A. K. Hangal

Infobox actor
name = A. K. Hangal


imagesize = 200
caption = A. K. Hangal Bio
birthdate = 1917
location = Sialkot, Punjab
yearsactive = 1966-present
height =
occupation = Actor
birthname = Avtar Kishan Hangal
othername = Padmabhushan Avtar Krishna Hangal
homepage =
notable role = Blind Imaam Saheb in "Sholay" (1975)
filmfareawards=

A.K. Hangal, born Avtar Kishan Hangal, (1917, Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan) is a well known character actor of Indian Hindi films.

His childhood was spent in Peshawar, where he had performed in theatre for some major roles. However, his primary occupation for the early part of his life was that of a tailor. He was an active participant in the Indian freedom struggle. Following his father's retirement, the family moved from Peshawar to Karachi. He moved to Bombay after the Partition of India in 1949 after 3 years in prison in Pakistan. He was involved with the theatre group IPTA along with Balraj Sahni and Kaifi Azmi, both of whom had Marxist leanings.

He started his Hindi film career at the very late age of 30 with Basu Bhattacharya's Teesri Kasam in 1966, and went on to play the quintessential meek and oppressed old man in innumerable Hindi movies. His own favourites are the roles he played in "Sholay" and "Shaukeen". In movies he has played a very large number of character roles, mostly positive. He has acted in more than 125 films so far.

Awards

The Government of India awarded him the prestigious Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Hindi Cinema in 2006.

Controversy

In 1993 he had applied for a visa to visit his birthplace in Pakistan, and the embassy invited him to Pakistan day celebration and he attended that. Next day Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray took offence "A.K. Hangal Deshdrohi hai"(in his newspaper Samna)and there was a talk of a boycott and having his scenes removed from films. His films were removed from the theates in and around Maharashtra. His film posters were torn, effigies were burnt and threatening call were given. After a year meeting were called in his support and Bal Thackeray clarified a year later that he had not asked for a boycott and roles started coming back to Hangal.

Family

He has a son, and after the death of his wife, he lives alone in his flat in Santa Cruz, Mumbai. His son Vijay has been a still photographer in Bollywood.

External links

*
* [http://www.rediff.com/entertai/nov/15ak.htm The genial revolutionary] . "Rediff.com".
* [http://www.hindu.com/fr/2006/02/24/stories/2006022403650100.htm Marxist who made it good in movies ] "The Hindu".
* [http://www.masalatalk.com/masalaboard/showthread.php?t=325143 A K Hangal Fan Club]