Amol Palekar
| Amol Palekar | |
|---|---|
 Palekar at TeachAIDS recording session, 2009 | |
| Born | 24 November 1944 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation | Actor, Director |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse | Sandhya Gokhale |
| Awards | Filmfare Best Actor Award: 1980: Gol Maal |
Amol Palekar (Marathi: अमोल पालेकर; born 24 November 1944) is an Indian actor of the 1970s and a director and producer of Hindi and Marathi cinema.
Career
He did his postgraduation in Fine Arts from the Sir JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, commenced his artistic career as a painter which was distinguished by his seven one-man exhibitions along with his participation in many group shows. He has been a leading persona of avant garde theatre in India. He has been active in Marathi and Hindi theatre as an actor, director and producer since 1967. As a trend setting director who brought the theatre out of the proscenium arch, his productions still inspire the younger theatre practitioners. His stupendous contribution to the modern Indian theatre often gets overshadowed because of his enormous popularity as a lovable lead actor in Hindi films.
As an actor, he ruled the silver screen for over a decade from 1970. His charming image as a ‘boy next door’ carved an unparallel niche in contrast to the larger than life heroes prevalent at that time in Indian cinema. He received three Film Fare and six State awards as Best Actor. His performances in regional language films in Marathi, Bengali, Malyalam and Kannada fetched him tremendous critical acclaim as well. While choosing to concentrate on filmmaking, he decided not to act after 1986.
As a director, is specially known for the sensitive portrayal of women, selection of classic stories from Indian literature, and perceptive handling of progressive issues. His direction of television serials on the national network such as “KACHCHI DHOOP”, “MRIGNAYANI”, “NAQUAB”, “PAOOL KHUNA” and "KRISHNA KALI" were exceptionally admired throughout the country.
Theature Journey
Palekar began in Marathi experimental theatre with Satyadev Dubey, and later started his own group, Aniket, in 1972.
Movie career
Palekar made his debut in 1971 with the noted Marathi film Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe directed by Satyadev Dubey, which started the ‘New Cinema’ Movement in Marathi.
In 1974 he was cast as an actor by Basu Chatterjee in Rajnigandha, and a surprise low-budget hit, Chhoti Si Baat. This led to many other such roles in "middle-class" comedies, mostly alternative cinema. These were often directed by Chatterjee or Hrishikesh Mukherjee and include such films as Gol Maal and Naram Garam. He won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for Gol Maal.
He is noted for his image of the "middle-class everyman" who struggles to get a job (Gol-Maal), his own flat (Gharonda), a girlfriend/wife (Baaton Baaton Mein), and appreciation from his boss.
In 1982 he played the role of Ravi in the Malayalam movie Olangal, which is remade in Hindi as Masoom.
He turned to directing with the Marathi film Aakriet. He showed his capabilities as a director with his movie Paheli which was India's official entry in the race for Best Foreign Film at the 2006 Oscars. The movie, however, did not make it to the final nominations.
He has also given his voice to an HIV/AIDS education animated software tutorial created by the nonprofit organization TeachAIDS.
Personal life
Amol Palekar was born to Kamlakar and Suhasini Palekar in a lower middle-class family in Mumbai. He was raised by his father who worked in GPO and mother who worked in a private company along with his three sisters Neelon, Rekha and Unnati. Palekar is an alumini of Sir JJ School of Arts and has exhibited his sketches, drawings, and paintings in Mumbai. He used to work in Bank of India before he switched full time to a career in acting. He also does some social work. He has two daughters and is married to Sandhya Gokhale, who is a writer... after his divorce from his first wife Chitra Palekar regards himself as an agnostic.
Partial 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)
- Paheli (Riddle) – 2005
- Quest (English) – 2006 (won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English)
- Dumkata (2007)
- Samaantar (Marathi) – 2009 (with Sharmila Tagore)
- And Once Again – 2010
- Dhoosar (Marathi) – 2011 (won the Maharashtra State Film Award)
Feature films in other regional languages
- 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 (Kanaada & English) (with Deepa - Directed by Pattabhirama Reddy)
- OLANGAL (Malayalam) (with Poornima Jyaram & Ambika - Directed by Balu Mahendra)
TV Serials
- Kachchi Dhoop – 1987
- Naqab – 1988
- Paoolkhuna – 1993
- Mrignayanee – 1991
- Kareena Kareena – 2004
- AA Bail Mujhe Maa
- Awards
Filmfare Awards
- Filmfare Award for Best Actor – "Nominated"
1975 Chhoti Si Baat – Arun Pradeep
- Filmfare Award for Best Actor – "Won"
1979 Gol Maal – Ramprasad Sharma
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