Many Indian stars have left Bollywood to see success in other industries. But very few have found success outside. There are a few names like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan who have become real stars abroad. Among them was a star who became the biggest star in Bangladesh and was often compared to Shah Rukh Khan.
The father of Ananya Panday, fondly called Akhri Pasta, a character from his film Housefull, was once a big deal in Bangladesh. At one point, he shifted his residence to the country because he was unable to get work in Bollywood.
Chunky Panday shared that despite his super hit Aankhen in 1993, he was unable to find work for six months. When he got an offer to do a film in Bangladesh, he did not say no. The film turned out to be the biggest blockbuster in the country and after that, he never looked back.
Talking about this phase when Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan were gaining popularity in Bollywood, Chunky Panday told IANS in 2018, “The money was good and I was in dire need of money at that time, so I accepted the offer. It was a kind of gamble for me. But my first film became such a huge hit that I never looked back and worked there for five years until I got married in 1998.”
After marrying Bhavna Panday, he went to Bangladesh with her for his honeymoon. It was she who advised him to remember that the people of this country love him very much, but at the same time, he should never forget his roots. He said, “When I came back, I learned and appreciated the value of success. I had a game plan in my mind which was not there in the beginning. Maybe I was too young. One tends to blame others, but one should not do that. You are the creator of your success and failure.”
So, a year later, he decided to return to his home country and try his luck again. But by that time, Bollywood had already forgotten him. However, Chunky Panday did not give up. He went from office to office asking for work, which benefited him. After that, he played some of the most memorable roles.
While Chunky Panday was a big star in Bangladesh, Indian films found it difficult to release films in the country as they did not want Hindi films to ruin the business of their domestic films. Did you know that Shah Rukh Khan’s film Pathaan was the first Hindi film to be released in the country, which is currently facing violent protests after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned after 50 years and fled the country?
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