Producer-friend Rajan Shahi on his 26-year association with the late actor, even before collaborating on Anupamaa and Kuch Toh Log Kahenge
Nitesh Pandey
My association with Nitesh [Pandey] began 26 years ago. Though we were not continuously in touch, we had a great bond. [He was] somebody I could always pick up from where we left. I had met Nitesh through some common friends at a time when I was struggling as a director, and he was trying to get into acting. We were very young — almost 25 or 26 at that time. He had come home for dinner, and we instantly hit it off. I found him to be nice, down-to-earth, full of positivity, and easy to connect with. In 2011, when I was producing the show, Kuch Toh Log Kahenge, which had Mohnish Behl and Kritika Kamra, I remember calling and telling him about a role that was tailor-made for him. The character was full of life, humble, and always smiling. We had a great time working together on the show.
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Over the years, we got busy with our commitments. Recently, I called him again for the role of Dheeraj Kapoor in Anupamaa. I told him that he had to do it. Although he was busy, he agreed to do the cameo. On the first day of his shoot, I went specially to meet him; Rupali [Ganguly] and Gaurav [Khanna] were also there. We met, joked around, and spoke about our lives. He was in a good space [with respect to his career]. Our personalities are quite similar. Later, he messaged me, saying, “Whenever I have dates, I want you to include me in Anupamaa.” And that is exactly what we did. He is one of the most professional senior actors who didn’t come with the baggage of being a star. I would often tell the youngsters on the set to [emulate] him. Despite spending years in the industry, he was so positive and was always nice to the unit. I told my directors, “When he comes on set, see how he’ll improvise and take the scene to a different level.” His [performance] stood out because he was not in the rat race. He had his own USP as an actor. He [belonged to] the old school of professionalism. He [believed] in working hard on a character. Nitesh would never pick a role for the sake of doing it. Despite all these years, his hunger for roles, humility, and positive attitude remained consistent. The unit looked forward to working with him.
On May 7, Nitesh sent me a painting of a beautiful landscape, which is something he had never done before. That was my last interaction with him. His passing is a loss to the industry, and I will always remember his laughs.
Rupali Ganguly on losing her bestie
Mourning the untimely death of her close friend and colleague Nitesh Pandey, Rupali Ganguly said, “He was the only industry friend who stayed constantly in touch with me during my sabbatical, apart from Delnaaz [Irani] and the cast of Sarabhai. He had come to meet me after Rudransh was born. His son, Aarav, is just a few months older than Rudransh. In fact, we had made plans to make our sons meet. We would bond over dogs [as] his wife Arpita is an animal care giver like me. He was so fiercely protective about me. When he came [on the set of] Anupamaa, it felt as if [I had my] bestie next to me at my work place.”
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