Jitendra Kumar was born on September 1, 1990, in Khairthal, Alwar, Rajasthan, into a middle-class Hindu family. His father is a civil engineer, and his mother is a housewife, and he belongs to a Kshatriya Rajput caste. He has two sisters named Ritu and Chaitra. Since childhood, he was fascinated by acting and movies, often mimicking popular film stars of the 1990s.
After completing his schooling, Jitendra cracked the prestigious IIT entrance examination and enrolled at IIT Kharagpur for a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. While studying civil engineering at IIT Kharagpur, Kumar discovered his passion for acting and became the Governor of the Hindi Technology Dramatics Society at the institute.
During a college ragging session, his seniors demanded he perform an impromptu English elocution act, handing him Al Pacino’s lines from “The Scent of a Woman” (1992). Despite his troubled past with English, Kumar managed to pull off the performance, surprising his seniors who then suggested he visit the Hindi drama club.
It was at IIT Kharagpur where he met Biswapati Sarkar, Executive Creative Director and Writer at The Viral Fever (TVF), who eventually invited him to join the digital content platform. After graduation, Jitendra briefly worked as a civil engineer in a construction company for about eight months before quitting to pursue his acting dreams.
In 2012, Jitendra Kumar joined TVF and made his digital debut. His first viral video was “Munna Jazbaati: The Q-tiya Intern” in 2013, which garnered over 3 million views on YouTube and marked the beginning of his rise to digital stardom. He became predominantly famous for his character Jitendra Maheshwari, a frustrated corporate employee in TVF Pitchers, and Gittu, a confused bridegroom from Permanent Roommates.
Kumar’s breakthrough role came as Jeetu Bhaiya in the Netflix series “Kota Factory,” where he played a beloved and respected teacher who mentors students through their strenuous journey in IIT-JEE coaching institutes in Kota, Rajasthan. This character became so iconic that he is often referred to as “Jeetu Bhaiya” by fans and colleagues alike.
His most acclaimed role is as Abhishek Tripathi in Amazon Prime’s “Panchayat,” where he plays a young urban secretary of a Panchayat office in the rural town of Phulera, Uttar Pradesh. The series, produced by TVF, has been widely praised by viewers and critics alike. Panchayat Season 3, which premiered on May 28, 2024, recorded over 12 million streams and became the number 1 trending show on IMDb in India, even making it to the global top 100 TV shows list.
In 2025, Kumar’s excellence was recognized at the IIFA Digital Awards, where Panchayat Season 3 emerged as a big winner, with Kumar winning Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male/Series) among other accolades. The series has been renewed for a fourth season, which is scheduled to be released on June 24, 2025.
Awards and Accolades:
- Two Filmfare OTT Awards – Best Actor in a Comedy Series and Best Actor in a Series (Male)
- IIFA Digital Awards 2025 – Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male/Series) for Panchayat Season 3
- Talentrack Digital Content Awards 2018 – Best Comedic Performer
Interesting Facts:
- Despite being an IIT graduate in Civil Engineering, he realized he couldn’t picture himself as an engineer and was considered quite lazy during his college days, never getting out of bed before noon.
- His college friends referred to him as the “Kunwar Sa” (Prince) of TVF due to his sense of style and self-image.
Social Media:
Instagram: @jitendrak1
Twitter: N/A
