I love being known as Ananya’s dad or Bhavana’s husband: Chunky Panday

From his unforgettable comic timing as Aakhri Pasta in Housefull to early hits like Tezaab, Apna Sapna Money Money and Aankhen, Chunky Panday has carved a niche in Hindi cinema with a career that has seen many turns.

In Manali shooting for his upcoming film Rahu Ketu sometime back, Chunky, in an exclusive conversation with us, talked about his new project, a long-lost film that never released, his experience working on The Royals, and watching the women in his life, wife Bhavana and daughter Ananya steal the spotlight in their own ways.

‘My first film shot in Manali, based on Shashi Tharoor’s book, never got released’Chunky spent considerable time shooting in Manali in the early monsoon for his new film Rahu Ketu.

Telling us about his time spent there, the actor said that this was his second film shoot in Manali, the first one never being released. “I came back to Manali after ages to shoot. I had done a film here 35 years ago, and I was so excited to come back here for this film. That film, based on a novel by Shashi Tharoor called Bollywood: Show Business, never released,” recalled the 62 year-old actor.

The actor also shared his experience of shooting Rahu Ketu in Manali.

“Manali is beautiful, I’d love to come here in winters when it snows. The weather was perfect then in June-July. It was crowded at that time, but very beautiful. It is sad to see how badly it is affected due to floods. I hope and pray that people there are safe. They were so good to us when we were there.”

‘In Paris, a group of tourists asked me to click a picture of them with Bhavna!’Lately, Chunky has been happily soaking in the success of the women in his life.

Speaking of his wife Bhavana, who found fame after her stint in Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives, he shared, “I was with Bhavana in Paris after the show released. A group foreigners stopped and wanted a photo with her. They were so excited to see her and actually handed me the camera to take a picture of them with her. I was so happy seeing that fandom for her and thought to myself that ‘this is like the ultimate moment’.

” “First I was Chunky Panday, then I became Ananya’s dad and now I’m known as Bhavana’s husband.

So I’m loving it. I think I’m enjoying Ananya’s success and whatever success Bhavana is getting now more than I’ve enjoyed my own success. When I was successful, I was too busy working to enjoy it. But this is something I really enjoy. I love being known as Ananya’s father or Bhavana’s husband, it makes me so proud of these women in my life, who have an identity of their own,” said the Don actor.

‘Ananya’s tribute stunned me’Speaking of a cherished moment that came from a tribute and not a trophy, the actor shared one of the most emotional moments during an awards function in Mumbai.

“The whole theme was fan moments where actors paid tribute to someone they had always admired. Ananya came on stage, did a little number and said she wanted to pay tribute to someone who always made her laugh. I whispered to Bhavana that she’s probably going to call out SRK’s name.

But she started the segment with a Neelam song, and I thought maybe it’s for Neelam. But then, she broke into my songs one after the other. I was just stunned with the realisation that my daughter was paying a tribute to me,” said the actor.‘I love to be stereotyped’Seen in the web show The Royals, Chunky again portrayed a flirtatious comic character, one which he has often portrayed on screen. When asked if he views being typecast as limiting he said, “On the contrary, I love to be stereotyped! I’m flattered, in fact. Yes, there definitely is a comfort in playing roles that one can master well. However, I felt so nice doing Royals. I felt like a star doing it..”

He went on to add, “When I did the character Aakhri Pasta in Housefull, everyone just wanted me to do similar roles.

Similarly, when I had done a Nepali character, many people wanted to cast me as a Nepali in their film. It’s very flattering when that one thing clicks. But, I always try to break the image and give a little different taste to the audience. And that’s why in Rahu Ketu, I’m playing a villain.” Ask if he would change anything about his career trajectory if given a chance, the Tezaab actor shared, “If I went and changed the course of my career, maybe the chances were I would not meet Bhavana, and the chances are that Ananya and Rysa wouldn’t be born.

So, I would not want to change anything in my life,” he said.

‘I was a very last-moment addition to The Royals’“I was a very last-moment addition to The Royals. They called me up and asked me two things: ‘are these dates available? And do you know horse-riding?’ And I lied about both,” he chuckled. “I was a horse rider in my first film. But it had been almost 40 years since I got onto a horse. And here I had to play polo with Ishaan Khatter, who had been practicing it for two months.” I was surprised that the role fell into my lap. I hope they consider me for a second season as well.

My character is a very integral part of the story,” he added.