Beloved actor-filmmaker, icon of middle class cinema Amol Palekar was Born On This Day

Beloved actor-filmmaker, icon of middle class cinema Amol Palekar was #BornOnThisDay. Known for playing gentle, mild-mannered protagonists on screen, he gave memorable performances in light-hearted, slice-of-life comedies. He embodied a certain type of tender, playful hero that was a whiff of fresh air.

He studied fine arts at the Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, and commenced his artistic career as a painter. As a painter, he had seven one-man exhibitions and participated in many group shows. He has been active in the avant garde theatre in India. He has been active 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 an actor, he was most prominent for over a decade from 1970. His image as a “boy next door” contrasted with the larger-than-life heroes prevalent at that time in Indian cinema. He received one Filmfare 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.

Personal life

Amol Palekar was born to Kamlakar and Suhasini Palekar in a lower-middle-class family in Mumbai. He was raised along with his three sisters, Neelon, Rekha and Unnati, by his father who worked in the General Post Office and his mother who worked in a private company.[9] He worked at the Bank of India before he switched full-time to a career in acting. He also does some social work. He married Sandhya Gokhale after his divorce from his first wife, Chitra.[10][11][2] Palekar regards himself as an agnostic atheist.

Filmography

As an actor

As a director

• Aakreit (Unimaginable in Marathi) – 1981
• Ankahee (Unspoken) – 1985
• Thodasa Rumani Ho Jaye – 1990
• Bangarwadi – 1995
• Daayraa (The Square Circle) – 1996
• Anahat (Forever)
• Kairee (Raw mango) – 2001
• Dhyaas Parva (Kal Kaa Aadmi in Hindi) – 2001 (based on Raghunath Karve’s life, won the National Award for Best Film on Family Welfare)^[13]
• Paheli (Riddle) – 2005 (India’s official entry to the 78th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film)
• Quest (English) – 2006 (won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English)
• Dumkata (2007)
• Samaantar (Marathi) – 2009
• …And Once Again – 2010
• Dhoosar (Marathi) – 2011 (won the Maharashtra State Film Award)

Feature films in other regional languages[edit]

• Mother (Bengali) (with Sharmila Tagore & Dipankar Dey)
• Kalankini (Bengali) (with Mamata Shankar – directed by Dhiren Ganguly)
• Chena Achena (Bengali) (with Tanuja & Soumitra Chaterjee)
• Kanneshwara Rama (Kannada) (with Anant Nag & Shabana Aazmi – directed by M.S. Sathyu)
• Paper Boats (Kannada & English) (with Deepa – directed by Pattabhirama Reddy)
• Olangal (Malayalam) (with Poornima Jyaram & Ambika – directed by Balu Mahendra)

TV serials[edit]

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

Awards[edit]