Avtar Kishan Hangal

A. K. Hangal was an Indian freedom fighter and actor who participated in the Indian independence movement from 1929 to 1947. He was also a theatre actor from 1936 to 1965 and later became a character actor in Hindi films from 1966 to 2005. He was born in Sialkot, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan) into a Kashmiri Pandit family. He spent his childhood and youth in Peshawar, where he performed in theatre for some major roles. His father was a government employee and his mother died when he was only five years old. He was married to Manorma Dar from Agra and had a son named Vijay, who also worked as a photographer in Bollywood. Hangal started his film career at the age of 50 with Basu Bhattacharya's Teesri Kasam. He went on to act in more than 200 films, playing mostly elderly and supporting roles. He worked with many prominent actors and directors of Hindi cinema, such as Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Gulzar, Basu Chatterjee, etc. Some of his most notable roles are as Ram Shastri in Aaina (1977), as Inder Sen in Shaukeen (1982), as Bipinlal Pandey in Namak Haraam (1973), as Imaam Saab in Sholay (1975), as Anokhelal in Manzil (1979) and as the antagonist in Prem Bandhan (1979). He also appeared in some television shows, such as Tamas (1987), Chandrakanta (1994) and Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon (2012). He received the Padma Bhushan award in 2006 for his contribution to Hindi cinema. He was also a staunch supporter of the Communist Party of India and a vocal critic of the Shiv Sena. He faced financial and health problems in his later years and died of respiratory failure at the age of 98 in Mumbai. He was cremated at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle. He is remembered as one of the most endearing and versatile actors of Indian cinema.