Amol Palekar Birthday: In Amitabh Bachchan's era, Amol made a mark for himself
Amol Palekar marks his 77th birthday on Wednesday, November 24. The actor par excellence has had a fantastic journey over the years, giving us some very memorable films of him. On his birthday, let us take you through the journey of how he won the tag of a ‘common man’ actor in the hearts of his fans.
Talk about Amol Palekar and you cannot miss out on thinking about ‘Golmaal’. Playing the role of a 'common man', he did something amazing that no one else could do. In the 70s, where Amitabh Bachchan got the title of ‘Angry Young Man’, Amol Palekar had carved his own niche and made a place in the hearts of many with his ‘common man’ image.
With simple look, subtle style of talking, and his choice of stories is what made him the ‘common man’ of the viewers. Every film of Amol Palekar has touched the hearts of people, leaving a forever mark in their hearts. Amol Palekar brought life to every film with the way he essayed the role.
In ‘Golmaal’ a song was picturised on Amol Palekar where he dreams of becoming Amitabh Bachchan. The lyrics of the song went like: “Ek din sapne mein dekha sapna... woh jo hai na Amitabh apna....” While Amol Palekar may not have become the Amitach Bachchan of the Indian cinema, he did stand parallel to Big B.
Amol Palekar rose to fame with movies such as ‘Golmaal’, ‘Gharaunda’, ‘Chitchor’, ‘Chhoti Si Baat’, ‘Baton Baat Mein’, ‘Aadmi Aur Aurat’, ‘Rang Barangi’, and ‘Apne Parae’ among many others. He earned recognition with these films, leaving a mark on the audience.
However, more than acting, Amol Palekar is known for his filmmaking skills. He was awarded with the National Award for five times in film direction. He made his directorial debut with the film 'Aankhen'. He himself acted as an actor in the film. In all these years of his career, Amol Palekar has given the film industry gems that will never be forgotten. The classic roles that he has played and the marvellous films he directed, will continue to rule the hearts of cinema fanatics.
On the personal front, Amol Palekar had two marriages. At the age of 57, he divorced his first wife Chitra Palekar and married Sandhya Gokhale. He has two daughters.