He is best known for his acting roles in Taare Zameen Par, Gangs of Wasseypur, Kick, Paatal Lok and Monkey Man.

[1] Though he was interested in acting in films from his early days, it was theater that inspired him initially, especially after he happened to listen to Sanjeev Kumar's interview on radio.

He joined a small Punjabi theater group to perform various odd jobs in Delhi, e.g. selling tickets or serving tea.

[citation needed] He is an alumnus of National School of Drama, New Delhi, India and the Canadian Film Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

He was later nominated for his first ever Screen Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Taare Zameen Par, but eventually lost to his co-star Aamir Khan.