“Make People Wait”, Chunky Panday Revealed What Shatrughan Sinha Taught Him About Punctuality

Despite having no film industry connections, Chunky Panday carved out a place for himself in Bollywood, a feat made even more remarkable considering his background as the son of two medical professionals. However, his journey was far from easy.

Recently, he shared an intriguing piece of advice he received from veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha about the importance of punctuality—or rather, the lack of it—in the film industry. He also reflected on the profound impact Dharmendra had on his career.

During an interview, Chunky Panay recalled a valuable lesson from Shatrughan Sinha that he still follows to this day. According to him, Shatrughan Sinha once advised, “Son, whatever you do, never arrive on time anywhere. If you are punctual, no one will value you. Even if you’re early, wait in the car for 15 minutes. Make people wait.” This, he explained, was the old-school way of maintaining a star’s aura—building anticipation before finally making an entrance.

Chunky, who made his Bollywood debut in Aag Hi Aag (1987) alongside Dharmendra, Moushumi Chatterjee, and Shatrughan Sinha, also credited Sinha for teaching him a unique approach to memorizing dialogues. He recalled how Sinha, even when faced with ten pages of lines, would simply read through them once and then deliver his takes without rehearsing.

Dharmendra, on the other hand, left an impression on Chunky in a different way. He admired the veteran star’s striking looks and paid close attention to his body language, picking up essential lessons that would shape his own on-screen presence.

Looking back, Chunky acknowledged that these experiences and interactions played a significant role in shaping his acting career.