Bollywood's greatest character actor died in abject poverty, was ‘banned' by Shiv Sena, funeral went unattended by big Bollywood stars

Indian Express

3 days ago

Actor AK Hangal, who worked across several decades in Hindi cinema, became a household name through his memorable supporting roles in landmark films such as Sholay and Deewaar. Hangal was born in undivided India, jailed in Karachi for his communist views, and 'banned' by the Shiv Sena for associating with Pakistani nationals. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by President APJ Abdul Kalam. Towards the end of his life, he suffered financially, with several of his past colleagues stepping up to lend support. But his funeral was unattended by many of the major stars that he'd worked with over the years. Hangal died in 2012 at the age of 98; this is his story.
In a 1997 interview with Rediff, Hangal looked back on his youth. He said, 'After the Partition, I stayed back in Pakistan but I was arrested because of communist ideologies. I spent two years in jail. I was beaten regularly because I would resist everything from bad food to bad civic facilities. I was asked to leave Pakistan and go to India. But how could I leave the place and culture where I was born? One day, Muslim seniors from my party told me to go to India and start party work there, as I was the only Hindu among them. I was given 12 hours to leave Pakistan.'
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He added, 'I wanted to go to New Delhi to my sister but I had no money. I came to Mumbai with Rs 20 in my pocket. I was 21 years old then. I met some friends from Karachi and they took care of my family and me. Soon, I got a job as a tailor and was paid Rs 500 per month. Those days in 1949, this was a huge amount. I used to have rich customers like the nawab of Pataudi and Britishers. I had to look presentable at all times, so I always wore suits to work.'
It was after this that Hangal's career as an actor took off. He appeared in films such as Abhimaan, Anubhav, Deewaar, Sholay, Aandhi, Namak Haraam, Aap Ki Kasam, Shagirdh, Mere Apne, Parichay, Daag, Joshila, Heera Panna, Jawani Diwani, Garam Hawa, Bawarchi, Kora Kagaz, Chit Chor, and Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Some of his most memorable final roles came in the films Lagaan and Paheli. During his career, he is said to have appeared in 300 films.
In 1993, he was banned by the Shiv Sena for interacting with Pakistani nationals and seeking a visa. 'I wanted to visit Pakistan and wanted to collect some material for my memoirs. Was that a crime?' he told Rediff, adding, 'I suffered mental and economic anguish for one year.' He didn't mind that the industry didn't stand up in support of him during this time, saying, 'I was only a character actor. The film industry can choose to ignore me. No huge funds were blocked because of my absence. But theatre people from Kerala sent me some lovely poems, supporting my stand.'
A decade or so later, Hangal found himself struggling to make ends meet. His son, the then-75-year-old Vijay Hangal, sent out a message to the industry asking for support. 'There were many people from the industry, who helped me as he went through financial crisis. However, I feel that he never saved money or invested in mediclaim facilities and that's why he went through financial crunch,' he told Rediff. But the support he was looking for came through. 'People who have worked with my father, like Mr Amitabh Bachchan and also people much, much younger, like Karan Johar, have helped out financially when they heard of the state we were in,' he told CNN-IBN.
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Amitabh wrote about Hangal's difficulties in a blog post. 'It has been sad and unnerving to learn today of the dire condition of one of our most devoted and dedicated character artists of the industry, Mr A.K. Hangal. I came to know of this through the kind offices of the cyber – the net and the social net. I have now initiated my office, sitting some distance, to render immediate support and help. As individuals, as fraternity, as humans, that is the least we can do. It has always been disturbing to read and learn of such occurrences. I do not wish to mention names here, for they are individuals that were idolised and revered in their prime, and bringing up their condition now is an act that would seem most demeaning to them and to their stature.'
He continued, 'Life's stories have been overloaded with vivid descriptions of unfortunate circumstances. Circumstances that have brought the greats down to their knees. It is shocking and most undesirable to comment on it, but a quiet yet considered action for their good, is what I would want to get involved in. And I do. My prayers and wishes for Hangal Saheb.'
Hangal died on August 25, 2012, shortly after celebrating his birthday. His son spoke about the funeral, and said that he wasn't upset that the stars his father worked with didn't attend it. 'The last day was very difficult for him. I am not upset that people from Bollywood did not come for the funeral — may be they have their own problems and there is no point in making stories of all these things. If I do that, I will start feeling small from inside,' he said.