Daya was not able to progress in his acting career, so he decided to become an assistant to director Gyan Sahay. He thought that in this way he could remain connected with the industry. Later, she acted in various theatrical productions Mariage, Popcorn with Parsai and Suitable Bride.
Television
While being associated with Gyan Sahay, Daya got her first acting assignment in 1991 in the TV show Lene Ke Dena, which aired on Doordarshan. It was a long scene and she got a chance to act with actor Ravi Baswani. While Baswani played the lead role, Daya played the supporting role of a postman who goes to deliver a letter to Baswani. In the scene, Baswani makes the postman sit under that tree and asks him to read it. Talking about this in an interview he said,
I faced the camera for the first time in 1991 at Filmistan Studio. There was not much work for actors at that time. Cinema and television were the only two mediums. I was a struggling actor who even helped TV director-cameraman Gyan Sahay get a DD show… Once a role came up and I gathered the strength to approach Gyan Sahay. There was no practice of audition at that time. That was the time when a director had trust and confidence in the actor. Sahay ji knew that I was also into acting. This is how I got selected. I couldn’t sleep the night before and after the shooting. I remember when this episode was to be aired, I called everyone in my village to watch it. Came at 8 in the morning. There was a different joy in coming on screen.”
Later, he played small roles in various TV shows like Daal Mein Kuchh Kaala Hai and DD National’s Tehqeeqat (1994). In 1997, he played the roles of Hotel Union Leader in episode 43 of the comedy TV show Ghar Jamai and Robert in episode 45. In 1998, he appeared as Chandu Shiva’s friend in Zee TV’s horror series Vo, as Assistant Editor Pandey in SET’s Saaya, and as Pandey in SET’s Family No. 1. Subsequently, he played small roles in various TV shows such as security guard Yadav in Yeh Duniya Hai Rangi (1999), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2002) and Jogi in Sahara One’s Kittu Sab Janati Hai (2007). In 2008, he became a household name when he played the lead role of Shani Dev in the Hindu mythological TV series Mahima Shani Dev Ki on Imagine TV. Daya was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series at the Producers Guild Film Awards in 2012 for Mahima Shanidev Ki.
Daya Shankar Pandey as Shani Dev in Imagine TV’s Hindu mythological TV show Mahima Shani Dev Ki (2008)
Since 2010, Daya has been playing the role of Inspector Chalu Pandey in Sony SAB’s longest running TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. He is also the creative consultant of the show. In 2018, he was nominated for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award at the Indian Television Academy Awards for his role in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
Daya Shankar Pandey as Inspector Chalu Pandey in Sony SAB’s TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
From 2013 to 2014, he played the recurring role of Surjeet Singh in StarPlus’ soap opera Ek Veer Ki Ardaas…Veera. In 2015, he played the negative role of Vibhor’s uncle Bilasi Poddar in the soap opera Badi Devrani on &TV. He was nominated for the Indian Telly Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for his role in Badi Devrani.
Daya Shankar Pandey as Bilasi Poddar in the serial Badi Devrani on &TV
Later, he appeared in various TV shows such as Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev (2014), Suryaputra Karna (2015), and Wagle Ki Duniya – Nayi Generation Naye Kisse (2022). In 2017, he played the role of a great philanthropist, warrior and advisor to Maharana Pratap in the teleplay Bhamashah. The financial assistance provided by him allowed Maharana Pratap to restore his army and regain his lost territory.
Daya Shankar as Pandey and Bhamashah (2017)
In 2022, he started playing the role of Shyamlal Maurya in the biographical comedy TV series Sab Satrangi on Sony SAB. In 2023, he started playing the role of narrator Pandit Radheshyam in Tulsidham Ke Laddu Gopal on Shemaroo TV.
Daya Shankar Pandey as Pandit Radheshyam in the TV show Tulsidham Ke Laddu Gopal (2023)
film
Hindi
Daya Shankar Pandey debuted in Bollywood with the thriller film Pehla Nasha (1993).
She had a small role in the film with Paresh Rawal. However, in the final edit, all of his scenes were cut. Talking about his first break in an interview, he said,
I got my first break in cinema in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s film ‘Pehla Nasha’. Ashutosh Gowarikar and we often met at Ravi Vaswani’s house. He gave me a small role in the film ‘Pehla Nasha’ so I was very happy that I had a scene with Paresh Rawal. But when I went to watch the film in the theater after its release, I saw that all my scenes had been cut. Even in the scene with Paresh Rawal, only my dialogue could be heard. I feel so sorry.”
Then, he got a chance to work in Sai Paranjape’s romantic film Papeeha (1993) and Ashutosh Gowariker’s film Baaghi (1995), starring Aamir Khan in the lead role. Daya’s work in Baaghi was highly appreciated by Aamir, due to which Daya was cast in another Aamir Khan starrer, Ghulam (1998). Aamir Khan also talked to director Ram Gopal Varma about naming Daya for the role of Pakya in the film Rangeela (1995). Although Daya was initially finalized for the role, she was soon replaced. In an interview, he talked about the disappointing turn of events, saying,
I thought who will stop Aamir Khan? I was very happy in those days that my struggle was over. But, in the film industry nothing is decided until the film is released. Same thing happened with me also. Even after everything was finalized, I did not get that role.
He played the role of a rapist in the action film The Gambler (1995).
A collage of old photographs of Daya Shankar Pandey from his early days as an actor
In 2001, he came into limelight with the epic musical sports drama film Lagaan, in which he played the role of Goli (Seemer), the man with the biggest piece of land.
Daya Shankar Pandey as Goli in the epic musical sports drama film Lagaan (2001)
After playing small roles such as a taxi driver in Aankhen (2002), a school teacher in Makdi (2002) and Hari in Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost (2003), Daya played the role of Sub-Inspector Mangani Ram in the action crime drama film Gangajal. Played. 2003).
Daya Shankar Pandey as Sub-Inspector Mangni Ram in the action crime drama film Gangajal (2003)
He was appreciated for his role as Mela Ram in Swades (2004) and Daya Shankar in Apnaan (2005).
In 2004, he starred in American Daylight, an Indo-American co-production in which he played the role of Ashok.
In 2019, he played the role of Hari Ram Pandey in Manish Vatsalya’s Hindi crime film Scotland. The award-winning Indo-UK film finds a place among the 2020 Oscar contenders in the Best Feature Film category. The film is about a father frustrated by the failure of the legal system to provide justice to his daughter, a victim of sexual assault. As the story unfolds, he transforms into a relentless avenger determined to take matters into his own hands.
Her other major films include Ek Ajnabee (2005), Welcome to Sajjanpur (2008), Raajneeti (2010), Chakravyuh (2012), Haseena Parkar (2017), Haseen Dilruba (2021), and Satyamev Jayate 2 (2021). In 2024, he appeared in the biographical film Main Atal Hoon, in which he played the role of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, an Indian politician who believed in Integral Humanism. He led the political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), which later became the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Daya Shankar Pandey as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay in the biographical film Main Atal Hoon (2024)
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn