Chunky Panday Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Other name	Chunky Pandey [1]The Times of India
Real name	Suyash Sharad Pandey [2]YouTube- Zoom
Profession(s)	Actor and Businessman
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 180 cm in meters- 1.80 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 11”
Eye Colour	Brown
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film (Hindi): ‘Aag Hi Aag’ (1987) as Vijay Singh Web Series: ‘Abhay 2’ (2020) as Harsh Film (Gujarati): ‘Nayika Devi- The Warrior Queen’ (2022) as Muhammad Ghori Film (Tamil): 'Sardar' (2022) in a supporting role
Awards & Honours	Filmfare Awards 1989: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Performance in a Comic Role for the film Tezaab IIFA Awards 2013: Nominated for Best Performance in a Comic Role for the film Apna Sapna Money Money Zee Cine Awards 2013: Nominated for Best Actor in a Comic Role for Housefull 2 Invertis University 2021: Honorary Doctorate IWM Buzz Digital Awards 2021: Won award for the Most Popular Negative Character in a Web Series (Male) for Abhay 2
Personal Life
Date of Birth	26 September 1962 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2024)	62 Years
Birthplace	Mumbai
Zodiac sign	Libra
Autograph
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Mumbai
College/University	• Madhumati Academy of Film Dancing & Acting, Mumbai
Educational Qualification(s)	• Graduation in Acting and Dancing from Madhumati Academy of Film Dancing & Acting, Mumbai [3]Hindustan Times • A course in Acting at Daisy Irani Acting School, Mumbai
Religion	Hinduism
Caste	Brahmin [4]India E Info
Political Inclination	In 2004, he campaigned for the candidates of BJP-NTC along with the veteran Indian actress Poonam Dhillon. [5]Hindustan Times
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian [6]Mid-Day
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Girlfriends	• Anu Kutoor (MTV VJ) [7]India Today • Bhavana Pandey (costume designer)
Marriage Date	17 January 1998
Family
Wife/Spouse	Bhavana Pandey
Children	Daughter(s)- Ananya Panday (actress) and Rysa Panday
Parents	Father- Sharad Panday (heart surgeon, who was among the team of surgeons who performed the first-ever heart transplant in India) Mother- Snehlata Pandey (doctor)
Siblings	Brother- Chikki Panday aka Aloke Sharad Pandey (businessman)
Other Relative(s)	• His niece Seema Sachdev Khan is married to the Indian actor Sohail Khan. • His brother is married to the Indian fitness instructor Deanne Pandey. • His brother's son Ahaan Panday is a social media celebrity.
Favourites
Food	Vada Paav, Salmon
Dessert(s)	Shahi Tukda, Fudge, Coconut Chikki, Modak, Bebinca
Cuisine(s)	Gujarati, Kutchi, Mughlai
Fruit(s)	Oranges, Litchis, Mangoes
Indian Restaurant(s)	Sheetal for Indian, China Gate and China Garden for Chinese food, Olive & Cafe Basilico for Italian
International Restaurant(s)	Carnivore in Nairobi, Tamarind in Kenya, Nobu in London, Jaya in New York
Beverage(s)	Sugarcane Juice, Nimbu Paani

Some Lesser Known Facts About Chunky Panday

• Chunky Panday is a veteran Indian actor and businessman. The Indian film actress Ananya Panday is his elder daughter.

• He was born and brought up in Mumbai.
  

  Chunky Panday’s childhood picture

• He did his training in acting at Daisy Irani Acting School, Mumbai where the Indian celebrities Salman Khan and Sajid Khan were his batchmates. ^[8]News 18
  

  An old photo of Chunky Panday and Salman Khan

• During an interview, he talked about his education. He said,
  

  When I started my career, there was a lot of pressure on me to become a doctor, even I have two doctors in my family and I tried, it’s not like I didn’t. But I failed, I got my degree MBBF (Matric Main Baar Baar Fail).”

• While he was studying at the acting and dancing school Madhumati Academy of Film Dancing & Acting in Mumbai, the Indian actor Akshay Kumar was his junior. Chunky used to provide acting and dancing classes to Akshay. In an interview, while remembering those days, Chunky said,
  

  So when I was graduating… Akshay’s much younger than me, four-five years younger than me. Akshay was just joining the school. You know how it is, when you just join, the teachers don’t teach you, the senior students teach you. So I used to teach him some dance moves, and some dialogue delivery. He still laughs and jokes about it. That’s why he says in the initial part of his career he didn’t get too much work or awards, because of the acting I taught him. He had to undo what I taught him and become a better actor, and that’s why he’s become Akshay Kumar.”

• Before making his career as an actor, he was a member of a rock band ‘Crosswinds’ which later, merged with the Delhi rock band ‘Electric Plant.’

• Chunky has worked as a model in various print advertisements and fashion shows.
  

  Chunky Panday in a print advertisement

• He adopted his nickname as his screen name. In an interview, he shared the story behind it. He said,
  

  People think my name is Chandrakant or Chandratma, from which I have shortened it to Chunky. It is unfortunate that your name and nickname, which stay with you all through your lifetime, are not chosen by you! Between Suyash and Chunky, I prefer Chunky. When Pahlaj Nihalani was launching me with Aag Hi Aag in 1987, he had launched Govinda the year before and he also wanted to give me a name from the Ramayana or Mahabharata. But I felt that it wouldn’t suit me because my face is modern. Pahlaj didn’t even know the meaning of Chunky but his kids freaked out on the name as it was easy to pronounce. Luckily, I got to retain my nickname.”

• In an interview, he denied the fact that he started his career as a bell-ringer student in the song “Rocky Mera Naam” from the film ‘Rocky’ (1981). ^[9]Cinestaan

• During an interview, while talking about his debut film, he shared an incident from behind the scenes. He said that while shooting for a scene in the film, he burnt the leg of his co-star Neelam Kothari. He said,
  

  Luckily, I had a very short struggle period. It took me just two years to break into films. I was out of college and 23 years old when I got my first break. People struggle for several years before they get a break. But I did go through a lot of rejection. I auditioned for TV roles and film roles but was turned down. Funnily, I got my first break in the most unexpected way. I met Pahlaj Nihalani in the loo of a five-star hotel! We started talking and he asked me what I do. I told him and he told me to come meet him in his office. This is how I got my first break!”

  

  A still of Chunky Panday and Neelam Kothari from the film ‘Aag Hi Aag’ (1987)

  He continued,

  I remember there was a scene where I had to take Neelam on a motorbike and escape from the shaadi ka mandap (wedding altar). I had done a little bit of training but I still wasn’t as good and I dropped her on the bike. Us bichari ka pair jal gaya (She burnt her leg). I felt so bad and I apologised and apologised and it was horrible. So I actually hurt her in the first film with me… She was very strong, she continued because she didn’t break her leg but she burnt it very badly. But she was a very hard-working and strong girl and she just bandaged it and went back to work. But it was horrible… the whole calf had peeled off literally and I’m the culprit because I dropped her from the bike.”

• He gained immense popularity with the multi-starrer Hindi films ‘Paap Ki Duniya’ (1988), ‘Gunahon Ka Faisla’ (1988), ‘Tezaab’ (1988), and ‘Aankhen’ (1993).
  

  ‘Tezaab’ (1988) film poster

• After a few successful films, his career had a downfall, and he started getting offers for second lead or cameo roles in the films. Once, he was sitting idle at home as he did not have any acting project. He was even trolled for the downfall in his career. During an interview, when he was asked how he maintained a positive attitude even after getting trolled several times. He said that he did not take such things seriously, and he further shared an incident from an award function. He said,
  

  I was 23 when I joined Bollywood. My hormones were going crazy and I wanted to do everything and be everywhere. I wanted to win all the awards. I’ll tell you about the first award I was nominated for, the Filmfare award for Tezaab. I was so confident of winning, that I actually left the shoot and flew down to Bombay for that award function. I’d convinced myself that I’d won the award. When they announced, ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role’ I actually got up and started walking towards the stage. I was so confident and it went to Anupam Kher for a film called Vijay. I kept walking, I walked to the toilet and then I left and went home.”

• He then got an offer of a Bangladeshi film for a lead role, and he agreed to it. He then appeared in various Bangladeshi films which did well at the box office. Soon, he gained immense popularity among the Bangladeshi audience and became one of the superstars of Bangladeshi films. Some of his popular Bangladeshi films are ‘Meyerao Manush’ (1990), ‘Shami Keno Asami’ (1997), and ‘Prem Korechi Besh Korechi’ (2005).
  

  Meyerao Manush (1990) film poster

• Simultaneously, he played small roles in Hindi films such as ‘Tirchhi Topiwale’ (1998), ‘Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan’ (1999), ‘Kaun Rokega Mujhe’ (1997), and ‘Jwalamukhi’ (2000).
  

  ‘Tirchhi Topiwale’ (1998)

• In 2005, during an interview, Shah Rukh Khan shared that he was grateful to Chunky. During his (Shah Rukh Khan’s) struggling days, Chunky helped him by providing accommodation and arranging meetings with the people from the Hindi film industry. ^[10]The Times of India
  

  An old photo of Chunky Panday with Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan

• Chunky then started working more in Hindi films and appeared in the films like ‘Elaan’ (2005), ‘Apna Sapna Money Money’ (2006), ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007), and ‘De Dana Dan’ (2009).
  

  A still of Chunky Panday from the film ‘Apna Sapna Money Money’ (2006)

• His role as “Aakhiri Pasta” in the Hindi films like ‘Housefull’ (2010), ‘Housefull 2’ (2012), ‘Housefull 3’ (2016), and ‘Housefull 4’ (2019) became very popular.
  

  Chunky Panday as “Aakhiri Pasta”

• His other Hindi films are ‘Saaho’ (2019), ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’ (2020), and ‘Vikun Tak’ (2020).
  

  A still of Chunky Panday from the film Jawaani Jaaneman

• In his younger days, Chunky used to be in news for his affairs. In an interview, while talking about his girlfriend, he said,
  

  I was dating three to four girlfriends at a time. Now the problem was that if he had to go to a party and event, then how to take a girlfriend, so he always took his mother to the party and event. He said that apart from parties and events, he used to take his mother to shows and shootings abroad and used to tell girlfriends that he has a mother, so he takes her along. In this way the fear of taking girlfriends along would end and none of the girlfriends got angry.”

  He further talked about meeting his wife Bhavana Pandey for the first time. He said,

  Twenty-five years ago, after judging a preliminary round of Miss India in Delhi, I missed my flight to Mumbai, so I went to the discotheque Ghungroo. Bhavana was there with a friend of hers. She had snuck out of the house because it was a weekend. When Bhavana gave me her number, I didn’t have a paper or pen but fortunately, I have a very good memory with numbers. A month later when I was in Delhi, I called up her house and I was told that she had flown abroad for good. I thought our love story had come to an end.”

  He added,

  Later, I came to know that she had gone abroad only for a few months to train to become an air hostess with Lufthansa. Then a common friend informed me that Bhavana is in Mumbai and is staying at the Leela Hotel. I called up the hotel and asked for her room number. Later on, with her girlfriends from Lufthansa, we behaved like crazy youngsters and hung out together a lot.”

  The reporter then asked him about proposing Bhavana for marriage. He replied,

  I proposed for marriage. I was shooting in Sikkim and she was on a long flight to Germany and the realisation hit me: ‘God I can’t live without this girl.’ When she came back from her trip, I flew to Delhi and took her out to Bukhara, a restaurant in the Maurya hotel, and proposed to her. She instantly said,“Yes.”

  

  Chunky Panday’s wedding photo

• Chunky owns a few businesses including a stage show host company named ‘Bollywood Electric.’

• He is an animal lover and has a pet dog. He has also shared pictures of his pet dog on his Instagram account.
  

  Chunky Panday’s Instagram post about his dog

• He has a deep faith in Lord Ganesha.
  

  Chunky Panday with an idol of Lord Ganesha

• He enjoys drinking alcohol and smoking occasionally. ^[11]Mid-Day ^[12]Hindustan Times

• Chunky has a white coloured Mercedes-Benz E-Class car. He used to own a purple coloured Fiat Premier Padmini when he was 22 years old which he sold later. ^[13]Hindustan Times
  

  Chunky Panday with his car

• He regularly goes swimming and cycling to maintain his fitness.

• He lives in a bungalow in Pali Hill, Mumbai, as of 2022.