Pavan Malhotra (born 2 July 1958) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films and television alongside Punjabi and a few Telugu films. He has received several awards, including a Filmfare OTT Award and a Filmfare Award South.
He has played lead roles in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's National Film Award-winning Bagh Bahadur and Saeed Akhtar Mirza's Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, both released in 1989. He is known for his role as Irfan Khan in the Telugu film Aithe (2003) and in his acclaimed role of Tiger Memon in Black Friday (2004). In 2005, he acted in the Telugu movie Anukokunda Oka Roju as a Tantrik. He gained further acclaimed in SonyLIV's web series Tabbar (2021). He won National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor at 70th National Film Awards for the Haryanvi language-film Fouja (2023).
Early life and career
Malhotra was born in Delhi on 2 July 1958. His Punjabi family moved from Pakistan following the 1947 partition; his father ran a business of machine tools and he grew up with five siblings in Delhi's Rajendra Nagar neighborhood. He graduated in arts from Hansraj College, Delhi University. His first hand experience in movies was as an assistant in costume department of Gandhi. Thereafter he was production assistant in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Khamosh and Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!. Pavan ventured into the Delhi theatre circuit, thereafter he moved to Mumbai, where he started with the television industry as an assistant on the sets of the TV series, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), before he got a role in Saeed Akhtar Mirza's TV series on Doordarshan, Nukkad (1986), which got him noticed. Meanwhile, he had entered the film industry and made his debut with Pankaj Parashar's Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984).
Over the years, he had worked with directors like Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Shyam Benegal, Deepa Mehta and Roland Joffé.
In 2006, he was seen in Manish Goswami's Aisa Des Hai Mera on Sony television. He is seen on the TV series Alag Alag and Partho Mitra's Patang on DD Metro. He recently starred in the major hit movies Jab We Met and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. He is currently acting in Lagi Tujhse Lagan as Malmal More on Colors TV. He has also worked in hit movies such as Punjab 1984 and Children of War.
In 2016, a retrospective to mark his 25 years in cinema was held at India International Centre (IIC), Delhi.
In the latest Hindi web series Grahan on Disney+ Hotstar, he played the character of Rishi Ranjan/Gursewak Singh, father of Amrita Singh (Zoya Hussain), which was released on 24 June 2021. It was based on the Satya Vyas novel Chaurasi.
Television
Nukkad (1986) – Hari
Ret Par Likhe Naam (TV Series 1984–1985)
Zameen Aasmaan (1995)
Aahat (1997-1999)
XZone (1998)
CID (1999-2007)
Circus (1989)
9 Malabar Hill (1997)
2000 Alag Alag as Manoharlal
Khamoshiyaan... Kab Tak (2001)
Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny (2003 - 2004)
Kahan Se Kahan Tak
Laagi Tujhse Lagan (2009)
Khidki (2016)
Grahan (2021)
Tabbar (2021)
Pill (2024)
Court Kacheri (2025)
Awards
National Award – Fakir (Hindi) – 1998
Nandi Special Jury Award – Aithe (Telugu) – 2003
Filmfare Best Villain Award (Telugu) - Aithe – 2003
2022 Filmfare OTT Awards - Tabbar 2022 (Best Actor in Drama Series)
National Film Awards - Fouja 2023 Best Supporting Actor