Some chunk is left!
ANUJ KUMAR
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Chunky Pandey on "D" and his foray into Bangladesh films.
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Remember Chunky Pandey? The lean young fellow who fired youngsters' imagination with "Aag Hi Aag"? The spark failed to become a flame. Though the young man managed to share screen space with the leading ladies of the day, including Madhuri Dixit in the forgettable "Khilaaf" he is just remembered for two supporting roles. Anil Kapoor's "Tezaab" and Govinda's "Aankhen" owe their stupendous success to convincing performances by Chunky.
Written off as a non-actor by the critics, Chunky returns to the big screen with Ram Gopal Varma's "D", releasing this Friday. In recent times he did small roles in films like "Qayamat", but nobody noticed.
"I didn't manage my career professionally. After the initial success, I signed films without looking at the banner and how my character would shape up. I goofed it up. These days actors are much more organised," says Chunky.
New opening
Meanwhile, he found a new opening in the Bangladesh film industry. He jokes, "You know I have become the first international star from India. Creative satisfaction is subjective and the money I got was one-fourth of what superstars get in Bollywood, but I did all kinds of roles that an actor is supposed to do. Also, Bangla is the fifth largest spoken language in the world, so the reach was also there."
He adds, however, "After some time, I started missing Bollywood and also felt I was emoting in a language I don't speak. In all my films, my dialogues were dubbed. So I decided to return."
He also launched an event management company, Aim, doing shows with his friends in the film industry and managing events of companies like Hero Honda and LG. Somebody who declares he would have been a gangster had he not been an actor, Chunky says Ramu discovered this instinct in a single conversation. "Ramu had just seen my `Aankhen', still he offered me Raghav's character, a ferocious gangster who supports D in his rise."
Calling the film a prequel to "Company", Chunky says like D, Raghav is also inspired by a real life gangster but refuses to identify him. He has grown his hair, tanned his body and rediscovered his love for beer to bring authenticity to the character. With Isha Koppikkar cast opposite him Chunkey says it's a crucial role, "The only song in the film is picturised on Isha and me, and you know Isha's reputation with songs!" He has already been signed for the next Factory comedy, Darwaza Band Rakho.
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Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
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