Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 1, 2019)

In the 80s and 90s, the audience saw him lip-synching the classic, So Gaya Yeh Jahan from Tezaab (1988) and matching Govinda move-fora-move in Aankhen (1993). Chunky Panday, who returned to the lives of cinegoers with characters like Aakhri Pasta in Housefull (2010), is now juggling his schedule between multiple films, two of which present him as a villain. While it may not be easy to laugh at oneself, it’s an art that he has mastered and is gradually passing on the tricks to his 20-year-old daughter Ananya, who made her debut this year with Student Of The Year 2. In a chat with BT, Chunky discusses his current phase in the industry, his daughter’s acting career and what his mistakes have taught him. Excerpts…

Your new innings as an actor is in full force with films like Prassthanam, Jawani Jaaneman and Housefull 4, where you play diametrically different characters. Is this the most satisfying time of your professional life?
Yes, it is. I am also doing a Marathi film called Bhangarwala in which I play an Arab; after seeing that, I don’t think they will let me enter Dubai (laughs!). Before this, the only regional cinema I had tried was Bangladeshi (laughs even more), which means I’ve also done Bengali films.

I’ve been a great fan of Pran, Mehmood, Amjad Khan, Kader Khan, Shakti Kapoor and Amrish Puri. I can’t ever dream of coming close to these guys and the characters they’ve immortalised. Deva Katta, who made the original Prassthanam, felt that I could play the grey character in his story. I’ve just tried to remember the masters of such characters in Indian cinema while playing this one, with the hope that I, too, can achieve that glory.

Given that you are being offered performance-driven parts now, would you say that you’re finally coming into your own?
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that. We are actually living in the golden phase of this craft. Today, newer platforms have opened up avenues for actors. If you realise, I haven’t done much work in about 30 years as an actor. I may have 94 films to my credit, but only about 75 have been released. I am less exposed and also lucky to get the characters I have today. Also, people didn’t ever forget me entirely. I guess I stayed at the back of their minds. The second innings started with characters like Aakhri Pasta and that Nepali guy in Apna Sapna Money Money (2006). The intention was to impress the younger audience. The subsequent characters, like the ones in Begum Jaan (2017) and Prassthanam, are bonuses. I would like to believe what my wife Bhavana often says when we fight. She says, ‘There is a little devil hiding in you and you are evil personified.’ That’s a statement every wife makes when the couple fights, but I took it a tad bit seriously and decided to prove her right (Laughs!). My wife was petrified to see my look in Begum Jaan. Ananya was taken aback, but impressed. Doing negative characters had some impact at home. My younger daughter (Rysa) and wife didn’t talk to me for days after Begum Jaan released. I played a devilish guy who feeds dogs to people, while at home, I am a dog lover. When I grew a beard for that part, my daughters refused to come close to me, because I wore this weird look on my face, unlike the daddy they knew. And my wife? She refused to kiss my cheeks or hug me. So, coming into my own has not been easy.

How has this new phase changed you as an actor?
It’s made me a lot more confident, but I would say that the directors, too, had a huge role to play. To do Prassthanam and Housefull 4 in the same year is a big deal for me. I was stepping into the comedy franchise, which is almost like home to me, after doing two badass characters. The after-effect of playing those parts was that I was finding it hard to slip into Aakhri Pasta (his character in Housefull 4). The transition between roles was a challenge. Your mind tends to get confused, and you need the director’s support. I am not the greatest actor on earth, and I depend a lot on my director. Even for Prassthanam, I depended a lot on Deva Katta. If left to me, I will do the same navrasas in every film. I can trust the actor in me, but I need a chance to show something new every time. That new thing is the director’s take on the character. I always ask for that.

Jackie Shroff, Gulshan Grover, Sanjay Dutt — a bunch of your colleagues from the 1980s and 1990s — seem to have a better repertoire today than you did. As a leading man in the 1990s, why did you drop out of the scene, that, too, soon after a hit like Aankhen?
I had no option. I arrived on the scene in 1987. Govinda had come a year earlier, and in quick succession, we had Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn. There was one new face every year. My honeymoon got over in no time with so many heroes arriving on the scene. My solo-hero films did average business, but the multi-starrers did very well. In this industry, you should never underestimate or overestimate anyone. When I went to Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s wedding reception, I met filmmaker Shankar. He remembered me instantly, but it took me a while to recall that he was assisting a South filmmaker on Jai Shiv Shankar — a film I did for Rajesh Khanna’s company, which never released. Imagine, Shankar was an assistant on that film! So, you cannot discount anyone. I have seen things change overnight for people, from good to bad and terrible to great. I always feel that one should maintain a balance with people. Don’t write them off and don’t chase them crazily.

But didn’t you get almost written off when you decided to work in Bangladeshi films?
It was a phase of a meltdown. I was thinking of switching careers. I had the biggest hit in the country, Aankhen, to my name but I didn’t get much work after that. I moved to Bangladeshi films and kept doing films there because they worked. I was just running away from myself. I somehow wanted to continue being an actor, because if I didn’t, then I would have to find an alternate profession. It was Bhavna who got me back here. She told me that even in Bangladesh, people know me as Chunky from Bollywood. Filmmaker Harry Baweja gave me my first role during that phase in Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003). Things changed from there. There are times when you ask yourself why certain things happened and what went wrong. I think I made a lot of good choices, but I also made many mistakes; I was meant to make them. For instance, I left Tridev (1989) for another film. Everyone makes mistakes and learns from them. Today, if I get a great character, I do it, no matter what. I wish I was as wise a few years ago. It took me some soul searching and introspection to be like this. I was getting characters even back then, but my mind was not ready for them. Today, I am thick-skinned, and I have no ego. I change my colours like a chameleon, and I can laugh at myself. That makes life easier for an actor.

Isn’t it strange that when you decided to come back, the work didn’t really come from the friends who you often hang out with?
It didn’t come from friends because I have never depended on them to give me work and I don’t like bringing work between us.

While you are clearly enjoying your second innings, your daughter Ananya has started her career…
I am damn excited for her. I was also scared about that at one point. The most important thing for any actor is to be accepted by the audience. I’ve always told this to Ananya because there’s just that much advice I can dole out. She’ll have to figure her way through this on her own, making her own choices and her own mistakes. I’ve always told her that no one can ever predict the box-office success of a film, because a billion people decide that. I stopped worrying when I saw Student Of The Year 2 at a private screening. Bhavna and I were sure she would find acceptance. There’s no harm in being excited and optimistic, but one should never get carried away.

Ananya has entered the industry at a time when actors have to face pressure beyond box-office performance of their films. Social media pressure is a major aspect today...
Yes, the golden phase of show-business has its own perils. I’m proud of my daughter’s initiative to fight social media bullying instead of giving in to it. It’s a nasty thing that affects so many people. Someone had to bell the cat and Ananya has taken the lead. She’s 20 and doing something brave for her age. Today, I just hope that she enjoys everything she does. She did well academically, but she’s learning things now, and things that will help her survive in an industry like ours. She did her formal training in acting, but no university can teach you things that Bollywood can. And trust me, it teaches you too many lessons very quickly.

Link-ups with co-actors happened in the 1990s, and they happen even today. Within six months of her debut, Ananya has already faced such a situation...
Yes, she got linked very early on in her career, but as they say, you live and die by the sword. It happened then and it happens now. You can’t control it, whether you’re married or single. I only tell her to take it in her stride, what else can I advise her on this? Even as an actor, when she asks me my opinion on her scripts, I don’t say much, because I want her to make her decisions and stand by those, forever.

As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 20, 2018)

Before I became a model, I used to help backstage during fashion shows in Delhi, assisting the girls who were walking the ramp with their clothes and accessories, running around during photoshoots assembling clothes and more such chores. The money was good — Rs 300 a day was a big deal back then — and I got to work with many successful supermodels like Madhu Sapre, Noyonika Chatterjee, Carol Gracias, John Abraham, Dino Morea and Arjun Rampal among others.

I have also taken on odd jobs at auto expos during summer holidays to make some extra money. I would get between Rs 500-Rs 1000 a day and didn’t even know how to spend that much money.

I never imagined I would end up becoming a model and actress myself because while growing up, I was made to believe that I would become an IAS officer and do something for the country as my dad was in the navy. What life had in store for me and what I was working towards were completely different worlds.

One day, auditions were being held in various colleges for a stage production. It was being directed by Roshan Abbas and choreographed by Shiamak Davar. Cyrus Sahukar, Gaurav Kapoor, Samir Kochhar and my brother, Hardeep, were among those who auditioned for it. I went to pick up my best friend and Roshan spotted me. He asked if I’ve acted before and I exclaimed, “Never!” He told me I had just landed my first role.

During the theatre production, there was a photographer in the audience who wanted to do a photoshoot with me. He thought my face had the potential. While he was clicking me, he told me his agency was auditioning for a music video. This was in December 1998 and I landed that role too. My first music video, “Sha Na Na Na”, was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. Shoojit Sircar was the executive producer and it was for the band Euphoria. I had never travelled by air or been abroad but thanks to that music video I got to work with a popular rock band, be on TV and even got paid. By the time I came back to college, I was famous!

My mum and uncle then saw an advertisement for the auditions for Miss India. I went for it and was told I would have to lose 10 kgs in two weeks. I did and ended up winning the crown in 2002 (right, above). And got me plenty of modelling offers which I was only too happy to grab.

Being an assistant earlier helped when I became a model myself. I was very disciplined. No job was big or small for me as I understood the importance of coordination and collaboration. I have always been a stickler for perfection and the one thing that makes my blood boil is incompetence. I would lock myself up in a room and scream!

At the age of 20, I spent six months in Tokyo promoting my debut film, an Indo-Japanese project, Nattu Odoru! Ninja Densetsu (right), a major part of which was shot in Chennai. Living in a city where I had no connections was interesting. I liked the vibe of the place. My parents didn’t have a computer then so they would go to a cyber café to interact with me. It was all vert heart-warming.

Three years later, in 2003, my first Hindi film, Qayamat: City Under Threat (below), produced and directed by Harry Baweja, opened. I was cast opposite Ajay Devgn, and it was a big launch. Fifteen years later, I’m still around, awaiting the release of Helicopter Eela with Kajol and Riddhi Sen. The mother-son story is directed by Pradeep Sarkar. Life has come a full circle.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; February 1, 2018)

She is one actress who has mastered the art of reinvention. She may be getting older, but she has found a way to not only stay connected with the masses through cinema but has also become relevant to the youth, thanks to her TV outings. We are talking about Neha Dhupia who made her debut as a glamorous heroine in 2003 with Qayamat and soon got tagged as a sex siren with Julie. But she managed to shed the image by playing significant parts in small-budget films like Mithya, Phas Gaye Re Obama and Moh Money Maya. Today, she has impressed everyone with her acting prowess in content-driven movies such as Tumhari Sulu and Qarib Qarib Singlle. In a freewheeling interview, Neha talks about embracing age, playing good roles and keeping up with the times.        

You grabbed attention 15 years ago with your bold roles and now have emerged as the go-to actress for strong supporting roles. How did the metamorphosis come about?
I welcomed getting older with open arms. I didn’t shy away from it. I kind of have goosebumps saying this because I have never said this before, but even I wonder what happened. I’m not being immodest but am saying this with a lot of gratitude. When I came into the industry, a lot of people said, ‘You’ll be done in four-five years, what will you do after that’? I was working towards being an IAS officer, I was raised believing I would serve the country. Then, I got into movies and I kind of started believing people around me, that my stint would only last for five years. Then I thought to myself, we can change that. Times are changing as people are looking at good content. Everything doesn’t have to be about others’ idea of what it is supposed to be. Everyone is doing so many different things, looking at different role models. My role model is Karan (Johar), he does everything including making films! He is the cultural export, the first face of Indian cinema. He is seen everywhere from award shows to world economic forums.

What really changed was the way I look, the skills that I have, and me getting older in the business. The one thing it taught me is to hustle every day. My biggest strength is I’m not a lazy person. My mind ticks like a time bomb. It’s a combination of getting older, being a little restless, understanding what the audience wants and knowing where you stand. People are not coming to me with lead roles, but good parts. It will be stupid if I think, it’s not the lead, why should I do it? I’m not that person. My decisions are based on instinct.

After films like Qayamat, Julie, etc there was a phase when you did small-budget cinema with the likes of Rajat Kapoor and Ranvir Shorey. What changed for you?
Everything, personal or professional, is like a pack of biscuits that comes with an expiry date. I emerged in a bikini from the water when I started off in Qayamat. I did Julie, in which I had an author-backed role. But what happened with that was it gave me a certain image. Now, either I am happy that I have an image — sometimes it takes a lifetime — you do interesting work but you don’t have an image. I had one and I was playing on that. But then I realised this image is going too far, I needed to change that. So, I took two steps back. I did not take up any work. One day, I met Rajat Kapoor in the gym.  He said, ‘I have been looking for you for almost a year now, where were you?’ It was a random run-in and he told me, ‘I will call you in two months once my script is ready’. In April 2006, he met me and gave me the script of Mithya. He said he wanted me to play the part of Sonam. That was it, and I ended up doing five-six films with all of them — movies like Ek Chaalis Ki Last Local, Raat Gayi Baat Gayi, Phas Gaye Re Obama up to Moh Maya Money. I thought Moh Maya Money was a great film, but it didn’t work at the box office. That’s when I realised it’s time to reinvent myself. I thought I’m older so I need to crack the youth market.

Is that how Roadies happened?
Yes. I got this show and I decided to take it up as the youth are the most discerning audience. To win them over — I knew I won’t be doing Student Of The Year anytime in my life — so Roadies was a great way to get into the youth audience. After that I opened my production house with NoFilterNeha and did two seasons which led to BFFs with Vogue.

What is exciting about hosting BFFs with Vogue?
I always consider myself a rank outsider, I am not from the business, so for someone like me just to wake up and do work that I love is the most exciting thing. I like being in conversation — it’s like asking a cricketer to do cricket commentary. Listening to people and hearing their stories is something that I genuinely enjoy. It comes organically, it is not forced. The other exciting part are the guests. I know most of them like Karan and Shweta (Bachchan) Nanda and while talking to them at one point, I forgot the camera. I just sat on the lounge and chilled with them. But there are some celebrities like Juhi Chawla, Radhika Apte and Rani Mukerji, who I have been a fan of, but hadn’t met, and it was great interacting with them. Also, I don’t see many women, especially of my age, hosting a talk show. Usually the talk show hosts are much older and a little bit of overachievers which is a pre-requisite. I don’t fit into that category. So for me to be able to host such a show is flattering.

Will you be working on the third season of #NoFilterNeha?
I don’t know yet, but I am hoping for it. I remember I was in a coffee shop and talking to my writer about doing something interesting. I have so many live sessions with friends from the industry discussing all the madness we went through. I thought this needs to be out in the open. I met Rishi Malhotra (he owns a digital streaming service) who said that I have a good sense of humour, which people don’t know about, and I need to have my own talk show. That’s how NoFilterNeha came about.

Was it easier for you to get celebrities on your show?
It’s never easy to get celebs. But I must say the first one was easier than the second. After the first season, celebrities who had seen it were like, ‘Hope we are not invited as there are tricky questions’. But trust me they are all brighter than me. They know how to swerve around them. Season 2 was more interesting as we used a different way of doing it and were fortunate enough to not repeat the guests. Everyone who was on my wishlist on season 1 and season 2 has appeared. If I have a third season, I definitely want Shah Rukh Khan to come because I want to have a conversation with that man on record.  

Talking about Shah Rukh Khan, you once made a statement, ‘Only SRK or sex sells in cinema’. Would you say the same now?
I think a lot of things are changing, but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that SRK and sex sell!

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; October 9, 2014)