Puneet Issar (born 6 November 1959 in Amritsar, Punjab) is a veteran Indian actor, film director, writer, and dialect coach. His father Sudesh Issar was a renowned film director; his sister Satyajeet Puri is an actress; and his wife Deepali Issar is the daughter of actor-singer couple Diljit Puri and Ashita Puri. They have a son (Siddhant) and a daughter (Nivriti). He attended St. Lawrence High School, Mumbai, and graduated from Mithibai College before earning an acting diploma from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. He holds a fourth-degree black belt and trained in karate, kung-fu, boxing, and wrestling. He began his career as an acting professor at FTII before making his film debut as Bob in Manmohan Desai's Coolie (1983), where he accidentally punched Amitabh Bachchan during an action sequence, nearly fatally injuring the star — an incident that haunted his career for years. His path to redemption came through the iconic role of the scheming, powerful Duryodhana in B.R. Chopra's landmark television epic Mahabharat (Doordarshan, 1988–1990), for which he remains celebrated. Notable subsequent films include Border (1997, dir. J.P. Dutta), Krrish (2006, opposite Hrithik Roshan), Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), Son of Sardaar (2012), and The Kashmir Files (2022, dir. Vivek Agnihotri). He directed Garv: Pride and Honour (2004, starring Salman Khan). In September 2014, he entered Bigg Boss Season 8 as one of the original contestants. He was evicted in Week 6 (Day 44) but re-entered the house as a wildcard in Week 7 (Day 46) — a dramatic return. Despite being one of the house's most volatile and divisive personalities, he stayed for 101 total days, becoming the 6th-placed housemate at the main season finale on 3 January 2015.

Iconic role as Duryodhana in B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat (Doordarshan, 1988–1990); Bollywood films Coolie (1983 — the scene in which he accidentally injured Amitabh Bachchan), Border (1997), Krrish (2006), and The Kashmir Files (2022); directing Garv: Pride and Honour (2004, starring Salman Khan); fourth-degree black belt in martial arts.

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