Popularly known for his stint in the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (TMKOC) as Inspector Chalu Pandey, actor Daya Shankar Pandey is seen in a number of Hindi movies and TV shows. He began his career with the film Pehla Nasha. Besides, he was applauded for his role in Ashutosh Gowariker’s cult film Lagaan, where he played the fast bowler Goli. Recently, he was also a part of 'Satyamev Jayate 2' starring John Abraham.
In an exclusive conversation with Mumbai Live, Pandey shares about his journey of over 20 years and challenges his faced in his tenure and while pursuing various roles as well. Here are the excerpts:
Can you take us through your journey of over two decades in this industry?
I wanted to be an actor, right from my school days. Later, I took part in a lot of inter-college competitions and acted in Gujarati, Hindi, English, and Marathi dramas. This was in the late eighties where actors had fewer opportunities and only films and Doordarshan shows existed. At some point, I started assisting the director and cinematographer Gyan Sahay and doing small roles. Then gradually, I started getting film roles and Vikram Bhatt's 'Ghulam' was a breakthrough moment that gave me immense confidence. This was followed in 2000 by 'Lagaan' and subsequently, 'Swadesh' and 'Gangajal' etc. But there were moments in between when I struggled to get roles, so it has been a rollercoaster ride with its ups and downs. During such difficult times, I used to theatre and movies. One fine day, I was offered the play 'Bhamashah' by my friend Manoj Shah who’s a reputed Gujarati director and I have loved playing the titular character.
Please enlighten us about your role in Bhamashah!
Bhamashah is a very interesting and challenging role and in fact Manoj, my director, gave me the requisite information that I did not have when I first got the offer. I hadn’t even heard of Bhamashah who, as I later discovered, was a great philanthropist and gave a huge amount of money to Maharana Pratap to fight the Mughals. He was also very smart, conniving and a great battle strategist. Another plus in the play apart from the characterisations is the beautiful writing by Mihir Bhuta. I’m also very thankful to my senior, the late Om Puri, for lending his voice to the play. It was my deep desire to have him as the narrator. His voice gave the play the necessary gravitas and substance.
Even today I remember with deep gratitude what he did for us and the play without any self-interest. Actors will come and go but there was and always will be only one Om Puri.
Since the story of Maharana Pratap has been well-spoken, how does this play stand out from other stories done earlier?
Maharana Pratap is an iconic figure but not many people are aware of Bhamashah's legacy. As I said, I had not heard of him either before I took on this play. This play however highlights his generosity, political awareness and wisdom. I consider myself really lucky to be playing such a stalwart.
What was the most challenging thing about this role?
It was like a journey of discovery because the role was unlike anything I had done before. As an actor, I also worked on the Rajasthani dialect and tried to live up to the vision of the writer and the director. As a professional actor, it was a privilege to perform a character like this. We performed the show all over India and I have loved shooting for the teleplay version too with my wonderful co-stars.
What’s next on the platter for you?
I am presently doing a show called 'Hum Sab Satrangi' and then I will be shooting for a film with Pratik Gandhi called, 'Dedh Bigha Zameen'. I will soon be doing a web series with Ashwiny Iyer.
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