Pankit Thakker On Dodging Typecast And Choosing Fear Over Safety: A Famous Role Is A Gift And A Trap

Pankit Thakker currently seen on screens as Chandru in Zee TV's Saru, but don't look for traces of his past selves in him. The actor, who's moved from Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii to Dill Mill Gayye, Bahu Hamari Rajni Kant, Bohot Pyaar Karte Hai and Barsatein - Mausam Pyaar Ka, says television itself has rewritten the rules.

"The game has changed completely," he says. "TV has moved from loud family dramas to intimate digital storytelling. And I've adapted with it."

With a career spanning two decades, Pankit has watched the screen shift under him. The melodrama of early 2000s gave way to nuanced OTT narratives, and he moved with it. Much of his recent work now lives on streaming platforms, but his yardstick for picking roles hasn't budged.

"A famous role is a gift and a trap," he notes. "People fall in love with one version of you and want him forever. I disappoint them on purpose."

That 'disappointment' is deliberate. Harsh in Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii. The doctor in Dill Mill Gayye. A sharp cameo in Scam 1992. The lead in Maaya Ka Moh. Panchal in Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega. And now Chandru in Saru.

"Look closely and you won't find a trace of one inside another. That was the whole point," he says. The payoff? Nominations, more than once. "And that difference is the thing that has put my name on the nominations list."

His filter is simple, and ruthless. "The question I ask before saying yes hasn't changed in twenty years. Does it scare me? If it feels safe, I've already done it."

For an actor who grew up on TRP-driven family sagas, the pivot to quieter, character-first OTT stories could've been jarring. Instead, Pankit leans in. The medium changed, the audience changed, but his core idea didn't: keep moving before the audience decides who you are.

"A famous role is a gift and a trap. I keep choosing the door I haven't opened yet."

In an era where actors get boxed in by one viral character, Pankit's strategy is to break the box himself. Chandru may be his present, but if history is any clue, he's already looking for the next door to walk through.

Pankit is also known for featuring in shows like Janam Janam Ka Saath, Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha, Tujhse Hai Raabta among others.