Pavan Malhotra is one of the finest actors of his generation and has been mesmerising us with his performances for more than three decades. Be it Bagh Bahadur, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Aithe, Black Friday, or his serials like “Manoranjan,” “Nukkad,” “Circus,” and “Zameen Asman,” he never fails to mesmerise the audience.
Early Life and Career
Pavan was born on July 2, 1958, in Delhi, into a business family. His family migrated from Lahore to Delhi after the Partition. Pavan’s father, Trilok Raj Malhotra, ran a machine tools business. His mother, Asha Rani Malhotra, was a homemaker. Pawan grew up with four siblings, two elder brothers and two elder sisters, in a modest household.
Pawan attended Manav Sthali School in Delhi for his schooling. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Hansraj College, Delhi University. While in college he started his journey as an actor with his college theatre group. His family intended for him to join the family business, but his interest in acting diverted his path.
He also joined Feisal Alkazi and Arun Kukreja’s theatre group, “Ruchika.” Feisal Alkazi is the son of legendary Indian theatre director Ebrahim Alkazi. Some other notable names associated with Ruchika are Alok Nath, Sohaila Kapur, Neena Gupta, Harsh Chhaya, etc. Some of his famous plays include Girish Karnad’s “Tughlak” and “Father.”
He started his film career as an assistant in the costume department for the iconic film Gandhi (1982). He then served as a production assistant on projects like “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro,” “Khamosh,” and “Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!” before venturing into acting.
Pavan Malhotra On Screen
Malhotra made her acting debut with Pankaj Parashar’s Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984). He followed it by films like Anantyatra (1985) and Khamosh (1986). Malhotra made his TV debut with a small role in “Ye Jo Hai Zindagi” and “Manoranjan.” His breakthrough came with his role in the television series ‘Nukkad‘ in 1986. The serial garnered him significant attention, and he became a household name. He then appeared in serials like “Intezaar” and “Goongi Tareekh.”
In 1989, Malhotra starred in Buddhadev Dasgupta’s 1989 National Award-winning Bengali film “Bagh Bahadur.” The film was based on a short story written by Bengali writer Prafulla Roy. He played the lead role of Ghunuram, a folk dancer who performs in the disguise of a tiger. The same year, he starred in Saeed Akhtar Mirza‘s “Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro,” a tragic tale of small-time criminals set against the backdrop of growing communal tension in society.
Malhotra continued to work with renowned directors such as Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Shyam Benegal, Deepa Mehta, and Roland Joffé. Some of his notable films are Sau Crore (1991), Antarnaad (1991), City of Joy (1992), Tarpan (1994), Brothers in Trouble (1995), Pardes (1997), Earth (1998), Fakir (1998), The Perfect Husband (2003), Aithe (2003, Telugu), Aithe Enti (2004, Telugu), Black Friday (2004), and many more.
Other Work
Throughout his career, Malhotra has delivered several award-winning performances. Notably, he received the National Award for “Fakir” in 1998 and the Nandi Special Jury Award for the Telugu film “Aithe” in 2003. He also won the Filmfare OTT Best Actor in Drama Series for “Tabbar” in 2022.
Malhotra continues to star in films like Don (2006), Blood Brothers (2007), Jab We Met (2007), De Taali (2008), Maan Gaye Mughal-e-Azam (2008), Delhi-6 (2009), Ek Tho Chance (2009), Road to Sangam (2009), Bhindi Bazaar (2011), Shaitan (2011), Ek Thi Daayan (2013), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), Children of War (2014), Rustom (2016), OMG 2 (2023), Mission Raniganj (2023), Tera Kya Hoga Lovely (2024), and Je jatt Vigarh gya (2024).
Malhotra has continued to captivate audiences with his performances in serials like “9 Malabar Hill (1997),” “Khamoshiyaan, Kab Tak (2001),” “Karishma: The Miracles of Destiny (2003),” “Laagi Tujhse Lagan (2009),” “Ek Nayi Chhoti Si Zindagi (2011),” “Khidki (2016),” “Grahan (2021),” and “Tabbar (2021)” and “Shiksha Mandal (2022)”
Pawan married Aparajita Krishna, a TV host, actress, and director. They later divorced. He married Aparnaa Malhotra in 2017, a writer.
Pavan Malhotra on IMDB
