1985–1987: Television movies and serials He was signed for a few television video films produced by Hiba, which was owned by
Stardust magazine owner
Nari Hira. Pancholi made his acting debut with the TV show
Shahadat in 1985. In 1986, he did the television films
Sone Ka Pinjra,
Siyahi,
Kalank Ka Tika,
Afshar Ki Saali and
Maryam Ki Beti. Later that year, he ventured into mainstream Bollywood with
Sasti Dulhan Mahenga Dulha. During this time, he adopted the stage name
Aditya Pancholi. In 1987, Pancholi gave performances in two television movies:
Abhishek and
Khatarnaak Irade. In
Abhishek, he portrayed a well-known businessman who used his father's wealth in enjoying leisure time and used a new costume to help depressed and troubled people. In
Khatarnaak Irade, Pancholi played the role of a womanising lifeguard who got himself into trouble while falling in love with a married woman played by
Anju Mahendru. In 1995 he also starred in the TV series
Mahashakti in
DD Metro opposite
Juhi Chawla. This series was to be released in 1989 as a Vaada raha milan ka, but the film was released as a TV series on DD Metro. In 2014 he starred in the television film (
My Father Godfather), which was to be released in theatres, but was released on the World Wide Web and television.
1988–1996: Lead roles Pancholi had his first prominent
Bollywood role with a supporting role in
Feroz Khan's
Dayavan (1988), opposite
Vinod Khanna and
Madhuri Dixit. He appeared in
Dharamyudh with
Sunil Dutt,
Suresh Oberoi and
Shatrughan Sinha. Later that year, he collaborated with
K.C. Bokadia in
Kab Tak Chup Rahungi, opposite
Amala. This was his first lead role in
Bollywood and established him as a lead actor in the industry. His next release that year was
Qatil, in which he starred opposite
Sangeeta Bijlani. Pancholi portrayed a lawyer's son who resists the death penalty and imprisonment and proves himself guilty of the murder of a prostitute, but was trapped when a friend betrayed him by removing all of the evidence. In 1989, Pancholi starred in the romance
Mohabat Ka Paigham, opposite
Meenakshi Sheshadri. He had a major role in
Mukul S. Anand's multi-starrer action film
Maha Sangram, which featured an
ensemble cast of
Vinod Khanna,
Govinda and
Madhuri Dixit. He also sang a few lines in the song "Dhak Dhak Dhak" with
Alisha Chinai. He next starred in the comedy film
Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri, which became one of the highest-grossing films of the year. He next starred opposite upcoming actress Madhuri Dixit in
Sailaab. Pancholi would close the year with a double-role in
Zakhmi Zameen, opposite
Jaya Prada. His second role as an antagonist was in the sports action thriller
Awwal Number, opposite
Dev Anand and
Aamir Khan. His other releases included
Taqdeer Ka Tamasha, Atishbaaz and
Veeru Dada. Pancholi began 1991 with
Naamcheen, opposite
Ekta Sohini, in which he played an unemployed young man who steps into the underworld to make money and becomes one of the wealthiest people of his city; but loses his family and friends in the race for wealth and decides to kill the two rival gangsters to rehabilitate their goons and surrenders to the police. His next major release was
Vishnu-Devaa that saw him pair with
Sunny Deol,
Neelam and Sangeeta Bijlani. The film was the seventeenth highest-grossing film of the year. His last release of the year was
Jeevan Daata, opposite
Chunky Pandey,
Kimi Katkar and
Sonu Walia. He started 1992 with the romance film
Yaad Rakhegi Duniya, opposite debutant
Rukhsar Rehman. Pancholi portrayed a terminally ill man who falls in love with a girl, who herself suffers from a terminal illness. Also released in 1992 was the action movie
Sahebzaade with
Sanjay Dutt. His last release of the year was the multi-starrer action film
Tahalka, opposite
Dharmendra,
Naseeruddin Shah. Pancholi portrays an army officer and is paired with Ekta Sohini. The film emerged as the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year. Pancholi turned producer for the first time in the 1993 romance action film
Chor Aur Chaand and acted in the lead role opposite
Pooja Bhatt. In the same year he starred in the action film
Muqabla opposite Govinda, Karishma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor and
Asrani. His next release was the action film
Game, opposite Naseeruddin Shah,
Rahul Roy and Sangeeta Bijlani. His only release of 1994 was
Sanjay Gupta's multi-starrer action film
Aatish: Feel the Fire, featuring an ensemble cast of
Sanjay Dutt,
Raveena Tandon,
Karisma Kapoor and
Atul Agnihotri.
Aatish was one of the highest-grossing movies at the box office. He began 1995 with the lead role in the action film
Surakshaa, in which he was paired with
Sheeba with an ensemble cast of
Sunil Shetty,
Saif Ali Khan,
Divya Dutta and
Monica Bedi. In the same year he acted in the movies
Ravan Raaj: A True Story and
The Gambler and
Ram Shastra with Jackie Shroff, Manisha Koirala and
Anupam Kher. Pancholi reunited with Shetty and Khan for another multi-starrer lead role in the 1996 action film
Ek Tha Raja, with Neelam,
Pratibha Sinha and Indrani Banerjee. Later that year, Pancholi collaborated with South Indian director
T. Rama Rao in
Jung, portraying a double-role opposite
Mithun Chakraborty,
Ajay Devgan,
Rambha and
Sujata Mehta. Pancholi played an innocent train driver who is wrongly punished for a murder that was committed by a look-alike gangster, which was a box office success. His next release of the year was
Khilona, opposite
Ayub Khan and Monica Bedi. His other movies included
Zordaar,
Muqadama and
Mafia.
1997–2015: Supporting roles and antagonists Pancholi switched to antagonistic and supporting roles as 1997 approached, starting with
Aziz Mirza's romantic comedy
Yes Boss, opposite
Shah Rukh Khan and
Juhi Chawla.
Yes Boss was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. He earned a nomination for the
Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role. His next release was
Hameshaa, opposite Saif Ali Khan and
Kajol, with Pancholi in a negative role. During 1998 and 1999 he appeared in the movies
Devta,
Zanjeer: The Chain (1998),
Hafta Vasuli,
Benaam, Aaya Toofan(1999). Pancholi paired with Sanjay Dutt and
Manisha Koirala to play the antagonist in
Baaghi (2000). Later that year, he reunited with Sanjay Gupta to play a police inspector in
Jung, opposite Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon and
Shilpa Shetty. His last release of the year was
Tarkieb, opposite Nana Patekar,
Tabu and Shilpa Shetty. Long delayed movie Bhai no 1 with
Farah (actress) his only release in 2001
Bhagwaat Ek Jung with
Mithun Chakraborty. In 2002, Pancholi had his next major release with a supporting role in
Vipul Amrutlal Shah's heist thriller
Aankhen, which featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan,
Akshay Kumar,
Arjun Rampal,
Sushmita Sen and
Paresh Rawal. The film was one of the highest-grossing films of the year. His other releases of 2002 were
Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani, Gautam Govinda and
Yeh Dil Aashiqanaa. In 2003 he appeared in a patriotic movie
Border Hindustan Ka, with
Faisal Khan,
Rajat Bedi,
Akshaye Khanna and
Sudesh Berry. He made a cameo appearance in
Chalte Chalte. Pancholi collaborated with Sanjay Gupta for the fifth time in the 2004 action thriller
Musafir, playing the main antagonist opposite
Anil Kapoor,
Sameera Reddy,
Mahesh Manjrekar,
Koena Mitra, Shakti Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. The movie received negative reviews, but Pancholi received positive reviews for his performance, with Taran Adarsh labelling his performance "first-rate". Pancholi had a comeback as the antagonist in
Chandan Arora's low-budget action film
Striker (2010). Pancholi restricted himself to antagonist and character roles, with films such as
Rush (2012),
Hridayanath (2012),
Mumbai Mirror (2013),
Race 2 (2013),
Jai Ho (2014),
Dishkiyaoon (2014),
Hero (2015) and
Bajirao Mastani (2015). ==Controversies ==