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Amol Palekar, actor and director of the 70-80s, has turned 79 years old. Born on November 24, 1944 in Mumbai, Palekar was a star of offbeat films and won people’s hearts with his calm and effortless acting.
His speaking style, comedy style and emotional style were also unique. Amol Palekar was famous for situational comedy. He tried his luck in theater before entering the world of acting. Let’s look at some such facts on the occasion of birthday…
After graduation, Amol Palekar worked in many ad agencies.
Amol Palekar was a clerk in the bank.
Palekar started his career as an artist from Mumbai’s famous college JJ School of Arts. He was also a painter during his college days. When Amol took admission in JJ School of Fine Arts, he taught typing to meet his expenses. After graduation, worked in many ad agencies.
After that, he got a job as a clerk in a bank, so he worked in the bank during the day and painting at night. There are many aspects to Amol’s life.
According to him, he became an actor by chance, a producer out of compulsion, a director by his own will, but at heart he is a painter. Even in acting and direction, we look at things from the perspective of a painter.
used to donate the earnings from paintings
In 1967, Amol’s paintings were not accepted by any gallery for exhibition. Then the famous painter K.H.Ara not only praised Amol’s paintings, but also gave his dates at the Taj Art Gallery to Amol. But Amol was on probation in a bank job at that time, hence he was not allowed to go to the exhibition.
Since 2014, exhibitions of his paintings have been held in Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai and America. Amol donates the income he earns from selling his paintings to social causes.
Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt in the film ‘Golmaal’.
Received award for ‘Gol Maal’
Amol Palekar, who started his career in 1971, worked in Bollywood for about one and a half decade, did about 40 films but he received the Filmfare Award only once as a hero. This award was given to him in 1980 for the film ‘Golmaal’.
Rajnigandha (1974), Gharaunda (1976), Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Golmaal (1979) were the best films of his career. Of these, ‘Chhoti Si Baat’ was a low budget film, whose success created a stir in Bollywood at that time.
Two plays have been banned
Amol Palekar did his first play “Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe” in 1968. Made his first Marathi film Bajiraucha Beta (1969) and first Hindi film Rajnigandha (1974). Formed his own theater group ‘Aniket’ in 1972.
Two of Amol’s plays were banned by the Maharashtra government on charges of obscenity. He raised his voice against this. Spoke against theater censorship in 2016. In 2017, a writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court to change some sections of the Cinematography Act. Went to court against the censorship of the Censor Board.
Shahrukh Khan and Amol Palekar.
Also directed, five films won National Awards
As a director, he directed many films and also directed some serials. Amol stepped into direction in the year 1981 with the Marathi film ‘Akrit’. Five films made by him have received National Awards.
These films are- Bangarwadi (Marathi), Daira (Feature Film), Carry, Dhyas Parv, Quest (English). His last directed Hindi film was ‘Paheli’.
This film starring Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee did not do well at the box office. Although ‘Paheli’ was declared the Indian entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Oscars, the film did not win the award.
His last directed film was the Marathi film ‘Dhussar’ released in 2011. Amol Palekar was seen as a character artist this year in the web series ‘Farzi’ and the film ‘Gulmohar’.
had two marriages
Amol Palekar was first married to Sandhya Gokhale but both of them got divorced in 2001. Both of them were married in 1969 and it lasted for 32 years. After divorce, Palekar married Chitra in 2001. Palekar is the father of two daughters.
