Lucknow-born actor Pranay Pachauri asserts that transitioning into production and developing his own projects will be his next strategic move to chart his career path. The Metro… In Dino (2025) and The Kerala Story (2023) actor is set to establish his own production house with his wife, screenwriter Sahaj Kaur Maini.
With his feature film Na Jaane Kaun Aa Gaya releasing soon and two other projects lined up back-to-back, Pachauri is progressing strategically.
“Since I don’t come from the industry, my choice of scripts and roles is focused on building myself as a brand. It’s about getting noticed as an actor rather than pursuing 'heroism' or anything else. My films and shows have helped add credibility to my name and craft,” he says.
On moving into production, he explains: “It’s important to take matters into your own hands and try to create the projects I eventually want to do and tell the stories I want to tell. So, we will be mounting our own films and series and moving into the pitching stage. By the end of this year, we will start pitching projects to studios. First, we are looking forward to getting people on board and then progressing.”
{{/usCountry}}On moving into production, he explains: “It’s important to take matters into your own hands and try to create the projects I eventually want to do and tell the stories I want to tell. So, we will be mounting our own films and series and moving into the pitching stage. By the end of this year, we will start pitching projects to studios. First, we are looking forward to getting people on board and then progressing.”
{{/usCountry}}He draws inspiration from Hollywood actors. “There, actors become executive producers, build a project, get creative people on board, and then pitch it to the studios.”
His next film is a modern take on contemporary relationships. “My character has a very different understanding of love. I am playing a chilled-out cafe owner who takes care of underprivileged children, exploring how things get entangled in a relationship. Writer-director Vikas Arora has weaved a beautiful story.”
He will begin shooting for an OTT series in mid-March, followed by the third season of Very Parivarik.
On a closing note, he shares, “My father comes from Uttar Pradesh and my mother from Dehradun, so Hindi has been my stronghold. Having grown up in Lucknow, Mathura, and Noida, spent five years in Bengaluru, and now eleven years in Mumbai, I have experienced diverse cultures—but Hindi remains my core. It definitely helps at work; I can easily step into a modern role, a mythological character, or a typical UP-Bihar bhaiya persona.”