NEW DELHI: Sitting by Patna’s Digha Ghat, Panchayat actor Chandan Roy reflected on his journey from village lanes to national fame. In an exclusive conversation with The New Indian, he spoke to Executive Editor Rohan Dua about fame, failures, and finding his voice.
Chandan, who plays the affable and grounded character Vikas in the hit series Panchayat, shared how he transitioned from a small-town boy in Vaishali district, Bihar, to becoming a recognizable face on IMDb.
“I come from Vaishali. Mahanar is a small village—I still call it a village even though it’s now a municipality,” he said, pointing across the river where his home lies. His humble beginnings, however, never dimmed his aspirations. “I always wanted to act, ever since childhood. I always wanted to go to Mumbai,” he added.
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CHANDAN ROY ON HIS COLLEGE IN PATNA
Chandan’s academic journey took him from Patna College, where he pursued a Bachelor of Mass Communication, to the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), where he studied Radio and Television. But his ambition was never to stay confined to media jobs—it was always Mumbai.
“I thought to myself—If I want to go to Mumbai, I should have some job. Some kind of work that would really help me with acting,” he explained. “Wherever there are lights, cameras, directors—I wanted to be in that kind of environment.”
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He recalled the financial constraints of his family, being the eldest of four siblings, and often hesitating to ask for money. “I used to feel like… my younger siblings also have a right to that money,” he shared. His father, a head constable in the police, had joined the force as a non-matriculate. It was a modest background that shaped Chandan’s outlook and humility.
After IIMC, he decided to take the leap. “The only reason I went to IIMC was to get a job, earn some money, and go to Mumbai,” he said. His story is not just one of ambition but one of self-reliance and conviction. From Bihar’s ghats to shooting Panchayat under scorching heat in Mohadiya village, Madhya Pradesh, Chandan has carried his roots with pride.
And today, Vikas—his onscreen alter ego—has become a household name, echoing the voice of the small-town dreamer who dared to chase the big screen.
