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LANKAYSH BHARDWAJ (Formerly known as Lankesh Bhardwaj / Dev Pandit)
Lankaysh Bhardwaj is a seasoned actor, screenplay, and dialogue writer, with over three decades of experience in Indian theatre, television, and cinema. Renowned filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ram Gopal Varma, Late Satish Kaushik, Late Jainendra Jain, and Late Lekh Tandon have known him by his former name - "Dev Pandit". He born in a Brahmin family. His father Radheyshyam was a farmer and associates as Bunkar in SAWTANTRA BHARAT MILL, now he is no more, but his blessing always with Lankaysh. His real name is Sanjay Radheyshyam Mostly renowned directors of Bollywood knows him by his nick name- "DEV"
His Mumbai journey took its first breath in 2001, when he was selected for a television show titled "Superstar", hosted by Chunky Pandey, shot at the iconic Famous Studio, Mahalaxmi, and directed by K.N. Ghosh. It was the first time he stood before a multi-camera setup, lights glaring, dreams alive - and in that single moment, he knew: this is where he belonged.
With no second thought, he chose to stay in Mumbai - alone, uncertain, but determined. That was the beginning of a life-long commitment to the art of performance... and the start of a relentless struggle. He joins Lekh Tandon as an assistant writer and work for him at his residene Bandra(East), Mumbai, after that he join Jainendra Jain (famous writer of Great Director Rajkapoor and Satish Kaushik).... Jainendra jain suggested him to join satish Kaushik, later he join satish kaushik and worked for him.
One moment stands out as a symbol of his quiet confidence. During a serial shoot in 2003, a man named Hari Bhai - an old associate from Superstar - approached him and said: "Deva, you act like Nawaz." With measured grace, he replied:"Nahi Hari Bhai, har actor ka apna method hota hai. Ho sakta hai Nawaz mujhse behtar ho... aur ho sakta hai main usse behtar hoon."
At that time, Nawazuddin Siddiqui too was struggling. The shoot was taking place at Cinevista, where Nawaz's brother Shamsuddin was handling casting. Ironically, Lankaysh was being paid Rs.1500 per day, while Nawaz earned Rs.750. But time changed everything -for both. One found the spotlight. The other kept carrying the flame.
Coming from a modest family with no alternate source of income, he walked studio to studio, door to door, searching for acting opportunities - yet success didn't come easy. In a bold shift, he started assisting writers in enhancing dialogues and screenplay, hoping it would open doors. This act unexpectedly reshaped his image - while it helped sustain him financially, it made people see him more as a script doctor than an actor. Offers came for corrections, translations, and rewriting, not for the screen.
Still, he never gave up. He humbly requested directors for even the smallest roles. His persistence earned him small parts in films by directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Tinu Desai, Satish Kaushik, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali - though they were more gestures of support than real breaks.
Years later, he transformed this journey into a powerful biopic screenplay titled "Palayan" - a deeply personal reflection of his migration from Delhi to Mumbai in search of dreams, interwoven with the collective trauma of the COVID-19 migrant crisis. In both stories, the soul of a displaced man walks a thin line between survival and identity.
Despite the odds, Lankaysh has held onto his dream. Now in his 40s, he continues to believe that his moment to shine - like many others before him - will come.
