This famous Bollywood actor was a relative of ex-PM Indira Gandhi, yet no one attended his funeral due to..., his name was...

India.com

18 hours ago

This famous Bollywood actor was a relative of ex-PM Indira Gandhi, yet no one attended his funeral due to..., his name was...
In the ever-evolving world of Bollywood, many pictures come and go. With the overflowing content on OTT and every Friday release, viewers are spoilt for choice with many options to binge on. However, there are rarely a few pictures that remain etched in the heart of the audience and resonate with them for years to come. But behind these blockbuster movies are some strong characters that come together to make a film a superhit. While some characters are in the forefront and take the limelight, others are often overshadowed by the lead, but regardless, their contribution to the film holds paramount importance.
One such character that caught the attention of the audience, despite being the lead, was the iconic 'Imam Chacha' from the blockbuster Sholay. But behind his picture-perfect life that was portrayed in the showbiz world, there was a lot that was happening in his personal life that met the eye.
A.K. Hangal, aka 'Imam Chacha', was not just an actor, but he was a freedom fighter, a poet, and a man of strong political ideals. With a long career trajectory, Hangal has worked in over 300 films and was once considered a regular face in the golden era of Bollywood. However, acting was not his first career choice.
Born in British India and once even jailed in Pakistan for his communist beliefs, Hangal was a freedom fighter, poet, and a man with strong political opinions. Hansal worked as a tailor before venturing into acting. He had brutish clients, including Royal and British officers.
With a suitcase full of dreams and a pocket with barely Rs. 20, he came to Mumbai. In a span of no time, he started getting work and did some superhit films like Sholay, Deewar, Aandhi, Bawarchi, to Lagaan. His performance was widely hailed and appreciated, but even after that, he couldn't get the support he wanted.
Besides being widely recognized, he was also connected to a politically affluent family. He was Indira Gandhi's cousin, and Jawaharlal Nehru was his maternal uncle. But, despite that, he never used connections for personal benefits.
Hangal faced a health crisis in old age, and he had no savings or medical insurance for the same. He even confessed once, 'Main character artist tha, industry ne mujhe ignore kiya.' Although, as per the reports, Amitabh Bachchan and Karan Johar came to his financial rescue and reportedly gave him Rs. 20 lakh,s but that was too little and too late.
In 1990, he faced another bottleneck when the Shiv Sena party banned him for applying visa to visit Pakistan. Though Hangal's intention was only to pay homage to his childhood memories. But this thought of him wasn't perceived well and in fact faced a lot of backlash, mental stress, and loneliness. 'Main apni yaadon ko ikattha karna chahta tha,' he shared.
Even after receiving the Padma Bhushan from former President A P J Abdul Kalam, Hangal never found the dignity he deserved in his last years. Hangal died at the age of 89 with no big names attending his funereal.
With over 300 movies, Hangal worked tirelessly in the Bollywood cinema, but despite that, he never got the due respect and support from the same fraternity in return.