Shubham Saraf (born March 1992) is a British actor. He earned an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination. On television, he is known for his roles in the Netflix crime anthology Criminal: UK (2019–), the BBC One drama A Suitable Boy (2020), and the Apple TV+ series Shantaram (2022). His films include Honour (2014).
Early life Saraf was born in Calcutta. He spent his early childhood in Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago, before moving to London when he was 7 or 8. He attended St Paul's School, London, where he acted in student productions. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Warwick in 2013. He then spent a year with the École Philippe Gaulier in Paris before going on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2017.
Career Saraf appeared in the 2014 films Honour and The Cut. He made his professional stage debut in 2017 as revolutionary Dinesh Gupta in Lions and Tigers at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. In 2018, he appeared in the BBC One political thriller Bodyguard as PR adviser Tahir Mahmood. He also had stage roles in a gender-swapped version of Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe and An Adventure Bush Theatre.
The following year, Saraf began starring as Detective Constable Kyle Petit in the Netflix crime anthology Criminal: UK. He was in the main cast of the BBC One drama miniseries A Suitable Boy as Nawabzada Firoz Khan. He appeared in Three Sisters at the Almeida Theatre and Romeo and Juliet at the National Theatre. In 2022, Saraf starred as Prabhu Kharre in the Apple TV+ adaptation of Shantaram and played Nathuram Godse in The Father and the Assassin, also at the National, the latter of which earned Saraf an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2012 Suspension of Disbelief Student 2013 Miss Man Short film 2014 Honour Adel The Cut Levon 2016 Tape Daniel Giulani 2017 This Feels Fucking Weird Short film 2018 Overlord Hays Shakespeare's Globe: Hamlet Ophelia, Osric Recording 2019 6 Underground Man 2020 Acrimonious Caspar Short film Bath Salts Sham Short film 2021 The Power Junior DoctorZee5 film The Track Harry Short film2023 Blind Nikhil Saraf JioCinema film The Dandies of Albertopolis Julius Short film 2027 Cliffhanger Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 2013 Fresh Meat Protester 1 episode 2018 Bodyguard Tahir Mahmood Recurring role (3 episodes) 2019–present Criminal: UK Kyle Petit Main role (6 episodes) 2020 A Suitable Boy Nawabzada Firoz Khan Miniseries; main role (6 episodes) 2021 Romeo and Juliet Benvolio Television recording 2022 Shantaram Prabaker "Prabhu" Kharre Main role 2026 Star City Manu Chadha Recurring Role
Stage Year Title Role Notes 2017 Lions and Tigers Dinesh Gupta Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London 2018 Hamlet Ophelia, Osric Globe Theatre, London An Adventure Rasik Bush Theatre, London 2019 Three Sisters Nikolay Tuzenbach Almeida Theatre, London 2021 Romeo and Juliet Benvolio Royal National Theatre, London 2022 The Father and the Assassin Nathuram Godse 2023 When Winston Went to War with the Wireless Peter Eckersley Donmar Warehouse, London 2024 An Enemy of the People Hovstad Duke of York’s Theatre, London
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result Ref. 2022 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Best Actor The Father and the Assassin
References
External links
Shubham Saraf at Insight