Nirmal Pandey

Nirmal Pandey (10 August 1962 – 18 February 2010) was an Indian Bollywood actor who was known for his roles of Vikram Mallah in Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen (1994), and Dajjal in Television Series Hatim, for portraying a transvestite in Daayraa (1996) for which he won a Best Actress Valenti award in France, Train To Pakistan (1998) and Godmother (1999). He played the role of Kishan Bhatta in Malayalam language film Dubai (2001).

His last film Lahore which was released on 19 March 2010, a month after his death.

In the memory of Nirmal Pandey, Nirmal Pandey Smriti Nyas and Film Festival was established by film and TV director Anil Dubey and film producer,director and social activist Ravindra Chauhan in May 2020. This film festival is organized on his birthday, 10 August.

Born on 10 August 1962 in a Kumaoni family in Nainital, then in Uttar Pradesh, Nirmal Pandey was educated at Almora and Nainital. He graduated from the National School of Drama, Delhi.

After leaving the National School of Drama he moved to London, with a theater group, Tara, performing plays like Heer Ranjha and Antigone, and acting in around 125 plays.

After doing two small roles, he first got noticed in Shekhar Kapur's Bandit Queen (1994). He received positive reviews for films like Amol Palekar's Daayra (Square Circle) (1996), Train To Pakistan (1998), Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain. He acted in movies like Laila, Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya, One 2 ka 4 and Shikari and in several television serials, including Hatim, and Princess Dollie Aur Uska Magic Bag (2005).

In addition to being an actor, he was a singer who released an album called Jazba in 1999. In 2002, he directed Andhayug, a Hindi play written by noted playwright Dharamvir Bharati, which follows the 18 days following the Mahabharata war. It has a cast of 70 actors, all of whom belong to Sanvedna, a theatre group started by him in 1994.

He has an acting institute, "Fresh Talent Academy", in Ghaziabad and conducts theatre workshops.

He holds an extremely unusual record for winning a Best Actor award, at the 1997 France's Valenciennes Film Festival for his portrayal of a transvestite in Amol Palekar's Daayraa (1996). He shared the Best Actor award with the female lead, Sonali Kulkarni, at the Valenciennes Film Festival (France, 1997).

Nirmal Pandey died at the age of 47 on 18 February 2010, from a heart attack in Mumbai about 6 months before his 48th birthday