Sayaji Shinde


Sayaji Shinde is an Indian actor who appears in Indian films.
Sayaji started his acting career in 1978 in Marathi Plays one-act plays. His performance in a 1987 Marathi play titled Zulva was very well received, and since then he started gaining popularity among the circle of stalwarts. Later, he moved on to Marathi cinema and then started acting in other languages. He won Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Marathi for Aboli film, for his reprising debutant role "Sayaji".
Sayaji Shinde joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on 11 October 2024 ahead of 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, NCP working president Praful Patel, and State unit chief Sunil Tatkare.

Background

Born in a farmer's family in a small village named Sakharwadi in Satara District in Maharashtra, Sayaji completed his bachelor's degree in arts in Marathi language, and started his career in 1978 while studying in college as a night watchman for Maharashtra Government's Irrigation Department for a meager pay of Rs. 165 per month. During his service as a watchman, he developed an interest in theatre and his passion for acting drew him to the theatre and films. After his initial struggling years, he moved to Mumbai.

Career

Sayaji pursued acting first through Marathi theatre. He started doing one-act plays in 1978, and went on to get noticed in plays like Zulva, One Room Kitchen and Amchya Ya Gharat. He then moved to acting in Marathi cinema.
The co-actor Manoj Bajpayee who saw an article on the actor in a leading national daily and recommended him to Ram Gopal Varma in his 1999 action crime Hindi film Shool. Sayaji had a career breakthrough with Gnana Rajasekaran's 2000 Tamil film Bharathi, where he played Subramania Bharati, the popular poet and writer from Tamil Nadu.
He then went on to appear in Bollywood movies like Vaastu Shastra, Sarkar Raj, and Sanju.
Sayaji Shinde has acted in a wide range of films, portraying diverse characters, including villains, supporting roles, and occasionally, comedic roles. In 2024 Sayaji Shinde also acted in a Punjabi movie Mittran Da Challeya Truck Ni.

Filmography

Telugu

Marathi

YearTitleRole
1994Vazir
1995AboliSayaji
1995Maajhi Maanasa
1995Katha Doan Ganpatraonchi
1999LadhaaiVijay Nadkarni
2001Ashi GyaneshwariSavle
2005Kunku Zale VairiArjun Mane Patil
2008Gallit Gondhal, Dillit MujraChandrakant Tope
2008Oxygen-Jeev GudmartoyaAnnasaheb Patange Patil
2009Bapu Beeru VategaonkarRanga
2009Goshta Choti DongraevadhiAgriculture Minister
2009Bapu Veer Borgakar
2009Jai Maharashtra
2010Tya Ratri Paus HotaShripatirao
2011Tambyacha Vishnubala
2011Don Ghadicha Daav
2011Bokad
2013Tendulkar OutSunil Tendulkar
2013Sat Na GatAnna
2014Punha Gondhal Punha MujraVishwasrao Tope
2015MoharSayaji
2015DholkiPatil
2016Babanchi ShalaJailor
2017YuntumRaaosaheb
2017Shoor Aamhi SardarMLA Mali
2017BhikariVishwananth
2018Love BettingGolya Patil
2019Tandav
2019BaboBhaskar
2022Faas
2023Ghar Banduk BiryaniPallam
2023Aadharwad
2023Aani Baani
2023Pahije Jatiche
2023AnkushRana Pardeshi
2023Sasubai Jorat
2023Ekda Yeun Tar BaghaNutan Sheth
2025All Is Well

Hindi

Tamil

YearTitleRole
2000BharathiSubramaniya Bharathi
2001Poovellam Un VaasamRajasekar
2002AzhagiDhanalakshmi's Husband
2002BabaDivyananda Bharathi
2003DhoolMinister Kalai Pandiyan
2006SudesiR. C. Narayan
2007Azhagiya Tamil MaganSeth
2008VaitheeswaranDhanasekaran
2008Santosh SubramaniamGovindhan
2009PadikkathavanRami Reddy
2009Thoranai Minister Sivanandi
2009TheeRajapandian
2009Aadhavan Ibrahim Rowther
2009VettaikkaranKattabomman
2011VediEaswaramoorthy
2011Velayudham Feroz Khan
2012Oru Kal Oru KannadiMahendra Kumar
2012Thaandavam Ravichandran
2013SettaiJewelry owner
2014Maan KarateSethuraman
2014Damaal DumeelKamatchi Sundaram
2015NannbendaSathya's Father
2015Vasuvum Saravananum Onna PadichavangaAshok
2017SpyderDGP Chandrasekhar
2018KaalaUnion Minister of Maharashtra
2018JohnnyKalyan
2019PottuDr. R.K.
2019Rocky: The RevengeThenappan
2019ActionRehman
2019Market Raja MBBSGod Father Radha
2020CocktailRajamanickam
2021Nayae Peyae
2021SabhaapathyLucky Raja
2022Nenjuku NeedhiCBI Officer
2022GethuleMinister Mani
2023Aghori
2024Indian 2Balsingh
2024Oru TheeAnu's father
2025Rajabheema
2025Good Bad UglyAlok Shukla
2025KuberaaSI Ashok Godbole

Kannada

Malayalam

YearTitleRole
2010Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
2013NadodimannanPushpam Prakashan

Bhojpuri

YearTitleNotes
2022Dharmawith Pawan Singh & Kajal Raghwani.
TBAFighter Kingwith Samar Singh
2022Rowdy Rockywith Pradeep Pandey "Chintu"

English

YearTitleRole
2006Rockin MeeraTiger Singh

Television

Web series

Production

He produced couple of Marathi movies. Sayaji helped Nagesh Bhonsle to produce the Marathi film Goshta Choti Dongraevadhi. He also produced the Makarand Anaspure's Dambis.

Awards and nominations

  • 1995 : Won: Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Marathi - Aboli for his reprising role "Sayaji"
  • 2001:Nominated:Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Kurukshetra
  • 2000:Nominated:Filmfare Best Villain Award for Shool
  • 2006:Nominated:Filmfare Award for Best Villain – Telugu for Andhrudu
  • 2009:Nominated:Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Telugu for Arundhati
  • 2023:Won:Maharashtracha Favourite Kon? Award for Favourite Villain for Ghar Banduk Biryani
  • 2023:Nom:Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Marathi for ''Ghar Banduk Biryani''