Teacher’s Day Special: Chandan Roy Sanyal recalls his days as a teacher

Chandan Roy Sanyal’s career before he became an actor was an unusual one- he was a teacher. Looking back at that aspect of his life, the actor on Teacher’s Day, credits that profession to shaping who he is today.

“I took to teaching in Delhi and the memories of it make me smile even today. The things you learn as a teacher from your students are priceless. As a teacher, you witness firsthand your students’ curiosity and their readiness to question everything. That was the highlight of being a teacher for me,” he shares.

So where did he teach and what were his subjects during his tenure as a teacher?

He tells us, “I taught school kids all the subjects. Teaching in college was my first occupation in the city of dreams. I taught Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology at a college in Malad (in Mumbai).”

As a student too the actor says he always admired teachers for their commitment to their jobs. “I was the kind of student who looked at teachers as my parents in school. All my favourite teachers have been a great influence on me. As life progresses, our friends, our colleagues, children and situation assume the role of a teacher. The filmmakers whose work I admire are my teachers,” the 41-year-old explains.

Sanyal made his debut as Batukeshwar Dutt in 2006’s Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film Rang De Basanti. But his big break came with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey in 2009.

Talking about the transition from teaching to acting, the Aashram and Ray actor says, “Before I dived into acting, I needed money for my travel to Mumbai. I started tutoring school kids in Delhi and their fee funded my trip to Mumbai. This is where acting began for me.”

So, would he ever back to teaching ever, even if it is being an acting coach? Sanyal says he does not see that happening anytime soon because at this point as an actor, he still has a long way to go.

“I would love to share my experience as an actor to the aspirants. Nothing would give me a sense of purpose as much as letting them know what they can expect from a career in acting and how they can navigate the entertainment industry. Being an acting coach is a huge responsibility and when the time is right I would love to don that hat as well,” he concludes.