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Amol Palekar

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Amol Palekar
Palekar in 2016
Born (1944-11-24) 24 November 1944 (age 79)[1]
Bombay, Bombay Province, British India
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • singer
Years active1971–present
Spouses
Chitra Palekar
​
​
(m. 1969; div. 2001)​
Sandhya Gokhale[2]
​
​
(m. 2001)​
Parents
  • Kamalakar Palekar (father)
  • Suhasini Palekar (mother)
AwardsFilmfare Best Actor Award:
1979: Gol Maal
Websiteamolpalekar.com
Signature

Amol Palekar (born 24 November 1944) is an Indian actor, director and producer of Hindi and Marathi cinema.[3]

Early life and education

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Palekar was born to Kamlakar and Suhasini Palekar in a Marathi speaking middle-class family in Mumbai. He had three sisters called Neelon, Rekha and Unnati. His father worked in the General Post Office and his mother worked in a private company.[4] Palekar studied fine arts at the Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, and commenced his artistic career as a painter. As a painter, he had seven one-man exhibitions and participated in many group shows.[5]

Acting career

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Although he trained in fine arts, Palekar is better known as a stage and film actor. He has been active in the avant garde theatre in India in Marathi and Hindi theatre as an actor, director and producer since 1967. His contribution to the modern Indian theatre is often overshadowed by his popularity as a lead actor in Hindi films.

As a film actor, he was most prominent in the 1970s. His image as a "boy next door" contrasted with the larger-than-life heroes prevalent at that time in Indian cinema. He received three Filmfare Awards and six State awards as Best Actor. His performances in regional language films in Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam and Kannada fetched him critical acclaim as well. He decided not to act after 1986 in order to concentrate on filmmaking.

As a director, he is known for the sensitive portrayal of women, selection of classic stories from Indian literature, and perceptive handling of progressive issues. He has directed several television serials on the national network such as Kachchi Dhoop, Mrignayani, Naquab, Paool Khuna and Krishna Kali.

Theatre career

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Palekar began in Marathi experimental theatre with Satyadev Dubey, and later started his own group, Aniket, in 1972. As a theatre actor, he was part of popular plays like Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe, Hayavadana and Adhe Adhure.[6] Following a performance on stage at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (India) (NCPA) in 1994, he returned to theatre after a gap of 25 years with the suspenseful play, Kusur (The Mistake).[7] This play is directed by him and he also plays the lead role.[8]

Movie career

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Palekar in 2011

Palekar made his debut in 1971 with the Marathi film Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe directed by Satyadev Dubey, which started the New Cinema Movement in Marathi.[9] In 1974 he was cast as an actor by Basu Chatterjee in Rajnigandha, and in the surprise low-budget hit, Chhoti Si Baat. This led to many other such roles in "middle-class" comedies, mostly alternative. These were mostly directed by Chatterjee or Hrishikesh Mukherjee and included films such as Gol Maal and Naram Garam. He won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for Gol Maal.

He is noted for his image of the "middle-class everyman" who struggles to get a job (Gol Maal), his own flat (Gharonda), a girlfriend/wife (Baaton Baaton Mein), and appreciation from his boss.

In 1979, he was paired with a sixteen-year-old Sridevi in Solva Saawan, which was her debut Hindi movie as a heroine. Amol played the role of an intellectually disabled man, a character played by Kamal Haasan in the original Tamil movie.

In 1982 he played the role of Ravi in the Malayalam movie Olangal. He turned to directing with the Marathi film Aakriet. He showed his capabilities as a director with movies such as Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen and Paheli. Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen has become a part of management courses and study pertaining to human behaviour.[10] Paheli was India's official entry for Best Foreign Film at the 2006 Oscars. The movie, however, did not make it to the final nominations.

Palekar in 2016

He has also given his voice to an HIV/AIDS education animated software tutorial created by the nonprofit organization TeachAids.[11] He is willing to act once again if he is given a challenging role.[12]

Personal life

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He married Sandhya Gokhale after his divorce from his first wife, Chitra.[13][14][2] Palekar regards himself as an agnostic atheist.[15]

In February 2022, Palekar was hospitalized in Pune for COVID-19 related complications.[16]

Filmography

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As an actor

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Year Film Role Notes
1969 Bajiraocha Beta Marathi film
1971 Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe Marathi film
1974 Rajnigandha Sanjay
1975 Jeevana Jyoti Sanjay Telugu film
1976 Chhoti Si Baat Arun Pradeep Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Chitchor Vinod
1977 Gharaonda Sudip
Bhumika Keshav Dalvi Won: Filmfare Special Performance Award[17]
Agar... If Anil Aggarwal
Taxi Taxie Dev/Hero
Tuch Maazi Raani Marathi film
Kanneshwara Rama Chenneera Kannada film
1978 Damaad Sharad Mazgaonkar
Safed Jhoot Amol 'Ramu' Palekar
1979 Baaton Baaton Mein Tony Braganza
Gol Maal Ram Prasad Sharma / Lakshman Prasad Sharma (Lucky) Won: Filmfare Award for Best Actor
Do Ladke Dono Kadke Hari
Meri Biwi Ki Shaadi Bhagwant Kumar Bartendu "Bhagu"
Solva Sawan
Bin Baap Ka Beta
Mother Marathi film
Jeena Yahan Dinesh
1980 Aanchal Kishan Lal
Apne Paraye Chandranath
1981 Naram Garam Ram Eshwar Prasad
Sameera
Akriet Mukutrao Shinde Marathi film won: Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Marathi
Kalankini Bengali film
Agni Pareeksha Alok Choudhary / Ramesh Khanna
Chehre Pe Chehra Peter
Plot No. 5
1982 Jeevan Dhaara Anand Bhatnagar
Olangal Ravi Chattan Malayalam film
Ramnagari
Spandan
Shriman Shrimati Madhu Gupta
1983 Rang Birangi Ajay Sharma
Ashray
Pyaasi Aankhen
Chena Achena Bengali film
1984 Tarang Rahul
Aadmi Aur Aurat Tapan Sinha TV movie
Prarthana
Sringara Masa Kannada film
Mr. X Amar Voice dubbed by other artist
1985 Khamosh Amol Palekar
Jhoothi Inspector Kamal Nath
Ankahee Devkinandan Chaturvedi 'Nandu'
Abasheshe Bengali film
1986 Baat Ban Jaye Yeshwant Rao Bhonsle
1994 Teesra Kaun? C. K. Kadam
2001 Aks The Defence Minister
2009 Samaantar Keshav Vaze Marathi film
2021 200 – Halla Ho Justice Vitthal Daangle Hindi ZEE5 film
2023 Gulmohar Sudhakar Batra Disney+Hotstarfilm
2023 Farzi Shahid Kapoor Amazon Primefilm

As a director

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Feature films in other regional languages

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TV serials

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  • Kachchi Dhoop – 1987
  • Naqab – 1988
  • Paoolkhuna – 1993
  • Mrignayanee – 1991
  • Kareena Kareena – 2004
  • AA Bail Mujhe Maar – 1987
  • Ek Nayi Ummeed-Roshni – 2015

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes
2023 Farzi Madhav (Nanu) [19]
TBA Gormint † TBA [19]

Awards

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Award Film Year Status
National Film Awards
Best Feature Film in Marathi Bangarwadi 1995 Won
Special Jury Award (Feature Film) Daayraa 1996 Won
Best Film on Other Social Issues Kairee 1999 Won
Best Film on Family Welfare Dhyaas Parva 2000 Won
Best Feature Film in English Quest 2006 Won
Filmfare Awards
Best Actor Chhoti Si Baat 1977 Nominated
Gol Maal 1980 Won
Filmfare Marathi Awards
Best Actor Akriet 1981 Won

Reality television shows

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References

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  1. ^ "'आपल्यातीलच एक' थोडासा रुमानी झाला तेव्हा A correct reference about his birthday from marathi language newspaper loksatta news, janeman is confirmed person with him to be 24 November, 2014 during Marathi language wikipedia workshop". Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Amol Palekar: Baaton Baaton Mein". The Times of India. 19 October 2003. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  3. ^ "Paheli is a simple, loveable film". Rediff.com. 21 June 2005. Archived from the original on 10 October 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Amol Palekar: Baaton Baaton Mein - The Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  5. ^ "Painting is like 'ghar wapsi' for me: Amol Palekar". FilmyKeeday. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  6. ^ Sharma, Devesh (27 March 2020). "Top Bollywood actors who started life on stage". filmfare.com. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  7. ^ Singh, Deepali (14 December 2019). "Palekar's latest challenge". Livemint. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  8. ^ "Theatre review: Kusur (The Mistake) - Times of India". The Times of India. 29 November 2019. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Amol Palekar's debut". The Times of India. 4 May 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Thoda Sa Roomani Ho Jaaye : Movie Review | kanikaspeaks". Archived from the original on 11 April 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Star touch to animated film on HIV/AIDS". The New Indian Express. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2010.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "Amol Palekar: Can return to screen if role is challenging". 17 November 2013. NDTV. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  13. ^ [1] Archived 27 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ "Amol Palekar is back in action, this time with an English language ..." The Indian Express. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  15. ^ "Atheism is the religion for these filmi folk". The Times of India. The Times Group. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  16. ^ "Veteran actor Amol Palekar hospitalized due to Covid complications". Tribune India. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  17. ^ "The Times of India directory and year book including who's who 1984".
  18. ^ "Focus". pib.nic.in. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  19. ^ a b "Shahid Kapoor calls Amol Palekar 'OG middle class good guy', says: 'It was a privilege to have him on Farzi'". Hindustan Times. 5 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
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