Imam Sahab is No More: R.I.P Avtar Kishan Hangal, 95

"Itna Sanaata kyun hai bhai?" For Imam Saheb is no longer here to ask us why there is such an encompassing silence all around.

A.K.Hangal passed away on the 26th of August 2012, he was 95. A noted theatre actor, Hangal made his Hindi film debut at the age of 50. The 1970's was a busy period for the noted character actor, right from acting in more than a dozen Rajesh Khanna films, and performing his most popular role - that of Imam Saheb in Sholay (1975).

Imam Saheb is a subdued character, his blindness meant to convey pathos. In contrast to the film's powerful, vengeful persona, he is vulnerable and fragile, his only light been his young son Ahmed.Then there is the aspect of respect, the introductory lines that convey how everyone in the village is ever ready to help him. 

Ahmed's brutal murder acts as a catalyst for the film's violent curve, but for Imam Saheb the loss is already irreversible. His hope dimmed, he still finds the courage to walk up the steps to offer his prayers. 

A Rare Dharmendra Photograph

The image is courtesy the site oldindianphotos.in

Sachin Pilgaonkar as AHMED

  
Barely 18 when he did Sholay, Sachin Pilgaonkar had already done ample roles as a child artist. He debuted at the incredible age of five in the Marathi movie Ha Maaza Marg Eekla (This is only my path) in 1962. In the classic 1967 Vijay Anand thriller Jewel Thief we can presume that Sachin is the child kidnapped in the opening minutes, a plot that forms the crux of the story. He is seen with Dev Anand and Vyjayanthimala in later parts of the film. The 1968 film that won Shammi Kapoor his only Filmfare Best Actor Award  - Brahmachari, had Sachin among the adopted children, apart from another child artist Junior Mehmood.

In the same year as Sholay released, Sachin played the lead in the surprise Rajashri Productions' hit Geet Gaata Chal. After a brief period of success in Hindi, his last major solo lead hit was the 1982 Bhojpuri hit  Nadiya Ke Paar. As roles became few and far between, Sachin drifted to Marathi films. In the 90's he directed his talented wife Supriya as one of the protagonists on the popular comedy TV series Tu Tu Main Main.

As Ahmed, Sachin plays son to a blind father. The father, played with great pathos by A.K.Hangal, coaxes him to join his uncle's business in the city. Ahmed is adamant on his refusal, he wants to stay and care for his father.Later in the film, Ahmed's character acts as a catalyst for the film's epic gun-booming climax. Like you didn't know all that, fellow Sholay-ites, but then there is always somebody who hasn't seen the film. For that rare specimen, the explanation.        

An undated recent photo of Sachin

Nasreen Munni Kabir’s 1989 documentary on Amitabh Bachchan...

Here are the youtube links to the 1989 documentary on Amitabh Bachchan...

FOLLOW THAT STAR: PART 1

FOLLOW THAT STAR: PART 2

FOLLOW THAT STAR: PART 3

FOLLOW THAT STAR: PART 4

Enjoy!

Coming in 2013?: SHOLAY 3D

There is no release date yet. "Early next year" is the latest release word bandied about.

It is confirmed folks. An epic movie is been given the epic 3D treatment. Sholay, almost four hours long, is one the biggest films to be converted to this format. Producer-Director Ketan Mehta owned Maya Digital Studios is doing the honours. No easy task, considering the movie needed colour correction. Also, elements from each of the over 5000 shots were enhanced visually. A computer-generated shot that fans will notice - The oil barrels exploding in the train robbery sequence shall spark red instead of black. This is to go with the film's title, implying embers.

Jai-Veeru Time Machine

Inspector Saab, aapko kahi dekha hai, aap Facebook pe toh nahi hai? 

Jai aur Thakur

Jai, raat ke do baje hai, abhi bas bhi karo, Gabbar jaag jayega!