Agencies/Mumbai
Bollywood veteran and favourite character actor A K Hangal, dubbed the “grand old man” of Hindi cinema for his elderly roles, died yesterday aged 97. The actor’s son, Vijay Hangal, told reporters the news outside Asha Parekh hospital in Mumbai, where his father was recently admitted after he slipped and injured his thigh and back. “My father was put on a ventilator but his health kept deteriorating since yesterday. He passed away at 9am today,” he said.He was cremated in the afternoon at Vile Parle crematorium.Hangal was born in Sialkot in now Pakistan, where he spent three years in jail for his freedom fighting against British rule. After partition, in 1949, he moved to Mumbai and joined a leftist theatre group. The former tailor entered Bollywood relatively late in life but went on to appear in more than 200 films, making his name in roles as the on-screen elderly relative to big Bollywood stars. He was best known for his parts in films such as Sholay and Namak Haraam in the 1970s, and he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan award in 2006 for his contribution to Hindi cinema. But he fell on hard times later in life, with his son appealing for help from Bollywood stars last year to pay Hangal’s medical expenses. Various names of Hindi cinema paid tribute to the actor on Twitter. “The Marathon Man of Hindi Cinema reaches the final winning post. We will miss you,” said veteran actor Anupam Kher. Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowarikar, who worked with Hangal in the 2001 film Lagaan, said the late actor will be remembered for his “unmatched performance.” “It is indeed very sad news. Not only for the world of films but also for the stage. I will always remember Hangal saab’s characters as ‘pious, kind-hearted and humble’! His gift for giving a natural performance is unmatched,” Gowarikar said in a statement.“His performances in Deewar, Sholay and countless films of the 1970s will make me think of him with reverence - a ‘great’ actor.” Hangal played Shambu Kaka in Lagaan.Recalling the experience of working with him, Gowarikar said he was “amazed to discover that Hangal was very close to the characters he played - upright, honest, dedicated and humble.”“On the sets of Lagaan, I bonded with him exceptionally well. I saluted him then. I salute him today! And in years to come, he will always be a reference point for me when I tell my actors to perform naturally like the great actor A K Hangal,” he added.“It will be difficult to find a kinder face than Hangal’s in the film industry,” Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan said.The governor said that Hangal’s smiling, gentle face - both on and off-screen - always assured people that he was a man with values who would stand by truth.“He was a great human being who received the love and affection of the entire film industry,” Sankaranarayanan said.Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan described Hangal as a person who came across as “an ideal and honest father figure” through his roles in Bollywood movies. “Few may be aware that Hangal was a freedom fighter with a secular outlook who championed the cause of the working classes, and a renowned stage artist who worked for and through the forum of Indian Peoples Theatre Association and (Mumbai’s) Prithvi Theatre (named after the legendary Prithviraj Kapoor).” “Though he was part of the film industry, Hangal always fought against obscenity and other ills in films,” Chavan said.Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said Hangal was “an actor with rare finesse” who left an indelible mark with any role he portrayed.The Indian People’s Theatre Association will pay tribute to the veteran actor at a ceremony at the Prithvi Theatre today.Hangal was involved with IPTA along with other veterans including Balraj Sahni and Kaifi Azmi. Hangal was last seen in a TV show, Madhubala, in May.