Quick answer: Elena Kazan is a German-Russian actor, born in Moscow, who built a career in Indian cinema after moving to Kolkata. She appeared in Bengali films and in Hindi films such as Agent Vinod (2012), John Day and Prague (both 2013), and she entered Bigg Boss 10 as a wild card contestant in 2016, being evicted by public vote about a week later.
Who is Elena Kazan?
Elena Kazan was born in Moscow and spent part of her childhood in Ukraine before her family moved to Berlin. At 16 she went to the United States to study. She later came to India, where she worked with a volunteer organisation in Kolkata, taught German at the Max Mueller Bhavan, worked as an interpreter for the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and helped on the crew of an Australian short film. Those years in Kolkata led to her first film roles in Bengali cinema.
Elena Kazan: profile at a glance
- Name: Elena Kazan
- Born: in Moscow, Russia
- Background: grew up partly in Ukraine and in Berlin, Germany; studied in the United States from the age of 16
- Occupation: actor
- Known for: John Day, Agent Vinod, Bengali films, Bigg Boss 10
An earlier version of this article gave her age as 26, her birth year as 1990 and a height, and described her as single with no boyfriend. We could not confirm her date of birth from a reliable source, so no age is given here, and the measurements and relationship lines have been removed. That version also said her father taught economics and her mother was a doctor; her Wikipedia entry instead describes her mother as a nurse and her father as a primary school teacher, so we have not repeated either account.
Films
Elena Kazan began in Bengali films in Kolkata, then moved into Hindi cinema. Her films include:
- Clerk (2010, Bengali): opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee.
- Gandhi to Hitler (2011, Hindi), also released as Dear Friend Hitler.
- Rangmilanti (2011, Bengali): Lisa.
- Agent Vinod (2012, Hindi): a cameo as Tatiana Renko, in Sriram Raghavan’s spy film starring Saif Ali Khan.
- John Day (2013, Hindi): Tabassum Habibi, opposite Randeep Hooda and Naseeruddin Shah.
- Prague (2013, Hindi): a Czech Roma girl.
- Taan (2014, Bengali)
- Ruined Heart (2015): a German-Philippine English-language film.
- Uvaa (2015, Hindi): an English teacher.
- Devi (2017, Bengali): Svetlana.
- Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018, Hindi)
- Battalion 609 (2019, Hindi) and Krishanu! Krishanu! (2019, Bengali)
An earlier version of this article said she had “appeared in German movie”. The only non-Indian production we could confirm is Ruined Heart, a German-Philippine film. Her Wikipedia entry lists no screen work after 2019.
Elena Kazan in Bigg Boss 10 (2016)
Bigg Boss 10 began on Colors in October 2016 with Salman Khan as host. On day 42, Elena Kazan entered the house as one of four wild card contestants, together with Jason Shah, Priyanka Jagga and Sahil Anand. In that week’s “dome” task she was paired with Nitibha Kaul and left the dome before her, which kept Nitibha safe and put Elena up for eviction. She was evicted by public vote about a week after entering, the sixth housemate to leave that way. Manveer Gurjar won the season in January 2017, with Bani J as the first runner-up.
An earlier version of this article, written on the day she entered, asked whether she could “beat Nitibha” in the dome task. As it turned out, she did not. For the full season result, see our list of Bigg Boss winners and our profile of the season’s runner-up, Bani J.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elena Kazan Russian or German?
She was born in Moscow and grew up partly in Ukraine and in Berlin. She is usually described as a German-Russian actor.
Which Bollywood films has Elena Kazan acted in?
Her Hindi films include Gandhi to Hitler (2011), Agent Vinod (2012), John Day and Prague (2013), Uvaa (2015), Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018) and Battalion 609 (2019).
How long was Elena Kazan in Bigg Boss 10?
About a week. She entered as a wild card on day 42 and was evicted by public vote in the following eviction.
How did Elena Kazan come to India?
She came to Kolkata, where she volunteered, taught German at the Max Mueller Bhavan and worked as an interpreter before getting her first roles in Bengali films.
Details checked in October 2026 against her Wikipedia entry and the interviews and news reports it cites (including India Today, Mid-Day and Hindustan Times), and the Bigg Boss 10 season record. Personal details that could not be verified have been removed.
