Sanjay Goradia

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sanjay Goradia

• Sanjay Goradia is an Indian actor, director and producer who has produced and acted in more than a hundred Gujarati plays. He has also acted in several Hindi and Gujarati films and has produced many television shows.

• Sanjay was born in Gujarat but shifted to Mumbai when he was a child. They used to live in a chawl of a farm. His father was addicted to beedi and alcohol because of which his parents used to fight every day and it affected him a lot. There were fee payment loopholes in schools and Sanjay’s uniform never used to be proper.

• Sanjay’s life was not at all easy since childhood. In an interview, he said that he had an elder sister, but she died at the age of 2. His brother Paresh also died when he was 16 or 17 years old. His father had a stroke when Sanjay was just 18 years old.

• After his death, they used to manage their expenses from the Ayurveda shop that his family owned on the main road below the jam mill in Lalbagh which was taken care of by her uncle Ramesh. His uncle used to take care of their expenses as well.

• While the situation in his house was bad, his youngest brother got addicted to alcohol. He used to demand money from their mother.

• After observing the circumstances in his family, he started working in a medical store.

• In 1979, he started doing some plays and used to send money to his family. Sanjay began his journey in theatre in 1979 by working backstage for the play “Pagla Ghoda,” which was directed by Latesh Shah and performed at Elphinstone College. He wanted to become an actor, but he started working backstage because he was not financially strong and did not have any contacts in the film industry. He also did not pursue his passion of becoming an actor because he realized that people who were better looking than him were struggling, so he would not get any chance.

• The first Hindi hit play he produced was Maa Retire Hoti Hai (1999) which gave him a lot of fame. After his first hit play, he bought a house and married the first girl he met. When he had his son, he bought a new house in Lokhanvala. He asked his mother to come and stay with them but she used to refuse and tell him to take his younger brother with him. Sanjay didn’t want to take his addicted brother with him.

• According to him, whenever he used to send money to his family, his brother would take it from them and pressure his father to ask for more money.

• Sanjay stayed focused on working hard backstage and became a production manager and then a producer.

• When he produced his first Gujarati play Chhel and Chhabo, he decided to cast Dilip Joshi in it, but he was busy at that time. He waited for some time to find another actor when director Latesh Shah suggested him to act in the play. Initially, he refused but when he could not find anyone suitable for the play, he decided to act himself.

• After this, he appeared in the iconic play Chitkar which was a hit at that time. He did some small roles in some plays, and when he got a financer, he started producing plays.

• He was then offered to become Shafi Inamdar’s secretary. They produced many Gujarati plays together.

• He started acting at the age of 45 with the play Chagan Magan Tara Chhapre Lagan.

  

• He acted in various Gujarati plays including Kanch Na Sambandh, Karo Kanku Na (1994), Ekko Raja Rani (1995), Shukan Sava Rupiyo (1998), Pappu Pass Thai Gayo (2006), and Aa Family Fantastic Chhe.

  

• He directed the Gujarati plays Baa Retire Thai Chhe, Shukan Sava Rupiyo (1998), Tako Mundo Taon Taon, Paranya Toye Punchhadi Vanki, Chup Raho Khush Raho, and Bairaono Bahubali.

• He produced the Gujarati plays Chhel Ane Chhabo, Carry on Professor, A Guide to the Married Man, Ek Moorakh Ne Evi Tev, and Damodar Diwano Thayo.

• He wrote two Gujarati plays Shukan Sava Rupiyo (1998) and Tako Mundo Taon Taon.

• He produced the Hindi play Maa Retire Hoti Hai (1999), Pati,-Patni Aur Mein (2001), Chupkay Chupkay (2003), Hum Le Gaye Tum Rahe Gaye, and Lali Lila.

• He produced the Gujarati television shows Azunahi Chaand Raat Ahe, Tari ankh No Afini, Aa Family Comedy Che, Kumkum Na Pagla Padya, and Sukh Mare Angane on Colors Gujarati.

• He acted in Hindi television shows including Naya Nukkad (1986), Kabhi Yeh Kabhi Woh (1994), Teri Bi Chup Meri Bi Chup (1995), Hum Paanch (1995), Thodi Khushi Thode Gham (2006), Filmi Chakker (2019).

• He appeared in Hindi films including Khal Nayak (1993), Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin (1996), Safari (1999), Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye (2000), and Chhichhore (2019).

  

• He appeared in Gujarati films Baap No Bagicho (2022), Kehvatlal Parivar (2022), and Vaahlam Jaao Ne (2022).

• He has done plays with many popular Bollywood actors including Shatrughan Sinha, Jaya Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Sharman Joshi and Javed Jaffrey.

  

• In an interview, he said that after directing 25 plays, he started getting bored.

• When he acted in the Gujarati play Fatehchand Nun Phulekun, it did not receive much recognition. After the play flopped, he launched Sanjay Goradia Productions.

• Sanjay was one of the producers who started shooting and recording his plays on DVDs. He also started selling their rights.

• In an interview, he said that to become an actor, he gave up on many things. He never drank cold water so that his voice did not get dull. He also had to control his language.

• According to him, 19 of his plays are on the OTT platform.

• He is often seen consuming alcohol in the pictures he posts on social media.