A Melbourne migrant’s inspiring leap from corporate life to cinematic passion.

Some lives unfold not in a straight line but through bold reinventions. Satinder Chawla’s journey spans several chapters—banker, entrepreneur, volunteer, athlete, and actor—each shaped by discipline, service, and an unwavering desire to keep growing.
Born in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, to Sardar Balwant Singh Chawla and Sardarni Preetam Kaur, Satinder was raised with strong values and a love for learning. After completing his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya, he joined Punjab and Sind Bank in 1976. His career progressed steadily, and by 1985 he was posted to Chandigarh, where he continued rising through the ranks.
After 25 years of service, Satinder made a surprising decision—he opted for voluntary retirement under the BRS scheme. At that time, he was the youngest officer in his bank to take the step. “My seniors were shocked,” he recalls. “They felt it was my time to rise further. But I felt it was time for a new beginning.”
That new beginning arrived in the form of entrepreneurship. His wife Jaswinder had been running a small uniform and boutique business from home. Satinder joined her post-retirement, and together they expanded it significantly—from supplying six schools to nine and adding seven corporate clients. They also became the first in Punjab to introduce judo uniforms. “We walked into a completely different field and proved ourselves again,” he says with satisfaction.
Family shaped the couple’s next major transition. With one son working in Delhi and another pursuing studies in Australia, Satinder and Jaswinder decided it was time to reunite the family. In 2011, they migrated to Melbourne on a contributory parent visa. “When we landed, we looked around and said, ‘What a beautiful country,’” he remembers. “Clean, peaceful, welcoming—it felt right immediately.”
In Melbourne, Satinder continued his lifelong habit of service. He volunteered at Melbourne Airport and later worked at the duty-free shop, receiving commendations for both roles. A former badminton player who had competed at state and national levels, he also co-founded the Landmark Community Sports Club to encourage local sporting participation.
But destiny had yet another chapter waiting. In 2015, director Puneet Gulati offered Satinder a role, introducing him to the world of acting. Soon after, he appeared in Gurmeet Saran’s short film The Hidden Truth, marking the start of a prolific new career. A Punjabi feature film, Big Daddy, followed. Since then, Satinder has acted in nine feature films, two telefilms, and more than 170 short films, receiving recognition at festivals including Virasat.
Acting, he says, is not just work but passion—shaped by role models like Amitabh Bachchan, Amrish Puri, and Anupam Kher. His dream role is to portray an army officer, a tribute to the career he once wished to pursue but could not. “My mother feared for my safety,” he says. “Now I hope to fulfil that dream on screen.”
For aspiring actors, his advice is grounded in experience: passion, discipline, hard work, and humility.
Surrounded by his wife, two sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, Satinder considers himself blessed. What moves him most is when people still approach him saying, “Uncle, you helped me years ago.”
His guiding principle remains unchanged: live with purpose and give quietly. “My father always said, if you give with your right hand, your left should not know. That’s how I want to be remembered.”
- Tonee Sethi