Selim Yusuf, better known as Sal Yusuf, is a British actor, writer, stand-up comedian, and voice artist. He is best known for playing the role of ‘Simon’ in the Kannada film, “French Biriyani.”
Wiki/Biography
Sal Yusuf was born in 1969 (age 51 years; as in 2020) in London, United Kingdom. Sal developed a deep interest in creative arts in his childhood. His inclination towards arts led him to participate in school plays. After completing his high school, Sal went to the Croydon school of Art to study on a foundation course in Art and Design. While in school, he was a part of the Croydon Youth theater. He continued to play notable roles in the plays. Sal graduated in BA (hons) in Visual & Performing Arts. After completing his graduation, Sal landed a job of a workshop assistant at Spitting Image (British satirical theatre puppet show). Initially, he assisted in the production of puppets. However, later, he was elevated to the role of puppeteer. He, then, started working as a teacher on a Post Graduate course based in West Yorkshire. He conducted several workshops , teaching a wide range of subjects to a wide range of students. It was in 2007 that Sal Yusuf moved to India in search of a better career option.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Brown
Family & Caste
Sal Yusuf belongs to a Muslim Family. He was born to the parents of Cypriot immigrants. Not much is known about his siblings. Sal Yusuf is married.
Career
While in India, Sal started realizing his talents. It was Rediffusion, an advertisement agency which gave Sal his first assignment. He, then, started to work as a voice artist in many shows. Being comical in nature, Yusuf decided to pursue his career in stand-up comedy. After doing many stand-up comedy shows in Bangalore, Sal appeared in Bombay Comedystore in 2012; as the first British comic residing in India. Soon, he became the member of The Improv group based in Bangalore.
Sal Yusuf doing Stand-up comedy
Simultaneously, Sal continued making scripts and acting in self-made commercials. Subsequently, he bagged a number of professional commercials. In 2014, Sal founded his company, Black Box India to showcase the work his team did for Graphic India (a graphic novel book company). Thereafter, Sal tried his hands in acting by doing minor roles in films. Some of his films include “Killi Poyi” (2013), “Ustad Hotel” (2012), “Iyobinte Pustakum” (2014), “Comrade In America” (2017), “The performance in Take Off” (2017), “Tiger Zindai Hai” (2017), and “Candyflip” (2017).
Sal Yusuf in Tiger Zinda Hai
In 2020, Yusuf played the role of ‘Simon’ in the Kannada film, “French Biriyani.” The role earned him laurels.
Sal Yusuf in French Biriyani
Facts/Trivia
- His hobbies include writing and performing arts.
- Sal Yusuf is friends with the stand-up comedian, Danish Sait, from his The Improv days.