Naresh Kanodia


Naresh Kanodia is Gujarati film actor and musician from Gujarat, India. He was born on 20 August 1943 at the village of Kanoda near Mehsana. He started his film career with the film Veline Avya Phool which was released in 1970. The same year he also played a minor role in the film Jigar and Ami.

Career

He was born in poor mill worker's family of Mithabhai Kanodia. He started to perform as a stage singer and dancer along with his elder brother Mahesh. They are one of the successful musical pairs in the Gujarati film industry, known as Mahesh-Naresh. During the 1980s he and his brother were the first Gujarati pair to travel overseas and perform as stage artists in locations including Africa, America and some other Asian countries. Kanodia started his career with the film Veli Ne Avya Phool. He has acted in 314 Gujarati films. Some of his popular films are Jog Sanjog, Kanku Ni Kimat, Laju Lakhan, Unchi Medina Uncha Mol, Raj Rajvan, Man Saibani Medie, Dhola Maru, Meru Malan, Maa Baap Ne Bhulsho Nahi, Rajveer. The career of Naresh Kanodia spans four decades and he has worked with many leading actresses including Snehlata, Aruna Irani, Roma Manek. Naresh Kanodia, along with Upendra Trivedi, Asrani, Kiran Kumar represent the older generation of Gujarati cinema who went on to perform in many successful movies in the 1980s and 1990s.
He had served as a member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly representing Karjan constituency from 2002 to 2007.
Sauna Hridayma Hammesh: Mahesh-Naresh, an autobiographical Gujarati book on duo was published in 2011.

Personal life

He married Ratan Kanodia and they have two sons, Hitu Kanodia and Suraj Kanodia. Hitu Kanodia is a successful actor of Gujarati films. His brother Mahesh Kanodia is a popular Gujarati musician and singer. Mahesh Kanodia also served as a Member of Parliament from Patan.

Selected filmography