Parikshit Sahni

Parikshit Sahni, the son of the great Balraj Sahni, remains one of Indian cinema’s most underrated and underutilized actors. He is also a classic case of “remaining in the shadow of his illustrious father.” Despite being a good actor himself, he is never able to achieve the success Balraj Sahani enjoyed in his career.

Early Life of Parikshit Sahni

Parikshit Sahni, born Ajay Sahni, was born on January 1, 1944, in Murree, Punjab, which is now in Pakistan. His father, Balraj Sahni, and his mother met at Shantiniketan. Damayanti was pursuing her bachelor’s degree there while Sahni was teaching English. Their marriage resulted in the birth of a boy. Rabindranath Tagore, a family acquaintance, named him Parikshit. Parikshit’s uncle, Bhisham Sahni, gained fame as a Hindi writer and playwright.

In 1947, the Partition forced the family to relocate to Mumbai. That same year, Damayanti contracted amoebic dysentery from contaminated water. She later suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away at 26. Parikshit was three. Balraj, a freedom fighter and Communist Party member, sent Parikshit to boarding schools due to his activism. Parikshit spent his childhood in cities like Kashmir, Dharamshala, and Ambala, often staying with grandparents or his uncle Bhisham.

In 1951, Balraj married Santosh Chandhok, a writer, giving Parikshit a stepmother and a half-sister, Sanober. The same year he acted in Deedar, where he portrayed the childhood of Dilip Kumar.

Education and Early Career

Parikshit Sahni attended Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School in Pune for three years. He later joined Lawrence School in Sanawar, a prestigious boarding school. He graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, with a degree in English Literature. Afterward, he pursued a one-year fine arts course at Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai. In 1960, on Bhisham’s advice, Parikshit traveled to Moscow to study architecture. His poor math skills led to a rejection. Instead, he passed an aptitude test and enrolled in a five-year course at the Moscow Cinema Institute, studying direction, scriptwriting, and editing.

Parikshit Sahni returned to India in 1966. He began his career assisting Raj Kapoor on Mera Naam Joker (1970). Kapoor needed someone familiar with the Russian Circus, and Parikshit’s Moscow experience fit the role. He soon left to act in Anokhi Raat (1968), his debut lead role. During this film, his friend Sanjeev Kumar suggested the screen name Ajay Sahni. Parikshit used it briefly but reverted to his real name.

Acting Journey

He acted alongside Balraj Sahni in the film Pavitra Paapi (1970), which was based on a Punjabi novel by Nanak Singh. He did another critically acclaimed film, “Shayar-e-Kashmir Mahjoor,” directed by Prabhat Mukherjee. The film also starred Balraj Sahni, Pran, Rajni Gupta, and Geetanjali Lal

In 1970 he starred opposite Sharda in V. Madhusudhana Rao’s Samaj Ko Badal Dalo. Preet ki Door (1970) with Tanuja and Vandana (1974) with Sadhana were the films where she was a lead.

His sister Shabnam’s death in 1972 from a brain hemorrhage deeply affected the family. She was 26 and had left an unhappy marriage. Balraj Sahni was so heartbroken by her death that also passed away after few months in 1973

Some of his other notable films include Hindustan Ki Qasam (1973), Mili (1975), Tapasya (1976), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Dusra Aadmi (1977), Jallian Wala Bagh (1977), Jeevan Mukt (1977), and many more. Kaala Patthar (1979), a Yash Chopra film, featured him with Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor. He played a supportive friend in this coal mine disaster story, adding emotional weight to the ensemble.

TV career and Later Success

In 1987, he suffered a severe backbone injury while filming Veer Shivaji. Recovery took a year, prompting him to revert to his birth name, Parikshit, seeing it as a new beginning.  He became a household name after he acted in Ved Rahi’s classic series Gul Gulshan Gulfaam. One of his other iconic series was Barrister Vinod in 1986. Some of his other memorable serials include Katha Sagar (1986), Mirza Ghalib (1988), Kahkashan (1991), Commander (1993), Junoon (1994), Chandrakanta (1994), The Great Maratha (1994), Ajnabi (1994), and many more.

Later in his career, he found success as a character actor and established himself as a seasoned performer. Parikshit’s roles in Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, PK, and most recently in Dunki brought him renewed fame.

Personal Life

Parikshit married Aruna Kapur, and they had two daughters, Aditi and Tania. Aruna passed away after a few years. He later married Dr. Nandini, and they have a son, Varn Sahni. Aditi, based in Chandigarh and Singapore, is married to Nalin Grover. Tania, his middle child, goes by Tanya Sahni Singh. Parikshit also has a granddaughter, Niharika Sahni, a film director.

Reflecting on his personal life, Parikshit admitted to being a loner, a trait from his boarding school days. He once shared that his late wife, Aruna, felt he wasn’t “husband material” due to his solitary nature.

Parikshit wrote The Non-Conformist: Memories of My Father Balraj Sahni in 2019. The book offers insights into Balraj’s life and Parikshit’s own guilt over their distant relationship. His second book, Strange Encounters, released in 2022, explores his personal experiences.

Parikshit Sahni on IMDB