| Debut | | Film | - Hindi: Pehla Nasha (1993)
- Bhojpuri: Satya (2017) as Tabrez Ansari
- Gujarati: Reva: A Journey Within (2018) as Gandu Fakir
- Nepali: Kadke Kamal Ke (2018)
|
|---|
| TV | Lene Ke Dene (1991) as a postman on Doordarshan |
|---|
| Web Series | Rangbaaz (2018) as Mahavir |
|---|
|
|---|
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | - Gujarati Iconic Film Fare Award (2018) for Actor in a Negative Role (Male)
|
|---|
| Career Progression | - Daya Shankar Pandey is a renowned Indian film and television actor.
- His notable works include the Bollywood films Lagaan (2001), Gangaajal (2003), Swades (2004), and Raajneeti (2010).
- He gained widespread recognition for playing the role of Inspector Chalu Pandey in the popular TV series Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
- He is also known for his lead role as Shani Dev in the television series Mahima Shanidev Ki (2008) on Imagine TV.
|
|---|
| Early Life and Background | - Daya Shankar Pandey grew up in Mumbai.
- He was born into an Awadhi-speaking family hailing from Bhadohi (Jagapur Paran), Uttar Pradesh.
- His father, Vishwanath Nath Pandey, relocated from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai in 1942, where Daya was born.
- Initially, Vishwanath worked at a dairy farm earning eight rupees per month and managed to save four rupees each month, eventually setting up his own stable in Dahisar, a suburb of Mumbai.
- Daya’s childhood in Dahisar was modest, with his family owning a stable where he often slept as a child.
- Later, his parents returned to their hometown, and Daya moved in with his uncle and aunt in Mumbai, where he attended a convent school in Borivali.
- His family sold the stable around 1980.
|
|---|
| Career Journey | - When he was in Class 9, he discovered a passion for cinema and the entertainment industry.
- He often spent weekends watching films featuring stars like Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, and Amitabh Bachchan at a neighbor’s house.
- By Class 10, he had decided that he wanted to become an actor.
- He had always aspired to enroll in the National School of Drama (NSD), but destiny led him on a different path.
- While in college, he acted in several plays, gaining widespread critical praise.
- He won numerous awards and medals for acting in multiple languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, English, and Marathi.
|
|---|
| Struggles and Breakthrough | - He got his first acting role in 1991, appearing in the television show Lene Ke Dene on Doordarshan.
- He made his Bollywood debut with the thriller film Pehla Nasha in 1993.
- Following his initial setback, he acted in Sai Paranjpye’s Papeeha (1993) and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Baazi (1995).
- He played minor roles in various TV shows and films such as Daal Mein Kuch Kaala Hai (1994), The Gambler (1995), Ghar Jamai (1997), and many others.
- In 2001, Daya gained significant recognition for his role in the epic musical sports drama Lagaan.
|
|---|
| Significant Roles | - He landed the lead role of Shanidev in Mahima Shani Dev Ki (2008) on Imagine TV.
- Since 2010, he has played the role of Inspector Chalu Pandey in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
- Other popular roles include playing Surjeet Singh in Ek Veer Ki Ardaas...Veera (2013-2014) and Bilasi Poddar in Badii Devrani (2015).
|
|---|
| Recent Work | - Featured in the 2019 film Scotland, recognized among the 2020 Oscar contenders.
- In 2022, played ShyamLal Maurya in Sab Satrangi and the role of a narrator Pandit Radheshyam in Tulsidham Ke Laddu Gopal in 2023.
- Other film roles include Ek Ajnabee (2005), Raajneeti (2010), Haseena Parkar (2017), Haseen Dillruba (2021), and Satyameva Jayate 2 (2021).
- Played the role of Saheb Singh in the web series Raktanchal (2020).
- In 2022, acted in Putham Pudhu Kaalai Vidiyaadhaa and the Hindi romance-drama web series Faadu.
- In 2024, appeared in the biographical film Main Atal Hoon as Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.
|
|---|
