Johnny Walker

Johnny Walker was an Indian actor who was one of Hindi cinema's earliest and best-known stand-up comedians. He was born as Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, one of twelve children of a weaving teacher. When his father lost his job, the family moved to Mumbai. Kazi, who got a job as a Bombay Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) bus conductor, took it upon himself to entertain his passengers with his comical way of calling out bus stops, his hilarious impressions and tricks. Throughout his youth, he dreamed of being involved in films, idolising Noor Mohammed Charlie and practicing stunts that he saw on-screen. He got a break in the film industry after actor Balraj Sahni encountered him introduced him to actor and director Guru Dutt without the latter's knowledge after being amused by Kazi's antics. ² It was Guru Dutt who gave him the name of Johnny Walker, a reference to the brand of Scotch whisky, when he was inspired by Kazi's display in the role of a drunkard. ³ Thereafter, Walker appeared in all but one of Dutt's movies and the director encouraged him to ad lib and to draw on his varied life experiences. ³ He was primarily an actor of comedic roles but towards the end of his life became disenchanted, saying, Earlier, comedians had a respectable position and an almost parallel role with the protagonist, now it is just to bring a touch of humour. I don't buy that. His attempts to portray heroic personae in the eponymous Johnny Walker (1957) and Mr. Qartoon (1961) were not successful but films such as Mere Mehboob (1963), C.I.D. (1956), Pyaasa (1957) and Chori Chori (1956) made him a star. His heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s and his later career was affected by the death of Dutt, who had greatly influenced it, in 1964. He worked with directors such as Bimal Roy and Vijay Anand but his career faded in the 1980s. He was unwilling to adopt the cruder form of comedy and changed priorities that had become the vogue, saying that The comedian of yesteryear had a meaty role. It was almost parallel to the role of the hero. The hero was the idealistic person, who was fighting the world. The comedian was the realistic person, who was commenting on the world. He was the common man, who was suffering the ills of the society. He was the one, who was making fun of the villain. He was the one, who was bringing a smile to the face of the audience. He was the one, who was giving a message to the society. But today, the comedian has no role. He is just there to tickle the funny bone of the audience. He is just there to make fun of himself. He is just there to make the audience laugh at his expense. He died of kidney failure at his home in Mumbai on 29 July 2003, at the age of 79.