Today marks the birthday of the multi-talented Chunky Panday, a name that continues to resonate in the film industry long after his initial rise to fame. Though he may not be seen on-screen as often today, the legacy of his entertaining roles has firmly marked his status as one of the great actors. Chunky Panday has captivated audiences with his charm and various characters over the years and he remains an interesting artist to watch, both on and off the screen.
On his special day, we dive into a nostalgic interview from the 90s where Chunky Panday compared himself to the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. The conversation, which took place during a candid session with Lehren, revealed a lot about his views on his career, aspirations and about the Bollywood competitors.
Chunky, who has been part of memorable films like Aankhen, humorously shared his journey into the film industry. “I’m here for the money,” he said, reflecting on his career ambitions. He also talked about his on-screen tuning with Govinda, praising their iconic pairings in films such as Aankhen, Ssukh, Kaun Rokega Mujhe and more.
The conversation soon shifted to the current then state of the industry. When asked about his competitors, Chunky Panday mentioned big names like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and more acknowledging them as competition. But the discussion took an intriguing turn when Chunky Panday compared with Amitabh Bachchan. “Aaj kal industry mein 2 log hai, Chunky aur Amitabh,” he stated, while laughing off.
Chunky further explained, “Wo kaam karta nahi, muje kaam milta nahi.” He clarified the air, revealing it was a playful jab at his own situation but he explained that it was all in good humour. “Main dusra artists pe bahut joke banata hu toh main socha apne upar bhi jokes banau.” He elaborated on his admiration for Bachchan, saying, “Main Amit Ji ka bahut bada fan hu and I hope he doesn’t mind.”
Chunky continued, “Mujhe apne kisam ka kaam nahi milta, jo kaam main karna chahta hu.” He clarified that while he receives about two movie offers every day, they often don’t meet upto his expectations or artistic vision. “Main yeh mistake nahi karna chahta hu firse, ki aise koi project karu,” he stated, expressing his desire to avoid roles that don’t reflect his true potential. His poignant remark, “I’m not working because I don’t want to work, so I’m in the same position like Amitabh Bachchan,” a candid comparison of his career trajectory with that of the superstar.
The interview also went on to talk upon friendships in Bollywood. When asked about his best friends in the industry, Chunky said, “Bestfriends bahut hai, par best friend mera kutta hai,” to whom he was addressing to? Discover the full insights of the conversation in the complete podcast below.
