Born in Baramulla, Kashmir, Manav Kaul lived in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh. He started the theatre group Aranya in 2004. Amongst his notable plays are Ilhaam, Park and Shakkar ke Paanch Daane, which was his first outing as playwright and director in 2004. His influences include Charles Bukowski, Vinod Kumar Shukla and Nirmal Verma, to whom he paid homage in his 2010 play Red Sparrow.

 

In 2012, Kaul debuted as a film director with Hansa, for which he also wrote the screenplay. He made his acting debut in Hindi cinema with fantasy film Jajantaram Mamantaram in 2003, and has been lauded for his performance as a right-wing politician in the Gujarat-based Hindi drama Kai Po Che! in 2013.