Chunky Panday remembers moving to Bangladesh for work and trading land: ‘Necessary to survive…’

Last updated:Nov 30, 2024 3:42 PM IST

Chunky Panday said he was broke and had to keep his ego aside to survive.

Chunky Panday was a huge star in the 1980s.

After a successful career in the 1980s and early 1990s, opportunities arose Fat Panday as the main hero began to shrink. He started taking on character roles, but even that opportunity quickly ended. In a recent conversation with Ananya Panday for We Are Yuvaa, Chunky remembered working and Bangladesh and the rush to earn a living.

When Ananya pointed out that Chunky’s career began to decline after the early 1990s, she asked him if he ever felt like, “this is the end.” Chunky replied, “Yes, yes. The ending means it was like musical chairs were taking place and when the music stopped you had no chair to sit on. I mean, I had blockbuster films and this was right after Aankhen, which was supposed to be an iconic hit. Actually I had no job. The only film I got was Teesra Kaun and then it dried up completely.”

“So I ended up in Bangladesh, making films. Luckily they worked and I made that my home for 4-5 years. But yeah, it was scary. But actually I didn’t stop working. I opened an events company. Then I started organizing events. I started, you know, dealing in land, buying real estate… Imagine going from house to house doing things. I just kept my ego aside and I said I had to survive and so I did all these things, but I learned a lot in that process. So I went through a flat break, I mean,” he added.

When Ananya asked if Chunky’s parents offered to help him, the actor said he couldn’t accept money from his parents. He said, “If you’re a man and you’ve started your career, you can’t go back to them now and say I need money.” However, Chunky also made it clear that his parents were unaware of his financial situation.

Despite these challenges, Chunky Panday has had a versatile and enduring career. After finding fame in the 1980s with hits like Tezaab and Aankhen, he reinvented himself as an actor in the 2000s and won critical acclaim for his comic timing in films like Housefull. His ability to adapt and stay relevant in an ever-changing industry reflects his resilience and talent, cementing his legacy in Indian cinema.