He has played lead roles in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's National Film Award-winning Bagh Bahadur and Saeed Akhtar Mirza's Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, both released in 1989.

Thereafter he was production assistant in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Khamosh and Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho!.

Pavan ventured into the Delhi theatre circuit, thereafter he moved to Mumbai, where he started with the television industry as an assistant on the sets of the TV series, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), before he got a role in Saeed Akhtar Mirza's TV series on Doordarshan, Nukkad (1986), which got him noticed.

Meanwhile, he had entered the film industry and made his debut with Pankaj Parashar's Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984).

Over the years he had worked with directors like Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Saeed Akhtar Mirza, Shyam Benegal, Deepa Mehta and Roland Joffé.