The Biography of A K Hangal, legendary Actor and Freedom Fighter

A K HangalBiography of A K Hangal . A K Hangal was the most senior Bollywood Artist till date and a legendary Freedom Fighter. Even at the age of 97, he appeared in TV Show Madhubala in May this year.  He was awarded prestigious Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Hindi Cinema in 2006.

Born as Avtar  Kishan Hangal  on 1 February 1917 ,  A. K. Hangal, acted in over 200 Hindi Films spanning from 1966 to 2005.  He is most popularly known as  Imaam Sa’ab in Sholay. apart from it his other notable roles include Ram Shastri in Aaina (1977), as the Inder Sen in Shaukeen, as Bipinlal Pandey in Namak Haraam, as, as Anokhelal in Manzil and the negative character in Prem Bandhan. He did a total of  16 films with Superstar  Rajesh Khanna.

A K Hangal was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family at Peshawar, now Pakistan to  Pandit Hari Kishan Hangal. In the early part of his life he was a tailor.

He moved to Bombay after the Partition of India in 1949 after 3 years in prison in Pakistan. He was involved with the theatre group IPTA along with Balraj Sahni and Kaifi Azmi.

H acted in a plethora of  films like Namak Haraam, Shaukeen, Sholay, Aaina , Avtaar, Arjun, Aandhi, Tapasya, Kora Kagaz, Bawarchi, Chhupa Rustam, Chitchor, Balika Badhu, Guddi, Naram Garam .  

He, as a character actor, always was part of the most of the films with Rajesh Khanna as the lead hero like Aap Ki Kasam, Amar Deep, Naukri, Prem Bandhan, Thodisi Bewafaii, Phir Wohi Raat, Kudrat, Aaj Ka M.L.A., Ram Avtar, Bewafai till Sautela Bhai in 1996.

In recent years he acted in few films like  Shararat (2002) his character roles in Tere Mere Sapne (1997) and Lagaan. His last big movie was Paheli  in 2005.

On 8 February 2011, Hangal ‘walked’ the ramp in a wheelchair for fashion designer Riyaz Ganji for his summer line in Mumbai.

His Autobiography Life and Times of A.K. Hangal was published in 1999.

Hangal, aged 95, had a fall on August 13. On August 16 he was admitted to the Asha Parekh Hospital in Santa Cruz as he had suffered a back injury when he fell in his house and fractured his right femur. He had to undergo a surgery, but that could not take place as later it was found the actor has trouble breathing and a history of lung disease, kidney problems and tuberculosis. AK Hangal breathed his last on 26th August 2012 at the age of 95.