Child actor who played young Shah Rukh in Baazigar now runs a media company
Sumeet Pathak, who played the young Ajay Malhotra in the 1993 film Baazigar, now runs Gulmohar Media with his wife and business partner Shweta Pathak.
Many performers in the entertainment world won over audiences as child actors. Some went on acting, while others chose a different path. Sumeet Pathak is one of them. The name may not come to mind at once, but many people still remember the child actor who played Shah Rukh Khan's younger self in the 1993 film Baazigar.
Pathak made his debut as a child actor in 1992 with Ek Ladka Ek Ladki. The next year, in 1993, he got the role of the young Ajay Malhotra, played by Shah Rukh Khan, in Baazigar, directed by Abbas-Mustan. His screen time in the film was short, but his effective acting drew the audience's attention. He is said to have won the Filmfare award for best child artist for the role.
After Baazigar's success, Pathak worked in films such as Ikke Pe Ikka, Rajkumar and Mahir. Alongside acting, he focused on studies and training. He studied at the National School of Drama in Delhi and also trained in classical dance.
Holding on to a child actor's identity as an adult actor is not easy, and Pathak saw that phase too. In 2002 he returned to the big screen with Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge, in which he played Salman Khan's brother. In 2004 he appeared with Vatsal Sheth in Tarzan: The Wonder Car. However, he gained particular popularity from a television role.
Between 2005 and 2007, Pathak played Joy Sehgal in the Hungama TV serial Hero: Bhakti Hi Shakti Hai. In the story, Joy receives great power from Goddess Durga and uses it to fight evil. The show was widely liked, especially by children and young viewers, and the role brought Pathak great recognition too.
Alongside acting, Pathak also carved out a place behind the screen. With his wife and business partner Shweta Pathak, he started Gulmohar Media. The company first worked in language localisation, then expanded into post-production and media technology. It now operates in several Indian cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. Moving beyond the traditional studio model, it has also adopted cloud-based editing and production, allowing teams in different places to work together on one project.
Gulmohar Media handled the localisation of Aamir Khan Productions' well-known social programme Satyamev Jayate. Taking the programme to audiences in many languages gave the company experience of running large-scale localisation projects. Its scope then grew, and it is no longer limited to language localisation but also works in content production and media technology.
Pathak's journey has not been limited to acting. He has also worked as a voice artist, lending his voice to well-known animated shows such as Oswald, Power Rangers, Richie Rich and Beyblade. He has also worked on the Hindi versions of several South Indian films. Gradually he moved away from acting in front of the camera and began to focus more on work behind the scenes.
Gulmohar Media is no longer confined to the Indian market. To take Indian content to audiences in South-East Asia, the company is working on Indian anime projects. It is also working on international content from countries such as France and Germany.
Once in the spotlight for playing Shah Rukh Khan's younger self in Baazigar, Pathak is now making his mark behind the scenes of the entertainment world. His journey from child actor to actor, voice artist and now media entrepreneur is a striking one.
