Born on August 14, 1982, Mohit Raina was raised in Jammu. After completing his schooling and graduation in commerce, Mohit decided to move to Mumbai to pursue his dream - acting. He shot to fame by playing Mahadev in the TV show Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev, but do you know his tales of struggle? (All photos/mid-day archives, Mohit Raina's Instagram account)

In picture: Mohit Raina as Mahadev. "18.12.2011 This day my life my existence changed forever. Never had I imagined to get so much love n adulation, a small-town guy trying to dream. Thank you, everyone, who made my dream come true. Every person who has touched my life in any way has contributed to making me who I am today. Indebted for life, sharing some of my favourite pictures. It just seems yesterday when I said 'Main to Vairagi hoon. Na samman ka mph, na apmaan ka bhay' [sic]," Mohit wrote on social media.

After moving to Mumbai, Mohit Raina took the modelling route to enter the acting industry. While being an actor was definitely in his mind, Mohit Raina had not then decided specifically whether to concentrate on television or the film industry!

You won't believe that the fit and fab looking actor once weighed 107 kgs! Mohit Raina lost 29 kgs before participating in the 2005 Grasim Mister India contest. He even made it to the top five.

Mohit made his acting debut with the television show Antariksh - Ek Amar Katha. He went on to grab small roles in daily soaps such as Bhabhi and Meher. In the meanwhile, he even bagged an opportunity to make his debut in Bollywood.

In 2008, Mohit Raina did a movie with Mithun Chakraborty called Don Muthuswamy. Though the film did not do well, Mohit was not really disappointed as he felt lucky to have got the chance to work with a legendary actor at an early stage of his career.

Though Mohit Raina went on to feature in several other TV shows such as Chehra (2009), Bandini (2010), Ganga Kii Dheej (2011), his claim-to-fame was 2011's Devon Ke Dev – Mahadev.

In picture: Mohit Raina with his mother

Talking about 'Mahadev', Raina said in an interview with mid-day (2013) he never expected to get the amount of love that he did. "When we started the project, we never thought we will get so much appreciation and love. As an actor, you only look for love, and it has come in abundance. When I started, I never thought that it would be accepted in such a way. I am just short of words," he said.

In picture: Mohit Raina (the baby) in his father's arms.

He considers himself lucky to play the lead role of Lord Shiva in 'Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev' and referred to his character in the show as larger than life, calling it a lifetime opportunity. Needless to say, Mohit Raina's popularity soared after his stint as Lord Shiva on the show.

After enthralling the audiences as Mahadev in Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev, he played Ashoka in Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat (2016), and later left an indelible mark with his powerful portrayal as Havildar Ishar Singh, the man who along with 21 Sikh soldiers defeated an Afghan battalion of 10,000 soldiers, in 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 (2018).

In picture: From the sets of Uri - The Surgical Strike

2019 was a bright year for Mohit Raina as his performance in the film Uri - The Surgical Strike alongside Vicky Kaushal got appreciation.

In picture: Stills from the movie Uri: The Surgical Strike.

In 2019, he made his web series debut with Kaafir, opposite Dia Mirza. The story of the show revolves around a woman named Kainaaz Akhtar (actress Dia Mirza) who is a Pakistani imprisoned in Kashmir and is accused of being a militant. She also delivers a baby girl in jail. Mohit, on the other hand, is playing the character of an Indian journalist, Vedant. Mohit was lauded for his role in the show.

In picture: Mohit Raina with Kaafir co-star Dia Mirza

Mohit Raina was last seen in the web release Mrs Serial Killer, that released on May 1, 2020. The web show was about a wife, whose husband has been framed and imprisoned for serial murders. She needs to perform a murder exactly like the serial killer, to prove that her husband is innocent. The film was directed by Shirish Kunder and produced by his wife and filmmaker Farah Khan. Mohit shared screen space with Jacqueline Fernandez and Manoj Bajpayee.

"I have had a fantastic experience bringing a conflicted character to life in 'Mrs. Serial Killer', and his dynamic with the other characters in the film only adds to the mystery surrounding him," he said. Mohit continued: "This is my first film with Netflix and the idea of reaching over 149 million people across the world at one go is truly overwhelming. I have had a blessed year and want to present the best yet with this film."

On the personal front, Mohit Raina was linked with his on-screen (Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev) wife Mouni Roy but the two never confirmed the news. Looks like the actor is pretty much single!

In picture: Mohit Raina and Mouni Roy

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Mohit Raina!

In picture: Mohit Raina with Kareena Kapoor Khan. The former had a cameo in the latter's film Good Newwz.