Explore Bollywood's charm in an exclusive Lehren Retro interview as Chunky Panday reflects on his journey from 'Aag Hi Aag' to 'Housefull 5'. Join him as he shares heartwarming tales of family bonds and fun moments with industry legends like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Plus, Aakhri Pasta reveals his 37-year Lehren connection. Don't miss this podcast with Bharathi S Pradhan, exclusively on Lehren Retro & www.lehren.com.
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00:00:00My problem is that I can tie a rope but I can't untie it.
00:00:03I scored a very good number one and I'm screaming in the bathroom,
00:00:07someone untie my rope, someone untie my rope.
00:00:09No one is ready to help me.
00:00:11I'm so dirty.
00:00:13I mess up my room so much
00:00:16that the towel is here and there.
00:00:17Someone will throw me out of the house in a day.
00:00:21How do you feel as a father when you hear about her boyfriend?
00:00:26Are you alright about Aditya?
00:00:27You know, she talks about him openly.
00:00:30I mean, it's fine. I mean, I think she's 25.
00:00:32She's earning more money than I am right now.
00:00:35So, she's free to do what she wants to.
00:00:38How dare I tell her, my 25-year-old daughter.
00:00:42I'm a jerk.
00:00:44He's a Desi James Bond. He's got a license to thrill.
00:00:47Yeah.
00:00:47He can say anything and then say, I'm a jerk.
00:00:54Chunky, how come you're looking younger and younger
00:00:58and handsomer and handsomer?
00:00:59I'm born on Devanand's birthday.
00:01:02Devanand's birthday.
00:01:03Evergreen. Evergreen.
00:01:04Yeah, yeah. That's right.
00:01:06You shared the birthday with him.
00:01:07And then all these colourful shirts I wear.
00:01:10This works.
00:01:11But you really are looking nicer as you age.
00:01:14Thank you. Thank you.
00:01:16I'm flattered.
00:01:19Parthi, I'm blushing. I'm alright.
00:01:21I swim every day. So, that's why the tan.
00:01:23Oh, yes. At autos.
00:01:25That means, I take a bath four times a day.
00:01:28At least, you're a clean guy.
00:01:29I swim so much.
00:01:32No wonder you're a clean guy.
00:01:33Clean guy. Clean shit.
00:01:35Clean shit.
00:01:37Well, I realise...
00:01:38I'm clean on the outside but a little crooked on the inside.
00:01:41Even now?
00:01:42Like a dog's tail, it's crooked.
00:01:46Because I noticed you were quite a Casanova
00:01:48when we knew you at the beginning.
00:01:50We knew most of your friends also.
00:01:53Yes, I was a Casanova. I mean...
00:01:56Like every young guy, having a great time in life.
00:01:59Every young girl having a great time in life.
00:02:01I think we were all at that age.
00:02:03Tearful, carefree and lovely.
00:02:04But we had an advantage back then
00:02:06because mobile phones were not there.
00:02:08Yes.
00:02:08Nobody had a camera.
00:02:10Correct. No social media.
00:02:11No social media. No PAPs.
00:02:13No PAPs.
00:02:14So, even if we murder someone,
00:02:16we might get caught after three to four years.
00:02:19Yes.
00:02:20But I noticed after Bhavna, you have been grounded.
00:02:23I am married now.
00:02:27Bhavna is a good lion trainer.
00:02:32She is a good circus master.
00:02:33Well, Bhavna runs this house, so she is that.
00:02:36But I didn't notice that Casanova just kind of vanished.
00:02:39Yeah, I think I was a Casanova for too long.
00:02:42I got married at 35.
00:02:43That's a lot.
00:02:44So, you'd had enough.
00:02:46Had enough and...
00:02:47You know, it's not more than anything else.
00:02:50I think it showed me life
00:02:52and everyone should go through their own life,
00:02:54make their own mistakes.
00:02:55No regrets.
00:02:56Whatever I did,
00:02:57but Bhavna was one girl, when I met her,
00:03:00I think within the first one week, I knew I'm going to marry this girl.
00:03:03I don't know why.
00:03:04And I've never felt that for anyone.
00:03:07But maybe it's not the person,
00:03:09it's the time when you're ready to get married.
00:03:11And, yeah, I think I just got luckier.
00:03:15She's 12 years younger than me.
00:03:17I know.
00:03:18So, that's why I still look younger.
00:03:20Keeping up with Bhavna.
00:03:22Keeping up with Bhavna.
00:03:23Because even the heroes nowadays work with girls
00:03:25who are 12, 20 years younger than them.
00:03:27So, I said...
00:03:28So, you did that in your real life.
00:03:29I did that in my real life, so that I always look younger.
00:03:31I look Bhavna's age.
00:03:33Okay.
00:03:34Chunky, you know, you had...
00:03:36When you started in 1987,
00:03:40you went against your family profession
00:03:42because both your parents were doctors
00:03:44and you had no inclination of becoming even a compounder.
00:03:50If I had become a doctor, I would have become a common man in India.
00:03:54I would have killed so many people.
00:03:57But you were just not inclined, no?
00:03:59You were just not inclined.
00:04:00I tried.
00:04:01I tried very hard because mom was very clean.
00:04:05Not clean.
00:04:06Clear and keen that I become a doctor.
00:04:10Because there was a lot of pressure.
00:04:11I mean, all relatives, friends used to ask me,
00:04:13will you become a surgeon like your dad
00:04:16or will you become a doctor like your mom?
00:04:17So, there was pressure on me,
00:04:19pressure on mom also.
00:04:20So, she was very keen,
00:04:22but I was like a full MBBF metric.
00:04:24I failed again and again.
00:04:25PhD, passed high school with difficulty.
00:04:28So, I was getting the same doctor's degrees.
00:04:31I wasn't getting anything else.
00:04:32So, I did try.
00:04:34So, that's why they say,
00:04:35when you go into your parents' profession,
00:04:38people think it's a cakewalk, but it's not.
00:04:41Very few people manage to get into their parents' profession
00:04:44and succeed at it.
00:04:45So, yeah, I was a full flop doctor.
00:04:48And then, after 3-4 years,
00:04:51after getting a lot of pappad,
00:04:53I got films too.
00:04:55So, I trained for it. You know that.
00:04:56Yeah, yeah, of course, of course, yeah.
00:04:58But I'm really surprised that you became an actor,
00:05:01the first in the family to become an actor.
00:05:04Yes, yeah.
00:05:05And you spawned an entire film family.
00:05:07I mean, like I said, you're the Dharmendra
00:05:09and you're the Prithviraj Kapoor of this,
00:05:14you know, of the Pandey family.
00:05:16Of the Pandey family.
00:05:17Founder member.
00:05:18Well, it started with, I was always Dr. Pandey's son.
00:05:21Then I became Ananya Pandey's father.
00:05:24And now I'm Bhavna Pandey's husband.
00:05:26Soon I'll be Ahaan Pandey's uncle.
00:05:30I'm already Alana Pandey's uncle.
00:05:32And then, of course, there's a Raisa Pandey left.
00:05:34Yes, yes, that's right.
00:05:36So, yeah, and the one who bats in the end
00:05:39hits the most sixes. So, there you go.
00:05:41That's right.
00:05:42So, I'm lucky I've been surrounded with a lot of talent all my life.
00:05:45So, I didn't have to work very hard.
00:05:48But you were just talking about how it's not very easy
00:05:50to come into your parents' profession.
00:05:52It's tough.
00:05:53How? But you have set up this family
00:05:55where everybody's now coming into your profession.
00:05:56Into my profession.
00:05:58Well, yeah, I guess.
00:06:00But, you know, if I think of it,
00:06:01if I look at my daughter also, Ananya,
00:06:03if I wasn't an actor,
00:06:05still, if Ananya was born here,
00:06:08she would have still been an actor.
00:06:10It's not because of the influence around her?
00:06:13She was...
00:06:14There are so many young kids, man,
00:06:16in India who want to dance in front of mirrors,
00:06:19want to dance at birthdays,
00:06:20who want to be actors.
00:06:21Everyone dreams.
00:06:23Our children also dream.
00:06:24I mean, I see Ananya's baby videos.
00:06:26She always wanted to be an actor in front of the camera.
00:06:28She always wanted to. I remember, Rajkumar.
00:06:30And it's not that she was watching...
00:06:33She's hardly been on my sets.
00:06:36Once, I think I took her abroad for a shooting.
00:06:39And she never came to my set in Mumbai.
00:06:41So, but she had that whole keeda of being an actor.
00:06:44Raisa was very different, Raisa.
00:06:46Never wanted to come in front of the camera.
00:06:48So, yeah, I guess it's that, you know,
00:06:50it's that hunger
00:06:52to be an actor which really makes you an actor.
00:06:55Then it's a lot of permutation, combination and luck,
00:06:57as you know.
00:06:58And hard work.
00:06:59I never imagined, I mean,
00:07:01my first film, You Were There, Bharti,
00:07:03when it premiered in the metro,
00:07:05Andhiyar.
00:07:06And I never thought that the film would be a hit
00:07:08and I'd become an actor, I'd get accepted.
00:07:11And, you know, recently, I posted on Instagram
00:07:14that in 1992, when we were shooting Saath Samundar Paar
00:07:18in Nairobi,
00:07:20not in my wildest dreams, I thought that, you know,
00:07:24after so many years,
00:07:26my daughter will perform this at the Zee Cine Awards.
00:07:29The same song.
00:07:30The same song.
00:07:31So, you know, when I saw it, I had tears in my eyes
00:07:33and, you know, I had goosebumps.
00:07:36So, it's a lot of nostalgia and...
00:07:40But I'm also a very nervous father.
00:07:42Oh, you are?
00:07:42Of course, I am.
00:07:43Like every father who's got daughters,
00:07:46I'm always paranoid.
00:07:49I'm a little nervous.
00:07:51Not for them as much as if they ever have boyfriends,
00:07:54what they'll do to them.
00:07:55But they do have.
00:07:56Yeah, but I feel bad for them because
00:07:59I've spoiled them so much, pampered them so much,
00:08:02given them so much love that, you know,
00:08:03I think they would expect that from anyone else.
00:08:07Yeah, I guess.
00:08:08But how do you feel as a father
00:08:11when you hear about her boyfriend
00:08:14Are you all right about Aditya?
00:08:15And, you know, she talks about him openly.
00:08:17I mean, it's fine.
00:08:18I mean, I think she's 25.
00:08:20She's earning more money than I am right now.
00:08:23So, she's free to do what she wants to.
00:08:26How dare I tell her, my 25-year-old daughter,
00:08:30that you have a boyfriend?
00:08:32I mean, I can understand if she was 14 years old or something.
00:08:35I could interfere, but no, no, she's...
00:08:37But what kind of relationship do you have with her
00:08:41in the sense, does she feel free to talk to you about her friends?
00:08:45No, I think both my girls are very close to Bhavna.
00:08:48Okay.
00:08:49Very, very close. Of course, papa is there.
00:08:51And whenever they need something, papa calls.
00:08:54But otherwise, they're very, very close to their mother.
00:08:57And, of course, Bhavna is closer to their age.
00:09:02So, yeah, they're very close to her.
00:09:05So, they tell her, they discuss everything with her.
00:09:07I think so, yeah. I think they discuss a lot.
00:09:09But I'm always there if my advice is needed.
00:09:12As to coming to film advice for my kids,
00:09:16you know, I've been to Ananya especially.
00:09:18Sometimes I feel there's a lot of conflict
00:09:21because I'm from the old school.
00:09:22I love commercial cinema.
00:09:25That's right.
00:09:25And my biggest fight with Ananya is that,
00:09:28baby, you need to do commercial cinema.
00:09:30Right.
00:09:30I'll do it, but first let me establish myself as an actor.
00:09:34But we never thought of all that.
00:09:36Yeah, it was totally different.
00:09:38I think the kids now think differently.
00:09:41You know, nowadays I've seen less is more.
00:09:43In our times, it was more is more, always.
00:09:46Also, you know, it's a question of attention.
00:09:48Because you were new to this industry,
00:09:51you liked the attention at the beginning.
00:09:54But here, they don't even like the attention.
00:09:56Because they are so used to it from the time they're born,
00:10:00that you even find them a little getting irritated with the paparazzi,
00:10:04a little media attention.
00:10:07But you didn't.
00:10:08I don't think Ananya went through that.
00:10:10Because Ananya, when a lot of people,
00:10:13when her announcement came,
00:10:14people didn't know Chunky Pandey had a daughter.
00:10:17Oh, okay.
00:10:18So, it was like that.
00:10:18I mean, you knew because you knew us,
00:10:20but no one outside had ever seen her pictures
00:10:22because Instagram was just coming up at that time.
00:10:24Okay.
00:10:24So, we were not posting.
00:10:26And the pap culture was just starting at that time.
00:10:28In fact, it kicked off when she kind of got into movies.
00:10:33So, she didn't see all that.
00:10:35Okay.
00:10:36And it's not that we kept her protected or anything,
00:10:38but they were not exposed.
00:10:42Of course, there were a lot of film friends.
00:10:43I mean, it's like Shah Rukh's family is like our family.
00:10:47The kids were so close, Sanjay's kids.
00:10:50So, but there was never any exposure as such.
00:10:53Right.
00:10:54So, yeah, but now it's different.
00:10:56Now I see kids are so famous
00:10:59and the paps want to take their pictures all the time.
00:11:01But don't you think there's a whole difference
00:11:03between how you were when you started?
00:11:06And, you know, you came in wanting the attention,
00:11:09the glamour, the covers, etc.
00:11:11But now this generation that comes in,
00:11:13they're not interested in any of it.
00:11:14No, I don't think so.
00:11:16They're not telling me.
00:11:18Because I'll tell you something.
00:11:19Once, someone was taking my photos and autographs
00:11:23and someone was standing next to me.
00:11:25And he was asking me,
00:11:26you're giving so many photos, signing autographs,
00:11:28aren't you getting irritated?
00:11:30I said, look, brother,
00:11:31the day this closes,
00:11:33then I'll get irritated.
00:11:35So, as long as people recognize me, I want to enjoy it.
00:11:38No, of course, listen, I think
00:11:40the biggest thing for an actor, a star,
00:11:42is when people don't recognize them.
00:11:44Recognition is the most important thing.
00:11:46So, I don't believe it.
00:11:47I mean, you're saying it, but I mean,
00:11:49obviously, you know, sometimes when you're
00:11:51you're not in the right clothes
00:11:52or you're shooting and someone is intruding,
00:11:55anyone gets irritated.
00:11:56So, I guess if an actor has been caught at that time,
00:11:59but most or whatever actors I've seen,
00:12:02I think 99.9 percent,
00:12:04all of them are very cool about,
00:12:05you know, being photographed.
00:12:06If you just need to get them in the right mood,
00:12:09you can't get them on the wrong foot.
00:12:12Okay.
00:12:12So, it's not like this new generation is
00:12:15glassy about it and they don't want the attention.
00:12:17They are too smart.
00:12:18And they don't need anything.
00:12:20They don't need the press because they have Instagram.
00:12:23Today, if you see all the articles
00:12:25are being picked up from Instagram.
00:12:26That's right.
00:12:27There's no journalism being reported.
00:12:29There is no journalism.
00:12:30I want to write something.
00:12:31I want news out there.
00:12:32I put it on Instagram.
00:12:33Yeah.
00:12:34So, that way the traditional media has died.
00:12:36It's gone.
00:12:36You can control news what you want to.
00:12:38And of course, then you have all the new film critics
00:12:40that have come in.
00:12:42The YouTubers who are having such a blast.
00:12:44That's true.
00:12:44So, it has got its plus points and minus points.
00:12:46Like in our times,
00:12:47we could do anything, get away.
00:12:49Now, these guys can't even sneeze
00:12:50because someone will capture it on a
00:12:53mobile phone and post it straight.
00:12:55So, there is no asking you also.
00:12:57That's right.
00:12:58It's gone.
00:12:59So, yeah, it's got its plus and minus points.
00:13:01But I think overall, it's great.
00:13:02It's a great tool, social media.
00:13:04If you use it properly,
00:13:06it can make you a superstar.
00:13:08I've seen it.
00:13:09Ananya did a film on this, isn't it?
00:13:11Yes, Kho Gaya.
00:13:12I think that was one of her best films so far.
00:13:15And her performance also.
00:13:17I thought it was wonderful.
00:13:17I was surprised when I saw the film.
00:13:19Yeah.
00:13:19Because, you know,
00:13:20I'm not that social media savvy.
00:13:23But when I saw the picture
00:13:24and I saw how youngsters are,
00:13:27it's become their life.
00:13:29I mean, no one is going to Goa or Spain.
00:13:31Yeah.
00:13:32They want to be on Instagram in Bombay.
00:13:34Yes, yes.
00:13:35Or in India.
00:13:36That's right.
00:13:37So, I was quite shocked
00:13:38because there was not a noun
00:13:40of Ananya in that character.
00:13:41Yes.
00:13:42But still, I could identify with her.
00:13:43I could identify with the boys.
00:13:45And it was a nice,
00:13:46a very good story.
00:13:47That's right, yeah.
00:13:48I'm proud of her.
00:13:49Do you watch all of them?
00:13:50Then I say, I rest my case
00:13:52because, yes, you should do films like this also.
00:13:54Okay.
00:13:56I like it a lot, you know,
00:13:57when people come and say like,
00:13:58Ananya was very good in that film.
00:14:00In fact, I must confess
00:14:01that when success came to me,
00:14:04I was too busy.
00:14:06I didn't know what was happening.
00:14:07I was doing three, three films,
00:14:09shooting three, three films a day.
00:14:10That's right.
00:14:11But with her,
00:14:12okay, I'm more laid back now
00:14:14and I can't tell you,
00:14:16it's such a proud moment
00:14:18and there's so much happiness.
00:14:19Yeah.
00:14:19Just to see her
00:14:20achieving a few milestones,
00:14:22whatever she has to.
00:14:23Again, success is a very relative word.
00:14:25You know, you can't compare.
00:14:26Yes.
00:14:27But, you know, anything nice happening
00:14:28and I want to see my kids happy.
00:14:31That's right.
00:14:31And doing well.
00:14:32Safe, healthy, important.
00:14:34Doing well, of course, any parent does.
00:14:35Yeah.
00:14:36But then again, film industry,
00:14:37no formula.
00:14:38Anything can happen.
00:14:39That's true.
00:14:40That's true.
00:14:41What is your proudest moment
00:14:43of Ananya's career?
00:14:45For you, the proud moment.
00:14:47So far.
00:14:48I think the proud moment
00:14:49was when she got her first film
00:14:51and she decided to do it.
00:14:54And she was called by
00:14:57Puneet and Karan for an audition.
00:15:00I think they found her looking very young
00:15:02the first time.
00:15:02Then again, she went for an audition
00:15:05and she got the film
00:15:06and she also got into
00:15:09New York and L.A. colleges
00:15:11where she got an admission.
00:15:12Right.
00:15:12So, there was a lot of pressure on the family.
00:15:14Will you be sending her to study?
00:15:15Because, you know.
00:15:16Yeah.
00:15:16That's what people expect.
00:15:17That the kids will study and come
00:15:19and then do something.
00:15:19That's right.
00:15:20She was very clear.
00:15:21She says, Dad,
00:15:22even if I go and come back,
00:15:23I will become an actor.
00:15:24I will become an actor.
00:15:25Let me do it now.
00:15:26So, I kept her admission
00:15:28in the college for six months.
00:15:29I paid some $500
00:15:30in capital advice.
00:15:31Who knows?
00:15:32Yeah.
00:15:33You know, if she doesn't work,
00:15:34she can go and study
00:15:35and then do something in her life.
00:15:37But, so that was a proud moment for me
00:15:39because she got it by herself.
00:15:40Right.
00:15:41And she took this decision by herself.
00:15:42Right.
00:15:43It was not Bhavna.
00:15:44It was not me.
00:15:45Okay.
00:15:45Ananya, at the age of 18,
00:15:47took that decision.
00:15:48That I will do this.
00:15:49Okay.
00:15:49And that actually made me proud
00:15:50because
00:15:52somewhere I knew that
00:15:54even if it doesn't work,
00:15:55she will never blame us.
00:15:56She will take everything on herself.
00:15:58That's what I felt.
00:15:59She was so determined.
00:16:00Right.
00:16:01So, somewhere she knew that
00:16:02I will make it and I will do it.
00:16:03So, you need this confidence in children.
00:16:05Yeah.
00:16:05Because I remember meeting Ananya
00:16:07at that time
00:16:07when she had applied
00:16:08for various universities.
00:16:10And I asked her,
00:16:11where are you going?
00:16:12And she said,
00:16:12I am going nowhere.
00:16:13I am going to become an actor.
00:16:15She just said it so clearly.
00:16:17There was just no ambiguity there.
00:16:19So, she has been very clear.
00:16:21Very clear.
00:16:21She was just in no doubt at all.
00:16:23I am going to be an actor.
00:16:24She just told me that.
00:16:25I am telling you,
00:16:26if she wouldn't have been born in my house
00:16:28but somewhere else,
00:16:29she would still be an actor.
00:16:29You would still be an actor.
00:16:30Okay.
00:16:33Chunky, going back in your life,
00:16:35how did Suyash Pandey become Chunky?
00:16:38Chunky Pandey.
00:16:39Okay. So, when I was born,
00:16:42my mother called me Ajay.
00:16:43Ajay?
00:16:44Yeah.
00:16:45But my grandfather named,
00:16:47my grandfather named me Suyash.
00:16:49Su means good.
00:16:50Yash means success.
00:16:51Right.
00:16:52But tough name.
00:16:53I mean, not easy.
00:16:54Yeah.
00:16:56The person who named me was Kiran,
00:16:57my cousin.
00:16:58Your cousin.
00:16:58My sister.
00:16:59My older sister.
00:17:00Yeah.
00:17:01So, I don't know,
00:17:01she just kept calling me.
00:17:02She used to play,
00:17:03I mean, she was obviously,
00:17:04I was in her Godi all the time
00:17:05and she'd keep calling me Chunky, Chunky
00:17:07and I'd like laugh at her
00:17:08and smile at her.
00:17:09I must have hardly been
00:17:10two, three months old.
00:17:11Okay.
00:17:11And that name stuck.
00:17:13This is Seema's mother.
00:17:14Seema's mother.
00:17:14Yeah, Seema's mother.
00:17:16So, Seema's been born in front of me.
00:17:17Okay, right.
00:17:18And I've been born in front of
00:17:19Seema's mother.
00:17:20Seema's mother, yeah.
00:17:21So, yeah.
00:17:21So, she's my first cousin.
00:17:25Because I used to also wonder.
00:17:26First, I thought my maid had named me
00:17:28because mom and dad said,
00:17:29we didn't call you Chunky.
00:17:31And see, I met Kiran recently
00:17:32at Bhau Beach.
00:17:33She had come home for Tikka.
00:17:35And she told me that
00:17:36I am the one who named you.
00:17:37So, there you are.
00:17:38Okay, so there.
00:17:38Okay, and it's stuck.
00:17:40It's just stuck, yeah.
00:17:41But not in school
00:17:42because my school friends
00:17:43still call me Suyash.
00:17:44Okay.
00:17:45I was a little embarrassed
00:17:46with Chunky.
00:17:47I said, what's the name of Chunky?
00:17:48In school, they called me Suyash, Suyash.
00:17:50And now you're comfortable
00:17:51with the name?
00:17:52Love Chunky.
00:17:52In fact, when I got my first film
00:17:54with Pailaj Nilani,
00:17:55they also said,
00:17:56what's the name of Chunky?
00:17:58We'll give you a good
00:17:59religious, mythological name
00:18:01because he just launched Govinda.
00:18:03So, I said, okay,
00:18:04what name will we give you?
00:18:05They said, Chandratma,
00:18:06something like that.
00:18:07Oh my God.
00:18:08I said, luckily,
00:18:10they had kids then.
00:18:11They said, no, no, dad,
00:18:12Chunky is a good name.
00:18:13Okay, thank God.
00:18:15Imagine you being called
00:18:16Chandratma or something.
00:18:17Chandratma.
00:18:18Vishwatma Chandratma.
00:18:20And Pandey,
00:18:21how come you spell it
00:18:22with an AY?
00:18:23Because most people
00:18:24spell it with an EY.
00:18:25Yeah, I think,
00:18:26I think it was some
00:18:27clerical error.
00:18:29No, but in fact,
00:18:30if I remember correctly,
00:18:31the old film,
00:18:34not film directory,
00:18:35the normal directory
00:18:35which used to come
00:18:36in the days of the landline,
00:18:38I always used to look for it.
00:18:39So, everyone was either
00:18:40P A N D E
00:18:42or P A N D E Y.
00:18:44And the only,
00:18:45there were only 10 P A N D A Ys.
00:18:47All nine were Parsis.
00:18:48We were the only non-Parsis.
00:18:51So, it's actually a
00:18:52Parsi way of spelling it.
00:18:55And my grandfather did it.
00:18:56And then,
00:18:57you know, my father.
00:18:58And they were from UP.
00:18:59From UP, yeah.
00:19:00No, but my grandfather
00:19:01was born in Mumbai.
00:19:02So, we are from Mumbai.
00:19:04Your grandfather,
00:19:05your dad,
00:19:06everyone's born here.
00:19:08This is everything.
00:19:09So, yeah, they spelled it D A Y.
00:19:11So, it's just followed.
00:19:13Even though Bhavna
00:19:14spells it D E Y,
00:19:15I don't know why.
00:19:15Why?
00:19:16I don't know.
00:19:17I must ask her.
00:19:18Yeah, I'm surprised.
00:19:18I think it's numerology.
00:19:20There must be something to it.
00:19:21I have to find out.
00:19:22I didn't ask her.
00:19:24On Instagram, I noticed that day.
00:19:25I said, yeah, spelling is wrong.
00:19:26I'm sure.
00:19:27Even I didn't know.
00:19:28She must have not got D A Y.
00:19:30So, she must have made it D E Y.
00:19:31Probably, yeah.
00:19:33But Ananya spells it with an E Y.
00:19:34Yeah, yeah.
00:19:37You were talking about numerology.
00:19:39I wanted to ask you,
00:19:40you believe a lot in Guruji.
00:19:42There is a Guruji
00:19:43we see in your Mandir.
00:19:45Yes, I mean,
00:19:46but it's got nothing to do
00:19:47with numerology.
00:19:48Of course.
00:19:49So, Guruji,
00:19:51Bhavna is a big follower of Guruji
00:19:53and now our whole family
00:19:54is a big follower of Guruji.
00:19:55He's brought a lot of peace,
00:19:57prosperity to our house
00:19:59and I've been to his Bade Mandir,
00:20:02Bade Mandir in Delhi.
00:20:04He's got a Chota Mandir here
00:20:06in Bombay
00:20:07and it's an experience.
00:20:10Yeah, you have to feel him.
00:20:11It's a beautiful feeling.
00:20:13But that means you are
00:20:14religiously inclined
00:20:15or spiritually inclined?
00:20:18I think both somewhere, yeah.
00:20:20Okay.
00:20:21You are?
00:20:22Of course.
00:20:24How has that helped you?
00:20:25It's obvious.
00:20:26How has that helped you?
00:20:27Oh, you're wearing a locket.
00:20:29Yeah, I don't know.
00:20:29It's like,
00:20:31I think it,
00:20:33how does it help me?
00:20:33I mean, coming from a family
00:20:35of two doctors,
00:20:35my parents were not that religious
00:20:38because, you know,
00:20:39normally doctors are not.
00:20:41They are very science-oriented
00:20:43and trying to do this thing.
00:20:44But I think Bhavna is the one
00:20:46who influenced me.
00:20:47So when Bhavna came into my life,
00:20:50she got me into this whole thing of
00:20:53Guruji.
00:20:54Not Guruji, just spirituality,
00:20:57religion and, you know,
00:20:59being from Delhi
00:20:59and she was always a,
00:21:02okay, I was always a Mata believer
00:21:04and always wore a Mata locket.
00:21:06But I think I got more into it
00:21:07after marriage with Bhavna.
00:21:09Okay.
00:21:09She kind of bought it into my life.
00:21:11Because she does puja
00:21:12and she's got a little Mandir.
00:21:13Yeah, she's got a nice little Mandir.
00:21:15Nice big little Mandir, I would say.
00:21:18Very powerful Mandir.
00:21:19Okay, that's nice.
00:21:21Can that do your children?
00:21:22Ganpati ji was brought to a house
00:21:24by Ananya
00:21:25because she kept this thing
00:21:26that I'm going to keep Ganpati.
00:21:28But yeah, it's been more Bhavna.
00:21:30Okay.
00:21:31You know, Chunky,
00:21:32in most of these
00:21:34traditional film families,
00:21:35for instance, the Kapoors,
00:21:37when Karishma came in,
00:21:39she had a very rough time
00:21:40because her people didn't want her
00:21:42to become an actor.
00:21:43I mean, at that time.
00:21:43Who didn't want her?
00:21:44Dapu didn't want her to become an actor.
00:21:46Dapu didn't want her to?
00:21:47At that time, at that time.
00:21:49Imagine if we didn't have a Lolo
00:21:50in our film.
00:21:50Imagine, yeah.
00:21:52But she had a rough time
00:21:53because nobody wanted
00:21:54from the Kapoor family,
00:21:55the girls don't come become actors.
00:21:57She was the first one?
00:21:58She was the first one.
00:21:59So, they kind of had a problem.
00:22:02She had a problem,
00:22:02but of course,
00:22:03by the time it came to Bebo,
00:22:04there was no problem.
00:22:05Correct.
00:22:06And then they had this thing
00:22:07that their Bahus don't act.
00:22:09But then now,
00:22:10little, little now with Alia Bhatt,
00:22:12there, you know,
00:22:12even that has changed.
00:22:14And then, you know,
00:22:15Riddhima never acted.
00:22:17Now, even Riddhima now
00:22:18has come into Bollywood Wives.
00:22:20She's there on the show, yes.
00:22:21So, you know,
00:22:22we see the generations
00:22:24changing in the Kapoors.
00:22:26The way their entire mentality
00:22:28has changed.
00:22:29Did you have to go
00:22:30through that change
00:22:31or were you always cool
00:22:32about what your daughters
00:22:33wanted to do?
00:22:34No, no.
00:22:35200 percent.
00:22:36I mean,
00:22:36the kids should do
00:22:37what they feel is best
00:22:38because you can't force them
00:22:40into a profession.
00:22:40You being a Bombay boy,
00:22:41I think you had no such problem.
00:22:42No, I'll never have.
00:22:43And I think kids always,
00:22:45but you're talking about olden,
00:22:47I mean, you know,
00:22:47much this thing.
00:22:48I think things have changed
00:22:49so much now.
00:22:50And today you can't tell kids
00:22:52what to do, yeah.
00:22:52Kids will tell you
00:22:53what you should do.
00:22:55But of course,
00:22:56I can understand.
00:22:57I mean,
00:22:58in those days,
00:22:59it was very different.
00:23:00I mean, if you come
00:23:00through the generations
00:23:01and no,
00:23:02I've been super proud
00:23:03and I'm hoping my younger one also
00:23:05does something exciting,
00:23:06which she will.
00:23:07What does Raisa want to do?
00:23:08Well, she wants to do many things.
00:23:09She's a very good singer.
00:23:11She wants to make movies
00:23:14and you never know.
00:23:15What's she doing in New York?
00:23:16What's she studying?
00:23:17She's studying.
00:23:18She's studying to be a film director
00:23:20or an ad filmmaker.
00:23:22But she's in that zone.
00:23:23Okay.
00:23:24She likes to be behind the camera.
00:23:26Okay.
00:23:27So she's not inclined to be an actor.
00:23:29Now it looks like she'll push
00:23:30in front of the camera.
00:23:33No, but they should do,
00:23:34you know,
00:23:35kids have to,
00:23:36it has to come from within.
00:23:37Yeah.
00:23:38Because if it doesn't come
00:23:39from within,
00:23:40it can never succeed.
00:23:41Yeah.
00:23:42Chanki, you made a couple of mistakes
00:23:45because you were not very savvy
00:23:47about the film industry.
00:23:48You were the first person
00:23:50and so you had a few setbacks
00:23:52in your career, etc.
00:23:53Lots of mistakes.
00:23:54But...
00:23:55But I remember when I came into films,
00:23:57people talk about nepotism.
00:23:59So I remember people used to say,
00:24:02Rekha recommended him
00:24:04because Rekha was a very good friend
00:24:05of my mother.
00:24:06Correct.
00:24:06Rekha recommended him
00:24:08and that's how he got his first film.
00:24:09Okay.
00:24:10Rekha met Pehlaji
00:24:11for the first time
00:24:12at the premiere of our film.
00:24:15But still people used to say that.
00:24:16Correct.
00:24:16And I still remember
00:24:17I had an interview with Tapasumji.
00:24:20And there Tapasumji
00:24:22had talked about nepotism in 1988.
00:24:24He had used the word nepotism.
00:24:26But he was just saying,
00:24:27you have come now,
00:24:28but at such a time
00:24:30when more star kids have come.
00:24:31Because Sanjay Dutt had just come,
00:24:32Sunny Deol had just arrived.
00:24:34Yes.
00:24:34So how are you feeling, you know?
00:24:36And I said,
00:24:37I am feeling very good.
00:24:38In fact, they are such nice people
00:24:39because, you know,
00:24:41kids from film families
00:24:43are extremely well behaved.
00:24:45Okay.
00:24:46Have you seen?
00:24:47I mean,
00:24:48the stars I have worked with
00:24:49from film families,
00:24:50the kids are very polite.
00:24:52They know the tempo of the industry,
00:24:55the way it works.
00:24:56Okay.
00:24:57So there is never a tantrum to them.
00:24:59Okay.
00:25:00I have noticed it with star kids.
00:25:02Because you have worked with Sunny
00:25:04and Sanju and all of them.
00:25:05Extremely cool.
00:25:06Extremely confident,
00:25:08cool,
00:25:09not insecure at all.
00:25:11I mean, they were brilliant to work with.
00:25:13Okay.
00:25:13So, of course,
00:25:14I started my career with Dharamji,
00:25:16super hit film,
00:25:17Aagiyaag,
00:25:18then again followed it up with Sunny,
00:25:20my next film.
00:25:20So I have worked with the whole family.
00:25:22Yes.
00:25:22I have worked with Bobby also
00:25:23when I was full four.
00:25:24Yeah.
00:25:24I think the Deols have been very lucky for me.
00:25:27But they were brilliant,
00:25:28I mean,
00:25:28and it's been happening,
00:25:30it's been there.
00:25:32Father,
00:25:33sons,
00:25:34mothers,
00:25:34daughters,
00:25:35it's...
00:25:36It's been brilliant.
00:25:37And
00:25:38it's...
00:25:39It should be this way only.
00:25:41So,
00:25:42considering some of the mistakes you made,
00:25:44did you caution Ananya about any of them?
00:25:48So, I have always told her,
00:25:51never overestimate anyone.
00:25:54Because if
00:25:56he made a hit film with someone else,
00:25:58it's not necessary he will make it with you also.
00:26:00Okay.
00:26:01And don't underestimate anyone.
00:26:03If someone is going through a low phase,
00:26:04then don't write him off.
00:26:06Give everyone an equal playing field.
00:26:08Take that decision yourself.
00:26:10Okay.
00:26:10That you should really want to do this subject
00:26:12or be in this film.
00:26:13Don't go by reputation.
00:26:14Yeah.
00:26:14Of course, reputation is important.
00:26:16Yeah.
00:26:17But don't write off a person with a hit and a flop
00:26:19because anything can happen in this industry.
00:26:21Yeah.
00:26:21One Friday can change.
00:26:23Everything changes.
00:26:23You have seen it, Barkha.
00:26:24You have seen it.
00:26:24I have seen it so much.
00:26:26So, that's the only thing.
00:26:26And I have always told her,
00:26:27be well-mannered.
00:26:29And even today, wherever I go,
00:26:30when people tell me,
00:26:31you met your daughter
00:26:32and she is so well-mannered.
00:26:33For me, that's the proudest feeling.
00:26:35Right.
00:26:35That my children,
00:26:37at least what we taught them,
00:26:38to be mannerful to people.
00:26:39Yeah.
00:26:40That's, you know,
00:26:41that's the best a parent can do for the child.
00:26:44That's right.
00:26:44Is teach good manners.
00:26:45Yeah, yeah.
00:26:47Like my father always told me, he said,
00:26:50what you can afford,
00:26:52expect that from your producer.
00:26:54What you can't afford,
00:26:55don't expect him to give you that.
00:26:57Like if you fly in business class,
00:26:58don't expect him to give you a first class ticket.
00:27:00My father always told me that.
00:27:01You used to practice that for a long time.
00:27:03I still do.
00:27:04Yeah.
00:27:04I have a lifestyle
00:27:07and that's the lifestyle I expect.
00:27:08Right.
00:27:09So, I've never asked for anything more
00:27:12because I'm going on someone else's expense.
00:27:14Yeah.
00:27:14Because I noticed that,
00:27:16I remember at one time,
00:27:17he used to tell me,
00:27:18I buy, I fly business class
00:27:20and even if our friends' children
00:27:22are flying first class,
00:27:23when all of you used to go
00:27:24for your holidays together.
00:27:25Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:27:26We used to say,
00:27:27we are going business class, that's it.
00:27:29I'm not going to be,
00:27:30you know, just trying to be like the others.
00:27:32It's not trying.
00:27:33I mean, you have to,
00:27:34it's not, no one's trying.
00:27:35I mean, people,
00:27:36you can fly what you can afford.
00:27:38I mean, it's,
00:27:39people have charter planes.
00:27:41Yes.
00:27:41People fly first class.
00:27:42Now, fast first class has stopped.
00:27:44I know.
00:27:45When I can finally afford it,
00:27:46it's shut.
00:27:48Dirty shit.
00:27:49It's not,
00:27:49I would love to sit in first class.
00:27:51You know, Ananya has to say,
00:27:52dad, I want to sit in first class.
00:27:54I said, you sit when you can afford it.
00:27:56When you can afford it.
00:27:57Now, she can.
00:27:58Now, you need chartered flights.
00:28:00Now, it's no longer.
00:28:01No, no, no.
00:28:01She's very happy with,
00:28:02if there's no first class in India,
00:28:04I think besides Emirates,
00:28:06no one else is flying first class.
00:28:08That's true.
00:28:08That's true.
00:28:09Yeah, yeah.
00:28:09But I did notice this about you.
00:28:11For all your, you know,
00:28:13I find you very grounded
00:28:14in a lot of ways.
00:28:16Am I?
00:28:17Yes.
00:28:18I think I'm stupid.
00:28:19Oh, why?
00:28:20I may be grounded, but I'm,
00:28:22I don't know,
00:28:22till now, I think
00:28:23there's a little child in me
00:28:24that's not died yet.
00:28:26And I feel that should never die
00:28:28because all actors should,
00:28:30you know, it's,
00:28:30of course, people are sharp.
00:28:32I'm not that sharp,
00:28:33but I just like to keep my innocence
00:28:35and, you know, be as,
00:28:37as young as possible.
00:28:39That's the only thing
00:28:40that'll keep me going.
00:28:40But you're a very good businessman,
00:28:41I've noticed.
00:28:42You think so?
00:28:42Yes.
00:28:43I mean, the kind of properties
00:28:45you have invested in and.
00:28:46I've been lucky.
00:28:47You've been lucky.
00:28:49Okay.
00:28:50You used to call yourself
00:28:51a big miser at one time.
00:28:52You made the maximum jokes
00:28:54about your own miser.
00:28:54My own miser, yeah.
00:28:56It should be good jokes to make.
00:28:57Good jokes.
00:28:58Yes, yes.
00:28:59And I used to feel left out.
00:29:00No one talks about me.
00:29:01Let's become a miser
00:29:03so that a few people
00:29:04make jokes about me.
00:29:06But I've noticed
00:29:07you're not really a miser.
00:29:09You think?
00:29:10I'm Pennywise Poundfoolish.
00:29:12Okay.
00:29:13But I'm not.
00:29:14I was just like that.
00:29:15What used to happen in those days,
00:29:17everyone used to smoke
00:29:19and everyone had to quit smoking.
00:29:20Yes.
00:29:21So what used to happen was
00:29:22no one brought cigarettes
00:29:23for the shooting.
00:29:24Yes.
00:29:25Okay, I didn't want to quit smoking
00:29:26so I used to bring it.
00:29:28So everyone used to break
00:29:29on my packet.
00:29:30So I used to finish 4-6 packets
00:29:32in a day
00:29:33because everyone used to quit.
00:29:34Give me one.
00:29:35So after that I started
00:29:37not to give cigarettes to anyone.
00:29:39That's how I became a miser.
00:29:40Okay.
00:29:41But I did something
00:29:42to save people's lives
00:29:43by not giving them cigarettes.
00:29:45So what I used to do was
00:29:48I used to keep two packets.
00:29:49I used to put one cigarette in one packet
00:29:51and I used to tell the spot boy
00:29:53to keep the full packet in his pocket.
00:29:54When I asked for it,
00:29:55he used to give me
00:29:56the single cigarette packet
00:29:58so that no one else would ask.
00:29:59Okay.
00:30:00Because every day
00:30:01everyone used to go for the shooting.
00:30:03Because everyone had quit smoking.
00:30:05It was a great fad those days.
00:30:06We quit smoking.
00:30:07If you are a miser and quit smoking,
00:30:08then don't smoke.
00:30:10That's true.
00:30:11So that is how it started.
00:30:12Okay.
00:30:13Otherwise, no, I am not.
00:30:14Yeah, you are not.
00:30:15Because I also know one thing
00:30:17that when, you know,
00:30:17you and all your friends,
00:30:19Shah Rukh and the whole lot of you
00:30:20when you go out,
00:30:21when you've been going out
00:30:22for holidays.
00:30:23Yeah, yeah.
00:30:24I know you are one person
00:30:25who never went and stayed
00:30:26in anybody's house.
00:30:27You used to book yourself
00:30:28into a hotel and stay.
00:30:30Isn't that true?
00:30:31Whether it's Dubai or wherever?
00:30:32I mean, yeah, I mean, of course.
00:30:34But I think Bhavna and all
00:30:36have all stayed with all of them.
00:30:38I mean, they've stayed
00:30:38With Shah Rukh's house.
00:30:39Shah Rukh's house in London
00:30:40and in Dubai.
00:30:42But I've also stayed there
00:30:45a couple of times.
00:30:46But yeah, of course,
00:30:47I'd like to stay in a hotel.
00:30:48I like to stay in hotels
00:30:49because it's not because
00:30:51I would love to stay
00:30:51in someone's house,
00:30:52but I am so dirty.
00:30:54I mess up my room so much
00:30:56that the towel is here and there.
00:30:58That someone will throw me out
00:30:59of the house in a day,
00:31:02including my own house.
00:31:03So I have to be in a place
00:31:04where they do housekeeping
00:31:05twice a day.
00:31:07I'm not dirty as to…
00:31:08I mean, I love messing up a place.
00:31:10So, yeah, I try not to stay
00:31:12with people.
00:31:13But I've stayed in their houses.
00:31:14And he's got a lovely house
00:31:16in London,
00:31:17got a lovely house in Dubai.
00:31:18And I'm so proud of him
00:31:19because I've literally seen him
00:31:21the day he came to Bombay.
00:31:22Right.
00:31:23He's done so well.
00:31:25When Shah Rukh first came to Bombay,
00:31:26he was more Chicky's friend,
00:31:28your brother's friend.
00:31:29He's always been Chicky's friend.
00:31:30But gradually, after Bhavna came in,
00:31:32how come all of you have become friends?
00:31:34No, he's always been Chicky
00:31:36and still he's Chicky's friend.
00:31:38It's just the wives became friends
00:31:40and then the kids became friends.
00:31:42And that's how we…
00:31:43You became a gang.
00:31:45I mean, yeah, you hang around at times.
00:31:48And it was basically
00:31:50he's Chicky's friend
00:31:51and still is Chicky's friend.
00:31:52Because Shah Rukh and you
00:31:54have not even done
00:31:55too many films together.
00:31:56Maybe just one, Dawn.
00:31:57Dawn, yeah.
00:31:58I've done the opening of Dawn with him.
00:31:59Yeah, we've not done films together.
00:32:02But I'm proud of what he's done.
00:32:04Of course.
00:32:05What he's made
00:32:07of everything around him.
00:32:09He's just had the Midas touch
00:32:11and it's been brilliant.
00:32:12So, you know,
00:32:14these are the kind of things
00:32:14I keep telling Ananya.
00:32:16I tell her stories of this.
00:32:19Not that today everything's available
00:32:21on the internet.
00:32:22But you know what it is to be…
00:32:26To create something and, you know,
00:32:28the kind of, what do you say,
00:32:30the kind of drive.
00:32:31You need that.
00:32:34And a bit of luck.
00:32:35Always, yeah.
00:32:37But in Shah Rukh's case,
00:32:38I mean, we've all seen where,
00:32:39you know, from the time he came
00:32:41to what he's built.
00:32:42Yeah, yeah.
00:32:43It's an entire empire he's built.
00:32:44People won't be able to do it
00:32:45in a hundred lifetimes.
00:32:46Exactly.
00:32:47So, great job.
00:32:49Well done.
00:32:49That's right, yeah.
00:32:50But I'm surprised that Shah Rukh
00:32:53and the Pandeys are so close.
00:32:55I mean, I never thought
00:32:56when he first came
00:32:57that this would be the group.
00:33:00Yeah, it's just,
00:33:01that's why I'm saying
00:33:02it all became because of the families.
00:33:04Families.
00:33:04Yeah, the kids.
00:33:05The girls, actually.
00:33:05The women.
00:33:06The women, the girls, and yeah.
00:33:08And in fact,
00:33:11he was telling me the other day
00:33:12that I think in some interview
00:33:14or something he mentioned
00:33:15that when he used to come to my house,
00:33:16I had all these cassettes of mine
00:33:18lying on the films I had done.
00:33:19Okay.
00:33:20And he just wanted to do so many films
00:33:22or maybe a little more than those.
00:33:23And he ended up doing much, much more.
00:33:25I ended up.
00:33:26So, yeah.
00:33:27So, he's come to our house
00:33:29when he just came to Mumbai
00:33:30and as I said,
00:33:32from where to where,
00:33:32so it's incredible.
00:33:34At one time,
00:33:35your house was very famous
00:33:37for those New Year's Eve parties.
00:33:39Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:33:40You do, your parents,
00:33:41you, all of you used to host them
00:33:43and the whole of Bandra used to be here.
00:33:45Everybody used to come
00:33:46and they would be even get crackers.
00:33:47It was traditionally started,
00:33:49father started it,
00:33:50then I took over.
00:33:51Okay.
00:33:52And then I used to have a feast.
00:33:54We used to have four, five hundred people.
00:33:55That's right, that's right.
00:33:57But gradually you stopped that, isn't it?
00:33:59Marriage, yeah.
00:34:00And then Ananya once had
00:34:01a damn good New Year party.
00:34:02Okay, okay.
00:34:03And I said, darling, do it every year now.
00:34:05But then you know how kids are,
00:34:06they want to go away and stuff.
00:34:08Because once you do a New Year party,
00:34:10you have to traditionally do it every year.
00:34:12Yeah, yeah, that's right.
00:34:13When your families have got together
00:34:16and you're all holidaying together,
00:34:18especially during Christmas,
00:34:19New Year, etc.,
00:34:20has that stopped now
00:34:21that Ananya has become busy
00:34:23and everybody's becoming busy?
00:34:24No, I think kids grow up and then
00:34:26it's like your kids are with you till that,
00:34:28you know, till 15, 16.
00:34:30After that, the kids want to do their own things.
00:34:32Their own things.
00:34:33In fact, now we went to Dubai with Raisa
00:34:36because Raisa came to India for holidays.
00:34:39So, we took her to Dubai for the New Year.
00:34:41Okay.
00:34:42But I know next year Raisa will also not come.
00:34:44She'll want to be somewhere else.
00:34:45Yeah, that's true.
00:34:46So, you have to bribe them
00:34:47and want them to be with you.
00:34:48So, it's...
00:34:49Life changes, isn't it?
00:34:50Life changes, yeah.
00:34:50Once the kids have gone,
00:34:52then you have to do your own stuff, yeah.
00:34:55Chunky, when you see a film like Gehra,
00:34:58which had so much intimacy,
00:35:00are you all comfortable about it?
00:35:02Yeah.
00:35:02Yeah?
00:35:03Yeah, why not?
00:35:04I've been seeing it in Hollywood
00:35:06and it's there.
00:35:07I mean, it's...
00:35:08You yourself have never done intimate scenes.
00:35:11I have not because
00:35:11I didn't have intimate scenes in my time.
00:35:14See, what all I've missed.
00:35:15What you've missed, yeah.
00:35:17No, but there's no harm.
00:35:19I mean, it's...
00:35:21This is how the world is going to be
00:35:22and you have to accept it.
00:35:24Yeah.
00:35:25I mean, there are...
00:35:28There are films like this,
00:35:29I mean, super hit films,
00:35:30where it's not shown also.
00:35:31Yeah.
00:35:32Nothing is shown.
00:35:32Right.
00:35:33There are some places,
00:35:34when the script demands,
00:35:35it always looks nice.
00:35:36Yeah.
00:35:37But when it's forced and put in,
00:35:38then it's not fun.
00:35:39That's right.
00:35:40So, it's...
00:35:40Yeah.
00:35:41That's the story of life,
00:35:42but if it's needed, why not?
00:35:44You're all right about it.
00:35:45As a father watching it, you're fine.
00:35:47Yeah, because as actors,
00:35:49you're supposed to do the unbelievable.
00:35:52Okay.
00:35:53That's true, yeah.
00:35:54So, I think it's fine, yeah.
00:35:55I've never...
00:35:58Coming to your own career,
00:36:01you had a stint where
00:36:03you were a superstar in Bangladesh, no?
00:36:05Yeah.
00:36:06How did that happen?
00:36:08Oh, God.
00:36:09How did that happen?
00:36:10So, you know, after Aankhe,
00:36:12after 1993,
00:36:13you know, believe it,
00:36:13Aankhe was India's biggest hit at that time.
00:36:16Aankhe.
00:36:16And I suddenly found myself without work.
00:36:19Hmm.
00:36:20After Aankhe, I did just one film,
00:36:21Teesra Kaun, with Mithun Chakraborty,
00:36:23which was made by NNCP.
00:36:25I don't know, somehow,
00:36:27my work stopped.
00:36:29No reason.
00:36:30Of course, I was refusing it
00:36:32because I was getting a lot of offers for
00:36:34not side hero,
00:36:36not second hero, but
00:36:37hero's brother,
00:36:39hero's friend.
00:36:41So,
00:36:42it didn't make sense.
00:36:44And such a big hit,
00:36:45it just,
00:36:46I think,
00:36:48I don't know,
00:36:49there is no equation that why it happened.
00:36:51Right.
00:36:52And I said, yeah, I don't want to do these roles.
00:36:54I will do something else.
00:36:57So, I started going around,
00:36:58trying to buy properties and other things,
00:37:00and then suddenly this friend of mine
00:37:02took me for a show to Bangladesh.
00:37:03Okay.
00:37:04And when I went there,
00:37:06I saw the film industry and
00:37:08they told me, why don't you do a film also?
00:37:10I said, okay, let's do it.
00:37:11That film turned out to be a super-duper hit.
00:37:14Okay.
00:37:15And the next one turned out to be an even bigger hit,
00:37:17Meera Mahal.
00:37:18Then I said, let's do it.
00:37:19Wow.
00:37:20Let's enjoy it and
00:37:21it took me like, I was there from 95 to 97.
00:37:25Just two years.
00:37:25Two years.
00:37:26But once I got married,
00:37:28I took Bhavna there for her honeymoon.
00:37:29I know, that's right.
00:37:31And she told me, she says, see,
00:37:33you're great.
00:37:34The country loves you.
00:37:35You love the country.
00:37:36Their food is so outstanding,
00:37:39I don't know what to say.
00:37:40And people love it so much there,
00:37:42it's unbelievable.
00:37:43Especially if you're from India, you know.
00:37:45But she says, see, you're known
00:37:47because you're Chunky Pandey from Bollywood.
00:37:49Please come back.
00:37:51So then I said, okay, fine.
00:37:52And I came and I was very lucky
00:37:54that Hari Bhavicha gave me that film, Kayamat.
00:37:58So Kayamat was actually my comeback film,
00:38:00which I came back just after marriage.
00:38:02That's right, yeah.
00:38:04And then things fell into place.
00:38:05I started getting all these crazy characters
00:38:07like Rana Jang Bahadur and Subhash Ghai.
00:38:09Absolutely.
00:38:10And then, yes, Kripa Astha.
00:38:13So, actually, after that break in Bangladesh,
00:38:16when you came back,
00:38:17you realized that you don't have to be the hero.
00:38:20I couldn't be the hero.
00:38:21I mean, hero, I was in Bangladesh here.
00:38:23I said, let's now take the pressure off me.
00:38:26Let's, I got these nice characters.
00:38:28That's right.
00:38:28I was very lucky and blessed
00:38:29that I started getting characters
00:38:31and characters I wanted to do.
00:38:33And I remember, I went to a wedding
00:38:35and this five-year-old kid asked me,
00:38:40uncle, uncle, I heard you're a hero.
00:38:43So I said, you go ask your mother.
00:38:45She'll know who I am.
00:38:45Because if he's five years old,
00:38:47the mother must have seen my films.
00:38:50So I said, yeah, I have to win over this five-year-old.
00:38:53I have to do roles which will be exciting
00:38:57to these young kids.
00:38:59So I started kind of looking for roles like that
00:39:01and taking roles like that.
00:39:02Okay.
00:39:03The villain work now has started.
00:39:05Yes.
00:39:05I've been getting good stuff I've done.
00:39:07I think it started with Begum Jan.
00:39:09Begum Jan was the one that started it.
00:39:11Srijit, then Sahu with Prabhas, his second film.
00:39:16Then I did, I did a film called...
00:39:19Web series, Abhay.
00:39:20Abhay, the one where I played the killer.
00:39:22Then I did Prasthanam with Sanjay Dutt
00:39:24just before COVID.
00:39:25Yeah.
00:39:27Politics, politics, yeah.
00:39:29And then, of course, Sardar,
00:39:31which I did in Tamil now.
00:39:33And, yeah, there have been a couple of nice negative roles
00:39:36and I'm really enjoying them.
00:39:38Yeah.
00:39:38But I'm not keep saying I'm a real-life villain,
00:39:40so I'll show it on screen too.
00:39:42But, you know, you were known for your comedy,
00:39:45for your comic sense,
00:39:47because that was very good.
00:39:49And I'm sure you didn't even think
00:39:50Ankari Basta was going to be such a big...
00:39:52When we shot it, no.
00:39:53Isn't it?
00:39:54I never thought about it.
00:39:54But then the film became so successful
00:39:56and then four parts were made.
00:39:58And Ankari Basta became so...
00:40:00Just caught on.
00:40:01Yeah, I think the audience kind of loved this character.
00:40:03Yeah, yeah.
00:40:04I'm a joke king.
00:40:05I'm a joke king.
00:40:07But then Desi James Bond, he's got a license to thrill.
00:40:10Yeah.
00:40:10He can say anything and then say,
00:40:12I'm a joke king.
00:40:13So for him, every day is April Fool's.
00:40:15That's right, yeah.
00:40:17So I think...
00:40:18And a lot of kids do it on their parents.
00:40:20People have done it on me also, yeah.
00:40:21Okay.
00:40:22Once I went to catch a flight,
00:40:23he said, the flight has left.
00:40:25I said, what?
00:40:26You're a show...
00:40:26I'm a joke king.
00:40:29Okay.
00:40:30And now I think it's inconceivable.
00:40:33You can't make a house full without Ankari Basta.
00:40:35I don't know.
00:40:36House full five is being made.
00:40:37Five is being made, yeah.
00:40:38So have they already talked to you
00:40:40about what you're going to do with it?
00:40:41No, they haven't told me.
00:40:43Okay.
00:40:43I think in the end only they'll tell me what to do.
00:40:46But somewhere or the other, Ankari Basta has to do it.
00:40:49Of course, there'll be something.
00:40:50Before that, even Apna Sapna Mani Mani,
00:40:52that Nepali you played.
00:40:53Yeah, I got the filmfare nomination for that.
00:40:56Yeah.
00:40:56In fact, after Tejab, then I got nominated now.
00:40:59But I never won it.
00:41:00Oh, Rana Zang Bahadur, the Nepali characters.
00:41:05Was that one of your watchmen that you were trying to...
00:41:07No, no, no, no.
00:41:08It was...
00:41:10So when Raisa was born,
00:41:12I had this governess who was from Bengal
00:41:17and the border of Nepal.
00:41:18Nepal.
00:41:19So she used to talk in this style.
00:41:21So I took the accent from there.
00:41:23Okay.
00:41:24So you're good at picking up...
00:41:27No, I'm very bad at picking up.
00:41:28If I pick up something and ruin it, it sounds good.
00:41:33And that becomes it.
00:41:35I hope so.
00:41:36The character Akhri Basta is basically from Great Gambler.
00:41:39Right.
00:41:40Sujit Kumar's character was Marconi.
00:41:44Yes.
00:41:44When Amitabh Bachchan goes to Italy.
00:41:46Yeah.
00:41:47He goes to Venice.
00:41:48Yeah.
00:41:48So Marconi was like this.
00:41:50Yeah.
00:41:50He used to wear such clothes, with moustache.
00:41:52So we kind of inspired, Marconi inspired it
00:41:54and the name came from Akhri Rasta.
00:41:56Right.
00:41:57Came Akhri Basta.
00:41:58Basta.
00:41:59It was wacky actually.
00:42:00Yeah, we all are Amitabh Bachchan fans.
00:42:02Yeah.
00:42:03He inspires us all the time.
00:42:04Yeah.
00:42:05That's true.
00:42:06So now you've got a very exciting and interesting phase
00:42:10because you're being accepted in almost anything, isn't it?
00:42:14You know, I'm doing...
00:42:15Maybe I think I'm getting work because of my daughter and my wife.
00:42:20I swear.
00:42:21I'm just...
00:42:22Touch wood, I've been getting good amounts of nice work.
00:42:27I won't say good amount, but I've done some very, very, very interesting work.
00:42:31Works that...
00:42:33I mentioned the villain works,
00:42:34but I've got some great OTT stuff happening now.
00:42:37Okay.
00:42:37So I think in the next six months, you will get to see most of it.
00:42:41Okay, that's really interesting.
00:42:42Actually, OTT has been so...
00:42:44It has opened up a lot of doors for people, you know.
00:42:47It has discovered such beautiful actors.
00:42:49Actors.
00:42:49And such nice stories.
00:42:51It's the writer's medium.
00:42:52Absolutely.
00:42:53So it's fun.
00:42:53Absolutely.
00:42:54Fantastic.
00:42:54Yeah.
00:42:55Fantastic.
00:42:55But cinema is cinema.
00:42:57Long live cinema.
00:42:59Like, I never enjoy watching a film on OTT.
00:43:02Okay.
00:43:02No.
00:43:03Films are not meant to be shown on OTT also.
00:43:06But a lot of Ananya's films have come on OTT, like Kho Gaye.
00:43:10I feel OTT is a medium for seasons.
00:43:13You know, series.
00:43:15Like, because it's a...
00:43:17It's like a very...
00:43:19It's a one-on-one watch.
00:43:20You can put it off any time, come back.
00:43:22Seasons are the ones...
00:43:23I love watching seasons.
00:43:24Films, I like to watch in the theatre.
00:43:26Okay, at one stretch.
00:43:27So that's the storytelling of a film.
00:43:29You have to watch it with 200 people, laugh, cry.
00:43:32Otherwise, no fun.
00:43:33Yeah.
00:43:34But it has, you know...
00:43:36You have to clap.
00:43:37But now it's come to have a place in our lives.
00:43:41I mean, OTT, of course, will have films.
00:43:43But can you...
00:43:45They will have these critically acclaimed films and all.
00:43:48But what the box office does is magic.
00:43:49That's true.
00:43:50And we should never forget that.
00:43:51Is there anything on the big screen coming now?
00:43:53Well, Housefull 5.
00:43:55Can't get bigger.
00:43:56Yeah, that's true. That's true.
00:43:58And there's another film that will hit the screens of mind.
00:44:00But I can't talk about it right now.
00:44:02That's almost complete, yeah.
00:44:03Okay.
00:44:05We have elections around the corner.
00:44:07Yes.
00:44:08You're one person who I know that you're very aware.
00:44:12You know what's happening in the world.
00:44:13You know what's happening around you.
00:44:15But we never hear any dhyan from you on anything to do with politics.
00:44:19I don't talk politics.
00:44:20Yes.
00:44:20I have no knowledge of politics.
00:44:22No, no, you have, but you don't.
00:44:24I mean, everybody else is talking about, you know, maybe for CAA, against CAA,
00:44:28for demonetization against...
00:44:30But I don't hear anything from you ever.
00:44:33Ever, yeah.
00:44:34Is it good or bad?
00:44:36Is it by design that you stay apolitical?
00:44:38I stay not only apolitical.
00:44:40I only think and talk politics one hour before I vote
00:44:45and one hour after I vote. That's it.
00:44:47That's it.
00:44:48But nobody knows...
00:44:48For me, the most important thing is a vote.
00:44:51Right.
00:44:51And I run it through my head and I vote.
00:44:53I vote in every election.
00:44:55Okay.
00:44:55In the MP election, in the MLA election,
00:44:57I even vote in the municipal election.
00:45:00Okay.
00:45:00Ananya is also going to vote for the first time this time.
00:45:03Last time she couldn't vote because her election card wasn't ready.
00:45:06Okay.
00:45:07And I want to make Raisa's also and make sure that she also votes
00:45:10because I think vote is very important.
00:45:12Voting is more important.
00:45:14Okay.
00:45:14And don't tell anyone.
00:45:15But nobody knows who Chunky Pandey votes for.
00:45:20Okay.
00:45:20And that's how it's going to be?
00:45:22You're not going to get political?
00:45:24I never take sides.
00:45:25Openly?
00:45:26No, I just don't.
00:45:27I feel whoever is there, let him do his job properly.
00:45:30Okay.
00:45:32It's tough to run a country like India.
00:45:34Do you do campaigns? Do you go on campaigns?
00:45:36No.
00:45:36You don't even do campaigns?
00:45:38No.
00:45:38In the old days, I did it for entertainment.
00:45:40Not anymore.
00:45:41Okay.
00:45:42Because now you'll be taken a lot more seriously if you come out.
00:45:45Am I?
00:45:45But I don't know if I'll...
00:45:47I'm not cut out for it.
00:45:48Okay.
00:45:49Maybe I'll do a good job as a politician.
00:45:51That's a different thing on screen.
00:45:54Yeah, but not...
00:45:55I don't know that business, so I would never get it.
00:46:00And you have no political ambitions at all?
00:46:02Not at all.
00:46:04Oh, my God.
00:46:04The last.
00:46:05So, we won't see Chunky Pandey doing a Kangana Ranaut?
00:46:09Or anyone else.
00:46:11Or anyone else.
00:46:12Okay.
00:46:13Okay.
00:46:14If I want to, I would like to be the king of the country, but...
00:46:19No one can tell the king anything here.
00:46:22Okay.
00:46:24So, I want to be crowned the king.
00:46:26Otherwise, I don't want to.
00:46:27Chunky, one slight emotional note.
00:46:31I notice your DP even now has your mom.
00:46:34Yeah.
00:46:35My face is like my mom's.
00:46:37Totally.
00:46:38I look like my mom.
00:46:39So, yeah.
00:46:40So, a very emotional moment.
00:46:43So, are you very emotional about your mom even now?
00:46:45Yeah, I am her.
00:46:48There is so much of her in me.
00:46:50It's unbelievable.
00:46:53So, she'll always be on my DP.
00:46:54She'll always be in my heart.
00:46:56And she'll always be on my face.
00:46:57I look like her.
00:46:58That's true, that's true.
00:47:00I miss her too.
00:47:01Yeah.
00:47:01So, there are a whole lot of these small, small stories about you.
00:47:04I want to know which of them is true and which of them is not.
00:47:08Everything is 100% true and everything is 100% false.
00:47:12First, tell me about Akshay Kumar.
00:47:16Because you guys seem to get along like a house on fire.
00:47:20So, you know, I've known him the longest I've known anyone in the film industry.
00:47:25Okay.
00:47:25I've known Akshay Kumar since 1986.
00:47:28When we were in Madhumati class.
00:47:30I was passing out and he was very young.
00:47:33He had just left school and had come there for training.
00:47:36Okay.
00:47:36So, like they teach seniors and juniors.
00:47:41Teachers teach them later.
00:47:42So, whatever we did there, dancing, dancing, we used to only train the students.
00:47:49Oh, okay.
00:47:51So, he once said in an interview, as a joke,
00:47:53that whatever I learnt initially was through Chanki Pandey.
00:47:58And it was so wrong that my films didn't even go on.
00:48:01And then I decided to change.
00:48:04And whatever Chanki Pandey taught me, I unlearned it and learnt something else.
00:48:10And I became Akshay Kumar and I loved that.
00:48:13Because, of course, he came and his first few films went.
00:48:16But, you know, when I saw Akshay Kumar for the first time,
00:48:21I knew he's a star, even as a kid.
00:48:23Sometimes you get to know.
00:48:25What is it about him that you feel?
00:48:27I just, you get that vibe.
00:48:29I've seen that in a lot of people.
00:48:32I mean, I've been 99% of the times right.
00:48:35But I have, I've seen so many first-timers.
00:48:39What do you feel about Ahaan, your nephew?
00:48:43And I'll be biased, he's my nephew.
00:48:45He's a born star.
00:48:47Born star, okay.
00:48:48Superstar, yeah.
00:48:50He's got that confidence, the aura, yeah.
00:48:54And a niceness.
00:48:55And a niceness, yeah. He's a very good kid.
00:48:57So, that was the great...
00:48:58And so, with Akshay Kumar, so that has continued, you guys have a...
00:49:03We didn't work for a long time and then finally we ended up doing Housefull.
00:49:07And what a blast we had doing it.
00:49:09Before Housefull, we did this, De Danadan.
00:49:13Oh my God!
00:49:14Where we made Noni Chadda, Priyadarshan's film.
00:49:18And it was a very funny film.
00:49:20Very, very funny character.
00:49:22Paresh Rawal was my daddi in the film.
00:49:26We shot it in Singapore, you know, the whole water tank breaks in the hotel.
00:49:30But we get along with the house, like a house on fire.
00:49:33He's too good and now Ananya is also filming with him.
00:49:37So, I'm so excited for her that she's getting a chance to work with him.
00:49:42That's right.
00:49:42It's a very interesting film.
00:49:43Right.
00:49:45So, yeah, that was Mr. Akshay Kumar.
00:49:48But he's like...
00:49:50I'll tell you on the sets, it's such a pleasure to have him.
00:49:54Because he improvises so much.
00:49:57And he improvises for everyone, which is good.
00:49:59It's not only for himself.
00:50:01So, he really likes to create and make scenes, which is a lot of fun.
00:50:05And it's great to see an actor doing that.
00:50:07You know, you feel like even giving more.
00:50:09So, that's why if you see all these housefuls and all,
00:50:11why there's so much fun.
00:50:13Akshay is a very big contributor to that.
00:50:15Okay.
00:50:16So is Ritesh, so is Sajid Khan, of course, the director.
00:50:19And then Sajid Nadiatwala, who's the producer,
00:50:21he also jumps into the frame.
00:50:23He's also got a wacky sense of humor.
00:50:25So, it's all...
00:50:26You know, that energy...
00:50:27Do you also contribute?
00:50:29I don't need to, I've got so much talent contributing.
00:50:32Tell me, what should I say?
00:50:34Okay.
00:50:35Salman Khan also, you have a great equation with him, isn't it?
00:50:39Yes. Oh, my God.
00:50:40I mean, he's like a street kid.
00:50:42He's down the road.
00:50:43Galaxy apartments.
00:50:44I've known him since, I think, forever.
00:50:47And then Seema was once married to Sohail.
00:50:50But that was much, much, much, much later.
00:50:53But, of course, again, like Shah Rukh,
00:50:54I've seen this guy grow from, you know...
00:50:59I remember he had done a film with Rekha.
00:51:00Yes, yes, he had done a film with Rekha.
00:51:02Suddenly, he became the sensation of the nation, of the world.
00:51:08And just grew from strength to strength.
00:51:09And he's had so many of these phases in his life.
00:51:12But I guess every actor goes through it.
00:51:14So, yeah, there's this story which Akshay Kumar tells everyone only.
00:51:17And Salman also sometimes tells everyone about the...
00:51:22We went to South Africa for a show.
00:51:25And I told him, let's go shopping.
00:51:30And I'll get you free jeans.
00:51:34So, we went shopping to a mall.
00:51:36And I gave him free jeans and shoes.
00:51:40And later he found out that I had taken $50,000 from the shopkeeper
00:51:44to call Salman Khan.
00:51:48To bring Salman to the show.
00:51:50Of course, they would have. Salman is worth much more.
00:51:53But, I mean, like, and I ate all the $50,000.
00:51:57So, now I'll tell you that there is truth to that.
00:52:00That the shopkeeper did pay $50,000.
00:52:04But he had paid $50,000 for sponsorship of the show.
00:52:08He was a sponsor.
00:52:09And the deal was that you have to get Salman Khan to visit also.
00:52:13So, yeah, that was the background.
00:52:16So, what Salman is saying is the truth.
00:52:19But not quite in the same way.
00:52:20Yeah, it's also a back story, of course.
00:52:23And is it true that Salman was signed for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
00:52:25from in your house, that Karan saw him there?
00:52:28So, I believe, I had heard in Karan Johar's interview
00:52:32that they met at my place somewhere and signed.
00:52:35So, a lot of things have happened.
00:52:36A lot of couples have met in my...
00:52:38Which are?
00:52:38Yeah, like Seema and Sohail met at my mangani.
00:52:42Gulshan Grover met his ex-wife at my place.
00:52:45Bobby met Tanya here.
00:52:47Oh, okay.
00:52:47So, yeah.
00:52:48And Sajid Khan signed Bobby Deol for Housefull 4.
00:52:52And that night, it had come for my birthday or something
00:52:54and they spoke about it.
00:52:56So, they have been like...
00:52:57My house has been a...
00:52:58Yeah, meeting place.
00:52:59Meeting place for a lot of people and a lot of things that have happened.
00:53:02And your first co-star, Neelam.
00:53:05Is it true that she fell off the bike
00:53:07when you were shooting your first film with her?
00:53:11So, okay.
00:53:11So, for my first film, I had to tell a couple of lies
00:53:15because Bailaaj Nilani asked me,
00:53:16do you know how to ride a horse?
00:53:18I said, sir, I have won the derby last year.
00:53:22I had not seen a horse before that.
00:53:24She said, do you know how to ride a bike?
00:53:25I said, sir, I am an evil cannibal.
00:53:28I ride a bike.
00:53:30And that's what happened.
00:53:31When the shooting happened,
00:53:32I couldn't ride the bike well.
00:53:33So, I took up full speed,
00:53:36tried to do a wheelie and fell.
00:53:38And she got hurt because she was wearing a frock.
00:53:40Oh.
00:53:40I got saved because she was wearing jeans
00:53:42and the silencer burnt her leg.
00:53:44Oh.
00:53:44So, yeah, it was quite...
00:53:46Okay, okay.
00:53:47So, it was a fiery experience.
00:53:49Yeah, fiery.
00:53:50Aag-e-aag.
00:53:51Aag-e-aag.
00:53:53And aag-e-aag, I believe,
00:53:55Bailaaj Nilani saw you in a washroom
00:53:57and that's how you became an actor.
00:54:00I wore a churidar kurta in the bathroom of Holiday Inn.
00:54:04I wanted to be like Amitabh Bachchan.
00:54:05You know, those days,
00:54:06Amitji joined politics,
00:54:08he used to wear a churidar kurta.
00:54:10And my problem is that I can tie a knot,
00:54:13but I can't untie it.
00:54:14I came in first place with a lot of energy
00:54:16and I was shouting in the bathroom,
00:54:18someone untie my knot, untie my knot.
00:54:19No one was ready to help me.
00:54:22Suddenly, the first person to help me was J.R. Rahman.
00:54:25He didn't know who you were.
00:54:26No, no, he had no idea.
00:54:27I didn't know who he was.
00:54:29Okay.
00:54:29There was no social media back then.
00:54:31And he was a producer.
00:54:32Where did they print photos of producers?
00:54:35So, then I asked him, I said,
00:54:37I drank a lot.
00:54:38I drank quite a lot of beer.
00:54:39He'd also had a few.
00:54:41So, I said,
00:54:42Sir, what do you do?
00:54:43He said, I just made a film with Govinda.
00:54:46I said, oh, my God.
00:54:47I said, what do you do?
00:54:48I said, I'm a model, I want to be an actor.
00:54:50He said, you come to my office tomorrow morning.
00:54:53Really?
00:54:53That's how it happened.
00:54:54That's how?
00:54:55And before that, I was struggling for three years.
00:54:57I didn't get any film.
00:54:59In fact, I was shortlisted for high bar films.
00:55:01Nari Heera's film.
00:55:02Nari Heera's film.
00:55:02The role that went to Aditya Pancholi.
00:55:04Right.
00:55:05Then, I was shortlisted for Abhimanyu's role.
00:55:10And then...
00:55:10Mahabharat?
00:55:11Yes, in Mahabharat.
00:55:12Okay.
00:55:13In B.R. Chopra's office, with Ravi Chopra.
00:55:16In fact, I couldn't do that.
00:55:17Then, I finally did an ad film with him.
00:55:20So, there were a lot of...
00:55:21I was trying for a long time.
00:55:22Okay.
00:55:23Then, I was...
00:55:24I gave a lot of screen tests.
00:55:26I gave screen tests for B. Subhash.
00:55:27In Rajshriya office, a lot.
00:55:28And so...
00:55:30After three years, I got my film.
00:55:32Right.
00:55:32From the time I decided...
00:55:33And that's also by fluke.
00:55:34In such a bathroom.
00:55:35Thanks to your NADA.
00:55:36Thanks to my NADA.
00:55:37If I didn't go to the bathroom, then maybe...
00:55:40You wouldn't have interviewed anyone else today.
00:55:44No, but it's all...
00:55:45That's the beauty of the film industry.
00:55:48What happens.
00:55:50We are here just to tell beautiful stories.
00:55:54And...
00:55:55But that's the beauty of life.
00:55:57Actually.
00:55:58Yeah.
00:55:58That's how we became from animals to humans.
00:56:00Because we could tell stories.
00:56:01No other animal can tell a story.
00:56:04So, yeah.
00:56:04Bhavna was never supposed to be an actor.
00:56:07And she has...
00:56:08She...
00:56:09No, no. Bhavna lies a lot.
00:56:11When Bhavna came to Bombay,
00:56:13she was first an air hostess.
00:56:14Yes.
00:56:15Then, after marriage, she left her job.
00:56:18Yeah.
00:56:19Which is very sad because she lost all her free tickets.
00:56:22But...
00:56:23She decided that she will do modelling.
00:56:27So, she did a fashion show when Ananya was three months in her stomach.
00:56:31Oh!
00:56:31Can you believe it?
00:56:32Wow!
00:56:33Yeah.
00:56:33For Abu Jani Sangeep.
00:56:35Okay.
00:56:35Khosla.
00:56:36And...
00:56:37I just got to know about this because Lubna Adams reminded me of this.
00:56:41Then she started modelling.
00:56:44This was all after marriage and having Ananya.
00:56:46Then she started hosting.
00:56:48She did a very famous countdown show on B4U channel.
00:56:51That's right.
00:56:52You know, she even did a bit of hosting for Lehre.
00:56:55Yes.
00:56:56Yes, yes, yes.
00:56:57So, of course, she always had the keeda in her.
00:56:59That's great.
00:57:00And then, finally, this whole Bollywood vibes.
00:57:02Bollywood vibes, yeah.
00:57:03And...
00:57:04Yeah, we never imagined it will become so successful.
00:57:07Third season, yeah.
00:57:08But I swear to God, when you talk about recognition,
00:57:11that's why I say I'm known as Bhavna Pandey's husband.
00:57:14I...
00:57:15I was catching a flight from London to Los Angeles.
00:57:18Okay.
00:57:19When I got on the plane, this beautiful blonde air hostess looks at me and says,
00:57:24Bollywood?
00:57:25I said,
00:57:27Yeah, man.
00:57:28She knows I'm Chunky Pandey.
00:57:30She said, Bollywood vibes?
00:57:31I said, yeah, yeah.
00:57:33She's my wife.
00:57:35I was shocked.
00:57:36They made me...
00:57:37And then she called the other crew.
00:57:38She said, this guy is from Bollywood vibes.
00:57:40And these ghoras watching it, they binge-watched it.
00:57:43They made me make a phone call to Bhavna on video call.
00:57:46Wow.
00:57:47And speak to her.
00:57:48So, I said, wow, what is the reach of these shows, man?
00:57:51These shows, yeah.
00:57:52And so, I was very proud.
00:57:53So, as I'm proud of Ananya, I'm even proud of Bhavna.
00:57:55Oh, Bhavna.
00:57:56And I'm thinking of increasing my rate.
00:58:00Lovely.
00:58:01Chunky, you know, 1987 is when you started your career.
00:58:06And 1987 is when Lehre started.
00:58:09Happy birthday, same day.
00:58:11Happy birthday, same year.
00:58:12Same year, same year.
00:58:13Yeah, same year.
00:58:14And at that time, we had done a photo shoot with you.
00:58:17Yeah.
00:58:18Where you were this really yellow, short, short, short.
00:58:21Tight, tight shorts.
00:58:22Yeah, very short.
00:58:22With a bull walker.
00:58:23Yeah, yeah.
00:58:24No, no, I'll tell you what happened.
00:58:26And even today, on my every birthday, Diwali, Holi, Eid,
00:58:30people send me that clip.
00:58:33It's become like a meme only, almost.
00:58:35So, I was shooting for your magazine.
00:58:39Because you were editor of some magazine.
00:58:41Star and Style, Newbie, Showtime.
00:58:43Yeah, so I was covering you and was trying to show my body.
00:58:47Because at that time, if you make a body, you become an action star.
00:58:52So, I remember, I was wearing these yellow, tight swimming trunks.
00:58:55And I was showing my muscles with a bull walker on my body.
00:59:00And at that time, I hadn't imagined that if this would be captured on video,
00:59:04then how would it look?
00:59:05It would look very funny.
00:59:06Right, yeah.
00:59:07And that's what happened.
00:59:08You know, it turned out to be hilarious.
00:59:10That's right.
00:59:12But that was Lehre, that was our Instagram.
00:59:15That's right.
00:59:15I mean, people didn't know what film actors do.
00:59:18Correct.
00:59:18So, even now, when I see Lehre on YouTube, or people send me clips,
00:59:23that my old film shooting is going on, the dance sequence is going on.
00:59:27So, I become so nostalgic.
00:59:29But in those days, it was great because,
00:59:31you know, people didn't know what was happening.
00:59:32That's right.
00:59:33On a film set and everything.
00:59:35I mean, people living in the North or South,
00:59:37they didn't know Bollywood, what was happening.
00:59:40So, it was very nice and I enjoyed Lehre.
00:59:42And I think, yeah, we had a great journey together.
00:59:44And you're right, Lehre was the Instagram of the 80s and 90s.
00:59:47Absolutely, yeah.
00:59:48Magazines, you know, they came 15-15 days.
00:59:53But these guys were coming every week, I think.
00:59:55And yeah, so actors even got more popular with Lehre.
00:59:59Well done, Lehre.
01:00:10LEHRE IS THE NEW YORK