Sayaji Shinde (Marathi pronunciation: [səjaːd͡ʒiː ʃin̪d̪eː]; born 13 January 1959) 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 (1995) film, for his reprising debutant role "Sayaji".
Sayaji Shinde joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 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. Early life Sayaji Shinde was born on 13 January 1959 in Vele, a village in Satara district, Maharashtra, into a family of farmers. In interviews, he has described his childhood as one of poverty, stating that his family's agricultural land was submerged following the construction of a dam, leaving the family without a stable source of livelihood.
He moved to Satara for his education and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Marathi. While studying, he worked as a night watchman for the Irrigation Department of the Government of Maharashtra, earning ₹165 per month, and later worked as a clerk and at a co-operative bank. During his college years, Shinde became involved in amateur theatre. His interest in acting eventually led him to Mumbai, where he worked in a salaried position at a bank for seventeen years while pursuing acting in theatre.
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 (1987), One Room Kitchen (1989) and Amchya Ya Gharat (1991). 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 (2003), Sarkar Raj (2008), and Sanju (2018).
Sayaji Shinde has acted in a wide range of films, portraying diverse characters, including villains, supporting roles, and occasionally, comedic roles.
Personal life Shinde married Alka Shinde in 2002, who is fifteen years younger than him. The couple have a son, Siddharth Shinde. He divides his time between Mumbai and Satara, where Sahyadri Devrai is registered. He has attributed his involvement in afforestation to the death of his mother, whom he promised to plant 5,000 native trees in her memory. The pledge later grew into a larger afforestation initiative.
On 11 April 2024, Shinde was admitted to Pratibha Hospital in Satara after experiencing severe chest pain. Doctors reported a 99 per cent blockage in one of his coronary arteries, following which he underwent an emergency angioplasty.
Other work
Film production Shinde has produced Marathi films in addition to acting. He supported Nagesh Bhonsle in producing Goshta Choti Dongraevadhi, in which he also played an agriculture minister, and produced Makarand Anaspure's Dambis (2011).
Environmental work Shinde founded Sahyadri Devrai in 2015 and serves as its president, with the organisation working to restore devrai, the community-protected sacred groves of the Western Ghats, using indigenous tree species. According to the organisation, it has planted more than 650,000 native trees at over 29 sites across Maharashtra, along with establishing tree banks, a butterfly garden and biodiversity parks.
In March 2023, Shinde narrowly escaped a swarm of bees while replanting trees that had been uprooted for the widening of the Pune–Bengaluru expressway near Taswade.
Shinde has also campaigned against tree felling. In November 2025, he opposed a plan by the Nashik Municipal Corporation to remove approximately 1,700 trees in the Tapovan area to make way for a Sadhu Gram for the Kumbh Mela. He questioned assurances of compensatory planting given by minister Girish Mahajan and criticised road-widening work in Satara district that he said would result in the removal of around 400 banyan trees. Although a member of the governing coalition's NCP, Shinde said he would oppose the state government if it proceeded with the tree removal. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar subsequently backed his position, saying environmental balance mattered as much as development, while some akhara leaders accused Shinde of misunderstanding the Kumbh Mela.
Politics Shinde joined the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar on 11 October 2024 in Mumbai, ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election. He was inducted into the party in the presence of Pawar, then Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, party working president Praful Patel and state unit chief Sunil Tatkare.
Shinde said that although he had portrayed politicians on screen, he had never been one himself, and that his social work had led him to believe that working within the political system would allow him to pursue those activities more effectively. He also said that his interactions with Pawar during tree-plantation activities had influenced his decision to join the party. Pawar announced that Shinde would serve as one of the party's star campaigners for the assembly election, while minister Chhagan Bhujbal referred to him as both an actor and social activist. He did not contest the election.
Filmography
Telugu Year Title Role 2003 Tagore Badrinarayana Veede Byragi Naidu2004 Andhrawala Bade Mia Gudumba Shankar 'Bejawada' Shankar Narayana2005 Orey Pandu Vicky's father Super Inspector Athadu Shiva Reddy Andhrudu Rana That Is Pandu Bhagawan2006 Devadasu Katamraju Lakshmi Janardhan Pokiri Syed Mohammad Pasha Qadri Veerabhadra Peddi Raju Naayudamma Boss - I Love You S.R.K. Rakhi State Minister 2007 Lakshmi Kalyanam President Chenchuramaiah Sri Mahalakshmi Janardhan Aata Police Officer Shankar Dada Zindabad Rajalingam Dubai Seenu Baabji Chirutha ASP Ajay Takkari Guru Maisamma IPS Minister Sadhu Godava Anjali's father2008 Krishna Shinde Ontari ACP John Appa Rao 40 Plus Razaq Chintakayala Ravi Ramachandra Rao Sawaal Neninthe Film Producer King Gopi Mohan (King's Uncle) 2009 Fitting Master Police Officer Arundhati Anwar Satyameva JayateAnand Rao Mestri Apparaju Bangaru Babu Narsimha Rao Kick Kalyan's father Pistha Minister Sivanaandi Baanam Chandrasekhar Panigrahi Bumper Offer Surya Prakash Arya 2 Kashi Reddy Raatri 2010 AdhursNaik Varudu Home MinisterRama Rama Krishna KrishnaDIG in Mumbai Police Don Seenu Machiraju Maa Annayya Bangaram Subba Raidu2011 Vastadu Naa Raju Home Minister Shakti Sivaji Mr. Perfect Maggie's uncle Seema Tapakai Gurajada Krishnamurthy (GK) Dookudu Minister Shivangi Meka Narasingh Rao Oosaravelli Tony's father Solo Vishwanath 2012 Sudigadu Priya's father Yamudiki MoguduYama Endukante... Premanta! Krishna Rao Tuneega Tuneega Dr. James Daruvu Superstar Balram Businessman Laalu Saab2013 Jabardasth Bihar Yadav Shadow Chaithanya Prasad aka CP BhaiHome Minister Pande Baadshah IG Ramchandra 2014 BasantiCommissioner Ali Khan Rabhasa Dhanunjay Yamaleela 2 Yama Oka Laila Kosam Nandana's Father Race GurramChief Minister Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitham Ganga Prasad JoruMLA Sadasivam 1: Nenokkadine Inspector Jaan Basha 2015 Bengal Tiger Agriculture Minister Samba Sher IPS Sharath Chandra Bruce Lee – The Fighter Marthand Surya vs Surya Sanjana's Father2016 Saptagiri Express Umesh Chandra Dhruva Dhiraj Chandra Brahmotsavam Rao Ramesh's brother Shourya Maheswara Rao Hyper Udayashankar Dictator Bokha SivaramMister 420 2017 PSV Garuda Vega Mining Minister Oxygen Veerabhadram Spyder DGP Chandrasekhar Andhhagadu ACP Dharma2018 Amar Akbar Anthony Jalal Akbar Touch Chesi Chudu DGP Ramachandra Rao Hello Guru Prema Kosame Karthik's father Pantham CBI Officer Officer JCP Ramdas Mehbooba Roshan's father Inttelligent Police Officer Mohanty Kirrak Party Krishna's Father2019 Ruler Durga Prasad iSmart Shankar CBI Officer Chandrakanth Software Sudheer Chandu's father 2021 Vakeel Saab Minister Shankar Reddy2022 Godse Godfather Bangaram Naidu2023 Maa Awara Zindagi Ala Ila Ela Anu's father2024Aho Vikramaarka Double iSmart CBI Officer Chandrakanth Maa Nanna Superhero SrinivasFear2025JigelKuberaa SI Ashok Godbole
Marathi
Year Title Role 1992Ek Hota VidushakMaster1994 Vazir 1995 Aboli Sayaji Maajhi Maanasa Katha Doan Ganpatraonchi1999Ladhaai Vijay Nadkarni2001Ashi GyaneshwariSavle 2005 Kunku Zale Vairi Arjun Mane Patil 2008 Gallit Gondhal, Dillit Mujra Chandrakant Tope Oxygen-Jeev Gudmartoya Annasaheb Patange Patil2009 Bapu Beeru Vategaonkar Ranga Goshta Choti Dongraevadhi Agriculture Minister Bapu Veeru VategaonkarSayaji Jai Maharashtra 2010 Tya Ratri Paus HotaShripatirao2011 Tambyacha VishnubalaVishnubala Don Ghadicha Daav Bokad 2013 Tendulkar OutSunil Tendulkar Sat Na GatAnna (Shinde) 2014 Punha Gondhal Punha Mujra Vishwasrao Tope 2015 MoharSayaji DholkiPatil 2016 Babanchi ShalaJailor 2017 Yuntum Raaosaheb Shoor Aamhi SardarMLA Mali BhikariVishwananth 2018 Love BettingGolya Patil 2019 Tandav BaboBhaskar2022FaasDr. Patil 2023Ghar Banduk Biryani PallamAadharwad Shravan's fatherAani BaaniSarpanchPahije JaticheBabaAnkushRana Pardeshi Sasubai Jorat SasrebuaEkda Yeun Tar BaghaNutan Sheth2025All Is Well Appa2026The Maharashtra FilesPatilManjar Appasaheb Kulvant
Hindi Year Title Role 1990 Disha Soma's friend1995Senani Sane Guruji1997 Darmiyaan: In BetweenChampa 1999 Shool Bachoo Yadav2000 Khiladi 420Bhai's Henchman Gangster Kurukshetra Havaldar Gopinath Surve Patil "Gopi"2001 Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa Bijnora Shirdi Sai Baba AvgatNarayan Keni Daman: A Victim of Marital ViolenceSanjay Saikia Jodi No.1Thakral John's Mama Lagi Shaarth2002 Karz: The Burden of TruthHimmatbhai Pardesi Re RoadInspector Singh Lal Salaam Inspector G.C. Deshpande Ansh: The Deadly Part Govind "Edda" Kaaboo Anna2003 Marktet Inspector Sawant Parwana Yashwantrao Waghmare Calcutta Mail Lakhan Yadav Pran Jaye Par Shaan Na Jaye Sayaji Rane (Sheela's Husband) Danav Thakur Raja Sahab2004 Vaastu Shastra Inspector Bhupal Gorpade Hanan Inspector Pardesi Satya BolShinde Mujhse Shaadi Karogi Tommy's friend2005 Sauda - The Deal Blackmailer Nigehbaan: The Third Eye Chaahat Ek NashaManmohan Rangeela Jackpot2006 Chhal: The Game of Death Deodhar Gandhi Jeet: Feel the Force2007 Big Brother Baburao 'Bhau' Kamble2008 Ugly Aur PagliHotel Manager Sarkar Raj Karunesh Kaanga2009Team: The ForceRaman Bhai Yeh Mera India Inspector Chandrakant Shinde Ek: The Power of One 2018 Sanju Bandu Dada KaalaMaharashtra Minister2021 Antim: The Final Truth Head Constable2022 Govinda Naam Mera Ajit Dharkar2023 Aazam Madan ShikreAjmer 92DIG Shekhawat 2024 Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha Yeda Anna 2026 Ramyaa Anna Shetty
Tamil