Rishi Shahani (Sitaare Zameen Par Cast) Height, Age, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Profession(s)	Actor, Swimmer
Famous Role	As Sharmaji in the film Sitaare Zameen Par (2025)
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' (148 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film: Sitaare Zameen Par (2025) as Sharmaji
Awards	• National Award for Outstanding Creative Child (2020) from Ministry of Disability Affairs • National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (2020)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	24 November 1982 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2024)	42 Years
Birthplace	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Zodiac sign	Sagittarius
School	Dilkhush Special School, Juhu, Mumbai
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Mumbai, Maharashtra
Religion	Hinduism
Food Habit	Vegetarian
Hobbies	Dancing, Reading Books, Swimming
Social Media	• Instagram
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Family
Parents	Father- Prem Jethanand Shahani Mother- Aruna Premchand Shahani (Writer)
Siblings	Brother- None Sister- Rinku Shahani

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rishi Shahani

• Rishi Shahani was born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• Rishi was diagnosed with Down syndrome, a genetic condition that affects physical and intellectual development.

• In an interview, Rishi mentioned that when he was a child, he faced many challenges in his life. People made fun of him and called him mentally challenged. If anything happened in his society, people would start blaming him.

• Rishi had struggled with various health issues, ranging from common health issues to Peripheral Neuritis (a condition where the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged) and the shocking diagnosis of Seminoma, a cancerous tumour.

• During an interview, Rishi shared that someone had told his parents that swimming is beneficial for children with Down syndrome. As a result, his parents enrolled him in a swimming class. Rishi mentioned that it took him eight months to initially place his feet in the pool, but over time, he gradually began to swim.

• In 1999, Rishi represented Indian at the Special Olympics World Games in the USA and won a gold and a silver medal for swimming.

• When Rishi was only 17 years he participated in swimming competitions with normal children and stood first.

• He had also won a gold medal at the National Games (2020) in Chandigarh for Badminton.

• In an interview, Rishi mentioned that during his school time, he was very active in school extracurricular activities and programs.

• Rishi enjoys swimming in his life so much that he is also called a water baby.

• Rishi practices yoga daily. In an interview, he mentioned that he beat cancer by practicing yoga consistently. He added that he has never missed a yoga session in the last twenty years.

• Rishi has joined The Yoga Institute (TYI) in Santacruz, Mumbai. It is a government-recognised non-profit organisation, known as the oldest yoga centre in the world.

• In 2024, Rishi Shahani was cast in a supporting role in the film Sitaare Zameen Par (2025). The film features Aamir Khan as a basketball coach who trains a team of players with different disabilities. Rishi is one of ten debutant actors with various disabilities appearing in this film.
  

  Rishi Shahani on the poster of the film Sitaare Zameen Par (2025)

• Rishi’s mother is a writer and author. She has also written two books on Rishi titled “Reflection-Understanding Life With a Down’s Child and A Tall Pygmy-Footprints of a Down Syndrome Giant.
  

  Covers of both the books written by Rishi Shahani’s mother

• In an interview, Rishi mentioned that he is a big fan of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Indian actress Juhi Chawla.

• Rishi Shahni enjoys travelling and dancing.

• He enjoys playing badminton, cricket and basketball.

• Rishi also walked as a model in various fashion shows.