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Parikshit Sahni Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

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Age: 84 Years
Wife: Nandini Sahini (2nd Wife)
Father: Balraj Sahni

Parikshit Sahni Profile

Bio/Wiki
Stage nameAjay Sahni
ProfessionActor
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 170 cm
in meters- 1.70 m
in feet & inches- 5’ 7”
Eye ColourDark brown
Hair ColourSalt & pepper
Career
DebutFilm: Hindi- Hulchul (1951)
Punjabi- Marhi Da Diva (1989)
Personal Life
Date of Birth1 January 1939 (Sunday)
Age (as of 2022)88 Years
BirthplaceMuree town, district Rawalpindi, United Provinces of British India (now, Pakistan)
Zodiac signCapricorn
SignatureParikshit Sahni's autograph
NationalityIndian
School• Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School in Pune
• Lawrence School, Sanawar
College/University• St. Stephen’s College, Delhi
• Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai
• Cinema Institute in Moscow
Educational Qualification• 1 year Fine Arts degree at Sir J. J. School of Art in Mumbai
• A bachelor’s degree in Architecture in Moscow but dropped out midway to pursue direction, scriptwriting, and editing at Cinema Institute in Moscow
ReligionSince childhood, Parikshit was an athiest; however, he became spiritual when read the holy scriptures of several religions such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran, and the Bible.
HobbyPainting
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Family
Wife/SpouseFirst wife- Aruna Sahni (deceased)
Parikshit Sahni with his wife Aruna Sahni in Goa
Second wife- Nandini Sahni (Surgeon based in Jaipur)
Parikshit Sahni's second wife, Dr Nandini Sahni
ChildrenDaughter- Aditi Sahni and Tania Sahni (from first marriage)
Parikshit Sahni's daughter, Tanya Sahni Singh
Son- Varunjai Sahni (Jaipur based abstract artist) (from second marriage)

ParentsFather- Balraj Sahni (Indian actor and teacher)
Mother- Damayanti Sahni (Indian actor)
A picture of Parikshit Sahni's parents
Step-mother- Santosh Chandhok (Author and television writer)
Balraj Sahni and his second wife, Santosh Chandhok
SiblingsSister- Shabnam Sahni (1947-1972)
Half-sister- Sanober Sahni (step mother Santosh Chandhok)
Other relative(s)Uncle- Bhisham Sahni (Hindi fiction writer)
Parikshit Sahni's father Balraj Sahni and uncle, Bhisham Sahni

Parikshit Sahni

Some Lesser Known Facts About Parikshit Sahni

  • Parikshit Sahni is a well-known Indian actor who began his acting career as a child artist in the film Hulchul (1951). Later, he appeared in several critically acclaimed Bollywood films including 3 Idiots (2009) and PK (2014).

    Parikshit Sahni as Jaggu's father in a still from the film 'PK' (2014)

    Parikshit Sahni as Jaggu’s father in a still from the film ‘PK’ (2014)

  • Parikshit Sahni spent most of his childhood in boarding schools since his father, Balraj Sahni, was an activist in India’s fight for freedom against the Britishers. Balraj and his wife Damayanti Sahni were associated with the Communist Party of India.
  • At the time of Parikshit’s birth, his parents were teachers at Shantiniketan in Bengal after which they both went to London. His father then worked as a radio announcer for BBC London.
  • His mother, Damayanti, was a social worker and worked in the slum. She contracted a disease called Amoebic dysentery, due to the consumption of contaminated water following which she suffered from a cardiac arrest, and passed away at the age of 26.
  • After his mother passed away, Parikshit’s father married Santosh Chandhok, who was an author and television writer, in 1951.
  • Parikshit spent his childhood in several cities including Kashmir, Dharamshala, and Ambala.
  • When Parikshit graduated from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, he went to Moscow to study Architecture; however, he dropped the course midway to pursue acting as he struggled with mathematics and could not clear the aptitude test.
  • Parikshit Sahni wanted to be a director. He wrote the script of the Hindi film ‘Pavitra Paapi’ (1970) and intended to direct it; however, the producer of the project made him act as a lead in the film instead of directing it. During the shooting of this film, Parikshit’s stage name was Ajay Sahni.

    Official poster of the film 'Pavitra Paapi' (1970)

    Official poster of the film ‘Pavitra Paapi’ (1970)

  • In the beginning, Parikshit Sahni adopted the screen name Ajay Sahni on the advice of his very close friend Sanjeev Kumar. But after the accident, he changed his screen name back to his real name, as he says that it was his new birth when he recovered from the injuries.
  • He injured his backbone while shooting for ‘Veer Shivaji’. It took a whole year for him to recover.
  • He became a household face after the blockbuster Bollywood film 3 Idiots (2009) in which he played the role of Farhan’s father, Mr. Qureshi; Farhan’s role was played by R. Madhavan.
  • In 2019, Parikshit wrote a book titled ‘The Non-Conformist: Memories of My Father Balraj Sahni’,’ which was a biography of his father.

    Parikshit Sahni's book 'The Non-Conformist Memories of My Father Balraj Sahni'published in 2019

    Parikshit Sahni’s book ‘The Non-Conformist Memories of My Father Balraj Sahni’published in 2019

  • Parikshit Sahni is often spotted smoking and consuming alcohol at various events.

    Parikshit Sahni holding his alcoholic beverage

    Parikshit Sahni holding his alcoholic beverage