Pune-Based Performer Adds Published Author and Global Filmmaker Titles to a Decade-Long, Award-Winning Career
Pune-based actor, writer, and director Ketan Pendse is stepping into a new chapter of his decade-long entertainment career. Best known for his work across the Marathi and Hindi film and television industry, the 29-year-old is now adding two fresh titles to his resume: published author and international filmmaker. The milestones arrive alongside his first English-language international feature film, “11:17PM,” and mark one of the more unconventional career pivots seen in regional Indian cinema in recent years.
A Decade of Awards Across Acting, Direction, and Beyond
Ketan Pendse’s presence on the Marathi and Hindi film festival circuit stretches back nearly ten years. He earned the Best Debut Actor award for “Ek Thriller Night” at the Nashik International Film Festival in 2016, and followed it with a Best Actor win at the Late Dr. Patangrao Kadam 4th Pune International Short Film Festival in 2019.
In 2021, he expanded into direction, winning the Best Director award at the 12th Pune and 9th Goa Short Film Festival for his Marathi short film “Gupt.” His most recent honour came at the Asian Thailand International Short Film Festival 2025, where he won Best Actor for “Kahi Kisi Roz.” He has also picked up recognition outside the festival circuit, including the Best Smile award at the Mr. & Ms. Glamfame fashion show, presented by Sonali Kulkarni and Ashmit Patel.
More recently, his awards tally has grown on the international stage: a Best Actor and Best Director win at the Nepal International Film Festival 2026 for the Hindi feature “Black Night,” and a Best Actor award at the Canada International Film Festival 2026 for the Marathi short “Gupt,” shared with co-actor Ketaki Chitale. Taken together, the honours span acting, direction, and even a fashion-circuit award, pointing to a career built on range rather than a single specialty.
A Filmography Spanning Formats
Pendse’s body of work covers feature films, web series, short films, and music videos in both Hindi and Marathi cinema. His Hindi credits include the feature films “The Invisible Hubby,” “Trisha,” and “Black Night,” along with the web series “Margaon Files: The Unsolved Case,” which features veteran performers such as Zeenat Aman, Pallavi Joshi, and Shilpa Shinde.
On the Marathi side, his filmography includes “Ek Thriller Night,” currently streaming on ZEE5, along with “Binda,” “Love Betting,” “Aagmya,” “Punha 26/11,” “Love Lover Zindabad,” and “Lagna Chakra,” which released on Amazon in the US and UK. Upcoming OTT projects include “Chillari,” “Aranyachakra,” and the web series “Ti Parat Aaliy.”
He has also built a substantial short film and music video catalogue, including the Hindi shorts “Gumraah,” “Strange,” “Kahi Kisi Roz,” and “The Trap”; a set of silent short films titled “Scared,” “Smile,” “The Mobster,” “The Mobile Last Frame,” and “Hope”; the award-winning Marathi short “Gupt”; “Blue Shoe” and “Khel Sansaracha”; and music videos such as “Roop Tuzha Bhari,” “Dil Mera Tere Naam,” and “Yaara Teri Yaari.” Beyond acting, he has anchored segments, including an interview with actor Abhijit Bichukale, and hosted the pan-India travel show “Travel Trolly.” He has also modelled in fashion shows alongside personalities such as Sonali Kulkarni, Parul Chauhan, Mrs India 2013 winner Pooja Thakur, Shruti Marathe, Saurabh Gokhale, and Gaurav Ghatnekar.
Stepping Into Publishing as an Author
In a departure from his screen career, Pendse has published his debut novel, “Haveli: Ek Adhuri Mulakat,” under Inkvision Press, credited to his full name, Ketan Pradip Pendse. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart, Google Books, Kindle, and the Google Play Store, and explores themes of memory, longing, and unresolved connection — a sensibility that echoes the psychological horror and travel-drama undertones running through his acting and directing work.
The literary debut will not be his last. A second novel, a romantic drama titled “Kinaara,” is set to publish soon under the same author credit, suggesting his move into fiction is a sustained pursuit rather than a one-off project alongside his screen career.
“11:17PM”: A Global Leap
Pendse’s most ambitious project to date is “11:17PM,” on which he serves as writer, director, producer, and lead actor. The film is produced under his own banner, Glamfame Entertainment, with Daulatsingh Rajpurohit co-producing through Rajpurohit Films.
Billed as a psychological horror and adventure travel drama, “11:17PM” was shot across five countries — Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macao, and India. The story follows travel blogger Keyaan, who is pulled into a haunting mystery tied to a recurring dream that strikes at exactly 11:17 PM.
An Outlier in Marathi and Hindi Entertainment
With a debut novel under the Ketan Pradip Pendse author credit and his first internationally shot feature film now underway, Pendse’s career trajectory reflects a performer unwilling to stay confined to a single role, language, or medium. As “11:17PM” and “Haveli: Ek Adhuri Mulakat” both reach new audiences, his decade of groundwork across Marathi and Hindi entertainment appears to be setting the stage for a considerably larger stage ahead.
In an industry where actors typically specialise in a single track — performance, direction, or production — Pendse’s willingness to take on all three simultaneously, while also publishing fiction and anchoring television segments, marks him as an outlier within the Marathi and Hindi entertainment space. From his 2016 debut award in Mumbai at NiFF to his 2025 win in Thailand, and now his 2026 wins in Nepal and Canada, his awards run appears to be reaching its most ambitious chapter yet — with his second novel, “Kinaara,” set to publish soon.
Career Snapshot
| Name | Ketan Pendse (author credit: Ketan Pradip Pendse) |
| Roles | Actor, Writer, Director, Producer, Anchor, Model, Author |
| Industry | Marathi & Hindi Entertainment |
| Career Span | 10+ Years |
