Known for his iconic comic roles in Hindi films, Chunky Panday’s recent choice of projects — in which he plays dark, layered characters — has shown his versatility as an actor, both in Hindi as well as regional language films down south. However, no matter the project or his role, Panday is sure about one thing — movies are meant for the big screen.

“We make films for cinema. When they come on the small screen, the impact is not as much as going to a theatre and watching it. I can’t remember any great film I saw on OTT,” says the 60-year-old.

He does, however, add that things are different when it comes to series. “I only watch shows on OTT. Shows are made for television and mobile phones. That is a slow-burn you enjoy,” says the actor, known for playing Aakhri Pasta in the Housefull franchise.

Last seen in the Tamil film Sardar (2022), in which he plays the antagonist, the actor is glad to be following in the footsteps of artistes he has admired for their versatility and range. “I started my career with Shakti Kapoor (actor) in a film where he played a deadly villain. Then, you saw him playing comic roles in films like Raja Babu (1994). Interestingly, I saw the same with Kader Khan (actor). These people have been my inspiration,” says Panday, who also played a negative character in the 2019 film Saaho, which was simultaneously shot in Tamil and Hindi.

Speaking about his experience working on a bilingual film, the actor adds, “When I did Saaho, we used to do two takes — one in Hindi and another in Telugu. I dubbed the film in Hindi, but my director used to keep my Telugu takes. And, much to my surprise, my Telugu takes in the film were better.”