September 1st marks a special day for Faisal Malik, the actor who stole hearts as ‘Prahlad Cha’ in the Prime Video series ‘Panchayat’. Today, as he celebrates his birthday, it is a good time to look back at his incredible journey. His rise to fame might seem sudden to some, but it took 22 years of hard work and many hurdles.
Young Faisal grew up in Prayagraj with big dreams of becoming an actor. His parents had worries about this path. But, as they say, hard work pays off. He proved it by achieving his dream. After more than two decades of struggle, he is now known in the film world as ‘Prahlad Cha’.
From Behind the Camera to Center Stage
Faisal Malik was born in Prayagraj on September 1, 1980. He left his hometown to chase his acting dreams. Before becoming a household name with ‘Panchayat’, he spent a long time working behind the scenes. In the bustling city of Mumbai, he served as an assistant director, a promo producer, a reality show producer, and even a line producer. These were the years where he learned the ropes of the film industry from the inside out.
Faisal shared his story in an interview with Amar Ujala. He mentioned his journey has been going on for 22 years. People recognized him only after he started appearing on screen. But his real journey started much earlier. He did many shows and worked in production. He said many hundreds of nights were spent in trouble and tension during this time.
A Brother’s Trust and Mumbai’s Challenges
Faisal Malik grew up and studied in Prayagraj. He loved acting from a young age. He was very active in school activities, like events for Teachers’ Day. He told his family about his passion for acting. His parents worried about sending him to Mumbai. But his elder brother believed in his talent.
He recalled, “My elder brother lived in Delhi at the time. He had gone to Mumbai for a job. My brother and his friends thought I could make something of myself.” These few people even traveled with him by train to Mumbai. They helped him get into an acting school. However, he admitted he “failed” within three or four months. Mumbai is an expensive city. It teaches you that you have to work hard to survive.
An Accidental Start to Acting
The high cost of living in Mumbai made Faisal start working in other areas. He put his acting dreams aside for a while. He then decided to study Mass Communication, which included filmmaking. This led him to production work. He worked in promos and for two or three channels. He also worked on international shows and produced films. While doing all this, acting came calling. His acting career began in a very interesting way with the film ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.
Faisal Malik got his first acting chance by chance in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. He explained in an interview, “I was doing small-time production work when ‘Wasseypur’ happened.” The original actor for a role left the set. Faisal was then brought in to fill the spot. He later found out there were five or six more scenes for this character. He felt a bit stuck. When the film released, people remembered his character. However, even after ‘Wasseypur’, he didn’t act much for a while. He credits ‘Panchayat’ for changing everything.
‘Panchayat’ and Beyond
The ‘Panchayat’ series now has three seasons. For his work in ‘Panchayat 3’, Faisal received the Best Supporting Actor award at IIFA 2025. This recognition was a long time coming after years of dedication.
Besides ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, Faisal Malik has appeared in several other films. These include ‘Fraud Saiyaan’ (2019), ‘Mast Mein Rehne Ka’ (2023), ‘Dedh Bigha Zameen’ (2024), and ‘Pad Gaye Pange’ (2024). He also starred in web series like ‘Black Widows’ and ‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’. Looking ahead, Faisal will be seen in ‘Thama’, an upcoming horror film from Maddock Films’ horror universe. He will share the screen with Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandana in this exciting project. Faisal Malik’s story is a true testament to never giving up on your dreams.