New Delhi: Chunky Panday’s career in Indian cinema is a mix of fleeting stardom, reinventions, and international recognition in the unlikeliest of places. From his debut in the late 1980s to becoming ‘Bangladesh ka Amitabh Bachchan’, Panday’s journey is marked by moments of promise that never quite blossomed into sustained success in India.
He made a recent appearance on Two Much With Kajol and Twinkle Khanna, shedding light on the early stages of his career. Despite his parents, both doctors, having connections in the fraternity, he had to wait four to five years for his debut—‘Aag Hi Aag’ in 1987. However, recognition came a year later with Tezaab, where he played Babban.
Though not a conventional hero, Panday had a boy-next-door charm and comic timing that won over the audience. It appeared that he was set to become a dependable Bollywood star. But, just as his career was beginning to take off, the industry shifted gears.
The early 90s ushered in a new wave of leading men, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan, followed by Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn in subsequent years.
Offers began to dry up, and the roles he did land were often forgettable. By the mid-90s, his career in Bollywood had all but stalled. This marked one of the lowest points in his journey, a promising actor reduced to playing side roles or disappearing from mainstream cinema altogether.
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A lead hero in Bangladesh
Ironically, at this point in his career, Panday found success outside India. He turned to Bangladesh’s film industry, where he not only found steady work but also achieved stardom. He starred in several Bangladeshi blockbusters from 1995 to 1999/2000, opposite top actresses, and unlike his career in India, he was cast as the lead hero. His success there stood in stark contrast to his fleeting fame in India.
On his return to Bollywood in the 2000s, he could only secure low-key roles, mostly in multi-starrers or comedies. But the competition was intense; therefore, he couldn’t give a memorable performance until 2010 in Housefull.
His second innings in Housefull, where he played “Aakhri Pasta”, was considered the resurrection of the actor’s career in Bollywood, as the audience had enjoyed his comedic flair. He became a cult figure. Panday reprised his role of Aakhri Pasta in the Houseful series. But yet again, the buzz soon fizzled out.
Now, as Panday revealed on Two Much With Kajol and Twinkle Khanna, he is headed for yet another international innings. This time in Nepal.
Panday’s career is an example of how talent doesn’t always equate to long-term success. He tasted fame, lost it, found it elsewhere, and then returned to carve a niche in supporting roles. Though Chunky’s iconic characters and lines remain popular in comedy sets, he couldn’t really touch stardom.
The actor told Kajol and Twinkle that, initially, he was known in the industry because of his parents, and now he is known as Ananya Panday’s father. “My own success lasted for barely a year,” he added.
In the highs of early Bollywood fame and the lows of near-obscurity, Chunky Panday’s story remains one of Bollywood’s most underrated.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)