Bollywood does not have a lot of actors from the North East and is thus often criticised for cultural underrepresentation of the region. However, there is one actor from the North East who has made a huge name for himself in Bollywood over a career spanning almost 50 years. We are talking about Tshering Phintso Denzongpa, better known as Danny Denzongpa. He is from the state of Sikkim. Over the years, Danny has played a wide variety of roles — from the lead hero, and supporting characters to the menacing villain.
Danny’s villainous roles like Kancha Cheena from Agneepath, Bakhtavar from Hum and Kaathiya from Ghatak can never be forgotten. He has also played many positive roles like that of Khuda Baksh in Khuda Gawah. Success did not come easy to Danny Denzongpa. The story of Danny, who came from a small state and made his place in Bollywood, makes for an interesting read.
Like many aspirants, Danny enrolled himself in the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune to fulfil his dream of being an actor. It was here that he met classmate Jaya Bachchan, then known as Jaya Bhaduri, who named him Danny.
Even after passing out from FTII, his North Eastern features not only proved a hindrance to his career but also caused him humiliation. Let us tell you about one such story. After hearing about Mohan Kumar, Danny decided to halt outside of his home and try his luck. The majority of the guards were from Sikkim or Nepal, so he was easily granted access inside. He had the chance to speak with Mohan Kumar, who had produced and directed a number of movies. As he revealed his desire to become a successful actor to Mohan Kumar, it is said that Mohan Kumar laughed out loud and asked him to join the guards at his bungalow.
The insult was too much for Danny, and he made a choice right there. He observed a vacant plot of land next to Mohan Kumar’s home and silently vowed to himself that when he became wealthy, he would build his bungalow on that plot. As time went on, Danny succeeded as a very well-known, well-paid actor, but he never lost sight of his original intention. He took steps to ensure that nobody else acquired the land for which he had dreams. Finally, he paid whatever sum was demanded that land and constructed D’Zongrila, an enviable bungalow there.
He started his career with a positive role in the 1971 film Mere Apne. Two years later, in 1973, he played the role of a villain for the first time in BR Chopra’s film Dhund. Danny did about 190 films till 1990. He made headlines in the 70s for being in a live-in relationship with Parveen Babi, which was a big deal in those days.
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