Manish Goel is an Indian television actor who became a household name as Tilak in Bhabhi and entered Bigg Boss 20 as the season’s first wildcard contestant. He has worked in Hindi television since the mid-1990s.
His career runs across three eras of the industry. He worked through the Star Plus drama boom of the 2000s, then the reality-show wave, then a return to fiction with Anupamaa. He entered the Bigg Boss 20 house during a Weekend Ka Vaar episode, months after the season premiered on 6 September 2026.
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| Full name | Manish Goel |
|---|---|
| Known as | Tilak in Bhabhi, Anupamaa actor, Bigg Boss 20 wildcard |
| Born | Delhi, India. IMDb lists 27 August 1965; some profiles differ |
| Profession | Television and film actor, producer |
| Debut | Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii |
| Best known for | Bhabhi (Star Plus), Kasautii Zindagii Kay, CID, Anupamaa |
| Reality shows | Nach Baliye 1, Zara Nachke Dikha, Welcome, BIG Memsaab, Bigg Boss 20 |
| Family | Married to actor Poonam Narula since 2002; a son and a daughter |
| Height | Not officially confirmed by him |
Who Is Manish Goel
Manish Goel is a Delhi-born actor who moved to Mumbai as a teenager and spent three decades in Hindi television. His best-known role is Tilak in Bhabhi, a Star Plus serial that ran through the mid-2000s.
He is also one of the few television actors of that generation who kept working across formats. He did daily soaps, reality shows, a dance competition with his wife, and a return to fiction in Anupamaa before Bigg Boss 20.
Early Life and the Move to Mumbai
Manish Goel was born in Delhi. Accounts of his early life say Manish Goel left Delhi for Mumbai at 17 with acting as the only plan. In that era, that usually meant months of auditions and no income.
His interest began in school, where he played Rama in a school play. That is a small detail, but it explains the classical, dialogue-heavy style he later brought to television drama.
Television Debut With Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii
He made his television debut with Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, the Balaji Telefilms serial that became one of the defining shows of Indian television in the early 2000s.
Working in that ecosystem meant long schedules and a fixed style of performance. Actors who came through it learned to hold a scene for a family audience. That is why so many of them later struggled, then adapted when streaming arrived.
Bhabhi and the Tilak Years
Manish Goel played the lead role of Tilak in Bhabhi on Star Plus. The show made him a familiar face in households that watched the 9 pm slot as a daily habit.
Tilak is still the role people associate with him. In a career built on serials, that is both an achievement and a trap, because a single character can define an actor for two decades.
Kasautii Zindagii Kay, CID and the 2000s Run
Through the 2000s he worked across Balaji and other production houses, with credits that include Kasautii Zindagii Kay and C.I.D. Both shows were fixture programming, and appearing in them meant being part of the most-watched fiction on Hindi television.
Manish Goel also worked in films and as a producer, though neither moved him out of television. The industry rewards specialists, and he was one.
Reality Shows Before Bigg Boss
Manish Goel was not new to reality television when Bigg Boss 20 cast him. He competed in Nach Baliye season 1 with his wife, actor Poonam Narula, and the couple finished as runners-up in 2005.
He appeared in Zara Nachke Dikha, won Welcome – Baazi Mehmaan Nawazi Ki, and was part of BIG Memsaab, which gave Manish Goel a second identity outside fiction. That record matters: a wildcard entrant with reality experience usually settles into the house faster than a fiction actor who has never been filmed without a script.
The Break and the Return With Anupamaa
His Wikipedia entry lists his active years as 1996 to 2020 and then from 2024. That gap matches the break many television actors of his generation took during the pandemic and the streaming reset.
He returned with Anupamaa, one of the highest-rated Hindi serials of the decade. The show gave him a second innings with an audience that had never watched Bhabhi, and that is the audience Bigg Boss 20 is now testing.
Family: Wife Poonam Narula, Son and Daughter
Manish Goel married actor Poonam Narula in 2002. She is known for Shararat and Kasautii Zindagii Kay, and the two have been a working television couple for more than two decades.
They have a son and a daughter. The family keeps a low public profile. The children have not been part of his television narrative, which is unusual in a format that usually pulls family into the storyline.
Bigg Boss 20 Wildcard Entry
Manish Goel entered Bigg Boss 20 as the first wildcard contestant of the season, walking in during a Weekend Ka Vaar episode hosted by Salman Khan. The host hinted at another entry in the same episode.
A wildcard arrives into an established house with existing groups, which is the hardest entry in the format. His experience with reality shows is an advantage. So is his age: at 60, according to IMDb’s birth date, Manish Goel is the oldest contestant in the house by a wide margin.
His first weeks were built around that contrast. Clips from the house showed him talking about the “lower gender” in a conversation that drew criticism online. That is the kind of moment that defines a wildcard’s run more than any task.
Manish Goel Height and Physical Stats
Manish Goel has not confirmed his height or weight publicly. Bio profiles list different figures, and none carry a direct source.
His birth date is also reported inconsistently. IMDb lists 27 August 1965, while other profiles avoid a year altogether. Age claims about him should be read with that gap in mind.
Manish Goel Net Worth
Manish Goel has not disclosed his net worth. Estimates on bio pages range from a few crore to around Rs 20 crore, and none are sourced.
What is verifiable is the length of his career. Three decades of daily fiction, a production business and repeated reality-show appearances produce steady income, but none of it is public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Manish Goel?
Manish Goel is an Indian television actor known as Tilak in Bhabhi, and he entered Bigg Boss 20 as the season’s first wildcard contestant.
How old is Manish Goel?
IMDb lists his birth date as 27 August 1965, which would make him 60. Some profiles do not confirm a birth year.
What is Manish Goel’s height?
Manish Goel has not confirmed his height, and bio profiles list different figures without a source.
Which show made Manish Goel famous?
He became a household name playing Tilak in Bhabhi on Star Plus, after debuting with Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii.
Is Manish Goel in Anupamaa?
Yes, he returned to fiction with Anupamaa after a break of about four years.
Who is Manish Goel’s wife?
Manish Goel married actor Poonam Narula in 2002. They have a son and a daughter.
Did Manish Goel win a reality show?
He won Welcome – Baazi Mehmaan Nawazi Ki and was first runner-up on Nach Baliye season 1 with his wife.
Is Manish Goel a wildcard in Bigg Boss 20?
Yes, Manish Goel was the first wildcard entrant of Bigg Boss 20 and entered during a Weekend Ka Vaar episode.
What is Manish Goel’s net worth?
Manish Goel has not disclosed his net worth, and online estimates are unsourced.
Which films has Manish Goel acted in?
He has appeared in Hindi films and worked as a producer, though his career is identified mainly with television fiction.