routines, and that *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein*'s long-form storytelling could not easily be rebooted for the web[5](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/karan-patel-ott-vs-television-daily-soaps-have-lost-importance-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-2952572-2026-07-21).
**Return to television.** In January 2026 Patel joined *The 50*, a reality competition show hosted by [Farah Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/farah-khan), marking his return to television after roughly six years[13](https://www.jansatta.com/entertainment/television/the-50-karan-patel-returns-to-television-with-farah-khan-show-reveals-the-one-mistake-he-will-never-make/4375564/). He said before the show that he would not question any contestant's personal life, family, or self-respect during the game[13](https://www.jansatta.com/entertainment/television/the-50-karan-patel-returns-to-television-with-farah-khan-show-reveals-the-one-mistake-he-will-never-make/4375564/).
## Personal life
Patel married the actress Ankita Bhargava on 3 May 2015 in Mumbai, and the couple have one child[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/) • [2](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/karan-patel.html). At the height of *Yeh Hai Mohabbatein* he was reported to earn 150,000 rupees (1.5 lakh rupees) per episode[14](https://www.abplive.com/photo-gallery/entertainment/bollywood-tv-shah-rukh-khan-aka-karan-patel-hasnt-worked-in-6-years-know-about-his-career-on-his-birthday-3047908).
## References
1. [Karan Patel, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2817004/)
2. [करण पटेल biography, Filmibeat Hindi](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/karan-patel.html)
3. [Karan Patel: News, Movies, Photos, Videos & Updates, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/about/karan-patel/)
4. [Karan Patel: As an actor, the challenge is to find work in films, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/tv/karan-patel-as-an-actor-the-challenge-is-to-find-work-in-films-to-break-the-stigma-that-tv-actors-can-t-become-film-stars-101614589461633.html)
5. [Karan Patel on OTT vs television: Daily soaps have lost their importance, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/karan-patel-ott-vs-television-daily-soaps-have-lost-importance-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-2952572-2026-07-21)
6. ['द 50' के कंटेस्टेंट करण पटेल हैं इतने पढ़े-लिखे, ABP Live](https://www.abplive.com/web-stories/bollywood/karan-patel-education-qualification-3079307)
7. [People who make you a star can forget you easily too: Karan Patel, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/people-who-make-you-a-star-can-forget-you-easily-too-karan-patel/story-dJlOfJ1STBNiLJ7oCFqL4O.html)
8. [Happy Birthday Karan Patel: Reasons why he is truly the badshah of television, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/happy-birthday-karan-patel-4950484/lite/)
9. [I am a devotee of Shah Rukh Khan. He is God for me: Karan Patel, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/i-am-a-devotee-of-shah-rukh-khan-he-is-god-for-me-karan-patel/story-qEveTwlKjvUdsrl0ngZzyI.html)
10. [Karan Patel quits Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/karan-patel-quits-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-raman-bhalla-5838348/)
11. ['पिछले छह साल से एक ऑफर नहीं आया', NDTV India](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/i-have-not-received-a-single-offer-in-the-last-6-years-yeh-hai-mohabbatein-actor-karan-patel-expressed-his-pain-with-bharti-singh-8114442)
12. [TV actor Karan Patel does not want to participate in Bigg Boss, Aaj Tak](https://www.aajtak.in/entertainment/television/story/tv-actor-karan-patel-not-want-to-participate-in-salman-khan-bigg-boss-show-reveal-the-reason-said-he-has-zero-tolerance-tmovx-dskc-2212178-2025-04-09)
13. [The 50: Karan Patel returns to television with Farah Khan show, Jansatta](https://www.jansatta.com/entertainment/television/the-50-karan-patel-returns-to-television-with-farah-khan-show-reveals-the-one-mistake-he-will-never-make/4375564/)
14. [Karan Patel career gallery, ABP Live](https://www.abplive.com/photo-gallery/entertainment/bollywood-tv-shah-rukh-khan-aka-karan-patel-hasnt-worked-in-6-years-know-about-his-career-on-his-birthday-3047908)
15. [Karan Patel New Mr Bajaj Kasautii Zindagii Kay Ksg 6476309, indianexpress.com](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/television/karan-patel-new-mr-bajaj-kasautii-zindagii-kay-ksg-6476309/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of South Asia › Indian screen actors, 2000s onward › Surnames L to Pr*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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