Arka Das is an Australian actor, director and screenwriter.

Early life

Das born in Bangladesh and emigrated to Australia with his family as a child. He grew up in Ashfield in Sydney's western suburbs, where he attended school and university. His father was a writer, which meant he was introduced to the arts from a young age, partaking in community and school programs.

Career

Das has played roles in numerous television series, including Shantaram, Pulse, Bite Club, Top of the Lake: China Girl, Safe Home and Bali 2002 He has also appeared in films UnIndian (2015), the multi-Academy Award-nominated film Lion (2016), the live-action remake of Mulan (2020), and The Portable Door (2023).

His stage credits include Beached at Sydney's Griffin Theatre and Animals Out of Paper at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre, for which he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2010 Sydney Theatre Awards.

Das is also a writer & director, having made short films, web series and documentaries. In 2014, he co-created comedy web series The Casuals, which was streamed in the US. His short documentary film Phoenix was a finalist at Focus on Abilities Film Festival in 2016. He then wrote and directed short film Khana Khazana, which screened at several film festivals in Australia and overseas, and won several awards at Made in the West Film Festival 2020. It is being developed into a full-length feature film.

For his performance in 2021 anthology film Here Out West, Das was nominated for the 2023 Logie Award Most Outstanding Supporting Actor. One of eight writers, he wrote and starred in the Brotherhood segment of the film and featured in the next chapter, The Eternal Dance. He also received a nomination for the 2021 AWGIE (Australian Writers Guild) Awards in the Original Feature Film category for the same project.

Off the back of the film, Das went on to host ABC's television series 8 Nights Out West in 2022, where he explored different cuisines across Sydney, based on the cultural backgrounds of each of the Here Out West writers.

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2026The Airport ChaplainTBATV series
2024Return to ParadiseKen Sen-JonesTV series, 1 episode
TroppoKhalidTV series, 3 episodes
FakeRohitMiniseries, 1 episode
Colin from AccountsJustin ShelleyTV series, 2 episodes
ProsperRaviTV series, 1 episode
2023UtopiaRaviTV series, 1 episode
Safe HomeDavidMiniseries, 3 episodes
We Interrupt This BroadcastVariousTV series, 4 episodes
2022ShantaramNishant PatelTV series, 7 episodes
Bali 2002Dr Vij VijayasekaranMiniseries, 2 episodes
2020RosehavenThomasTV series, season 4, 1 episode
2019FrayedSonnyTV series, 1 episode
2018Bite ClubDepak ChaudharyTV series, 8 episodes
2017PulseTabb PatelTV series, 8 episodes
Janet KingRavi HasanTV series, season 3, 1 episode
Top of the Lake: China GirlKarnickTV series, 2 episodes
2016VODvilleTV series, 1 episode
2015HidingClifford GeorgeMiniseries, 1 episode
2014The CodeFaridTV series, 3 episodes
The CasualsSamirWeb series, 8 episodes
2012Tricky BusinessBank TellerTV series, 1 episode

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2024My MelbourneIndraneel
MaidaanPrashanto
2023The Portable DoorNevilleFeature film
2022Thor: Love and ThunderSycophant GodFeature film
Here Out WestRobiAnthology feature film
2020MulanRed FezFeature film
2019BabyteethShaunFeature film
2017BOYZKerrShort film
2016OvertimeSeanShort film
LionSamiFeature film
Joe Cinque's ConsolationSanjeevaFeature film
Down UnderSteveFeature film
Spice SistersSachinShort film
2015Big Bad WorldRajeshShort film
Good MorningNathan
MooseUber DriverShort film
UNindianTKFeature film
The Annual Company Games VIIKevinShort film
2012ShoeboxTarekShort film
2009Jagdish JiJagdishShort film

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2023The SeagullSimonRoslyn Packer Theatre with STC
2013BeachedThe ProducerStables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company
2011CasanovaRoccoEnsemble Theatre, Sydney
2011Deep SuburbiaVarious rolesSTC / BYDS
2010Animals Out of PaperSureshEnsemble Theatre, Sydney (nominated for Best Newcomer at Sydney Theatre Awards)
2010References to Salvador Dalí Make Me HotMartinGriffin Theatre Company
Fitting into WageniByronApocalypse Theatre Company
The ClubGerryAshfield Youth Theatre

External links