Asrani (actor)

Asrani
असराणी
Born Govardhan Asrani
January 1, 1941 (1941-01-01) (age 71)
Jaipur, India
Occupation actor, producer
Years active 1969-1992, 1998-present

Govardhan Asrani (Hindi: गोवरधन असराणी, born 1 January 1941 in Jaipur, India), popularly known simply as Asrani, is an actor in Indian films whose Bollywood career has spanned over 35 years. His wife Manju Bansal is an actress.

Contents

Early life

He was born in a middle class Sindhi family. His father migrated to Jaipur after the Partition of India and opened a shop selling carpets. He has four sisters and three brothers: two elder and one younger. Asrani was highly uninterested in business and very weak in mathematics. He completed his matriculation from St. Xaviers School and did his graduation from Rajasthan College, Jaipur. He simultaneously worked as a voice artist on All India Radio, Jaipur, to pay for his education. His ultimate aim was to become an actor.

Career

He began to learn acting from Sahitya Kalbhai Thakkar from 1960 to 1962. In 1962, he traveled to Bombay (now Mumbai) and began to seek opportunities to act. In 1963, Hrishikesh Mukherjee advised him to learn acting professionally.

In 1964 Asrani joined the Film Institute in Poona (now Film and Television Institute of India, Pune) and finished his course in 1966. He impressed many others and made his acting break in 1967 with a Gujrati movie opposite budding actress Waheeda (not Waheeda Rahman; the Gujrati actress). He acted in four other movies, mainly as actor or supporting actor in Gujrati from 1967 to 1969 before landing his first Hindi movie role in Umang, a low-budget movie, which had Subhash Ghai and Paintal. In 1969, he was offered the role of Rajesh Khanna's friend in Aradhana, but Rajesh was more comfortable with an older person and preferred Sujit Kumar. His old advisor, Hrishikesh Mukherjee also passed him over for the movie Anand, giving the role to an older person, but gave Asrani a role in Bawarchi. This role set the tone for a number of supporting or comic roles like Abhimaan (supporting), Chala Murari Hero Banne (comedy), Chupke Chupke (comedy), Choti Si Baat (comedy) or his most remembered role, as the jailer in Sholay. He acted in Khoon Pasina, marking a serious role other than comedy. He was hugely talked about in the 1970s and is one of Amitabh Bachchan's close friends. In the 2007 Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding, Asrani and Prem Chopra were the only two of Amitabh's old friends invited.

In the 1980s, he acted in over 50 films. Most of his roles were very minor mainly because the concept of a comedian was getting phased out and heroes preferred to do their own comedy. During this period in 1982, he set up a small Gujrati production company with fellow artistes Dinesh Hingoo, Harish Patel and Salim Parvez (son of famous supporting actor Yunus Parvez). The company dissolved in 1996 with a large profit. Asrani also invested mainly in cloth and acted as investor for other actors, until 1991 when he lost a lot of money. From 1988 to 1993, he was a director for the Film Institute in Poona.

The 1990s and 2000s saw Asrani in a number of blockbuster films like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Hera Pheri, Chup Chup Ke, Hulchul and Deewane Huye Pagal. He was an integral part of comedies by Sajid Nadiadwala or Priyadarshan, but his roles are very minor and he has a very short screen space.

Asrani has acted in over 300 films over the last 35 years and also in close to 150 Gujrati films.

Asrani has directed some movies:

In 1977, Asrani sang two songs in the movie Alaap, both picturised on him. A year later he sang a duet with the legendary Kishore Kumar for the film Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan.

Asrani recently made a special appearance in the Punjabi film Yaariyan.

Asrani and Mallika Sherawat were the judges of the 18th annual Naya Andaz competition on April 17, 2010, in New Jersey.

Awards

Filmography

Acting filmography
Joker (2011)
Bodyguard (2011) shekhar
Khatta Meeta (2010) Vakeel
Dus Tola (2010) Sarpanch
Paying Guests (2009) Kiska Miglani
De Dana Dan (2009) Mamu
All The Best (2009) Vidya's father
Billu (2008) Naubat Chacha
Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) Murari
Dhamaal (2007) Nari Contractor
Fool n Final (2007) Lalwani
Bhagam Bhag (2007) TBC
Malamaal Weekly (2006) Chokhey
Chup Chup Ke (2006) Sharma Ji
Garam Masala (2005) Mamu
Cages (2005) Leo
Elaan (2005) Kishorilal
Insaan (2005) Film Director
Kyon ki (2005) a Asylum patient
Hulchul (2005) Lawyer
Ek Se Badhkar Ek (2004) Don Srikant Ramprasad
Suno Sasurjee (2004) Murli
Arrangement (2004) Papa
Mumbai Matinee (2003) Pyarelal
Baghban (2003) Bedi
Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003)
Dil Vil Pyar Vyar (2002) Chandru
Ankhiyon Se Goli Maare (2002) Topichand's brother-in-law
Awara Paagal Deewana (2002) Champaklal
Ek Aur Visphot (2002) Dr. Daniel
Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa (2001) Jhoomri's Boss
Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar (2001) Chandiramani
Lajja (2001) Gulab Chand
Aaghaaz (2000) Gullu
Karobaar (2000) Champak
Chal Mere Bhai (2000) Doctor
Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa (2000) Company owner
Hera Pheri (2000) Bank Manager
Mela (2000) Kaka
Raja Kumarudu (1999) Policeman
Haseena Maan Jaayegi (1999) Jamnadas
International Khiladi (1999) Boss
Heeralal Pannalal (1999) Havaldar Chaurasia
Mother (1999) Johnny
Mehndi (1998) Tolani
Hero Hindustani (1998) Cameroon
Haste Hasate (1998)
Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) Security Officer
Dulhe Raja (1998) Inspector Azgar Singh
Gharwali Baharwali (1998) Dr. Ved
Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) Teacher (Doobay Jee)
Agreement (1980) Dilip Kanuchand
Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978) Abdul Karim Durrani
Badalte Rishtey (1978) Anup Chandra Thakur
Kalabaaz (1977) Changu
Alaap (1977) Ganesh (Ganeshi)
Tapasya (1976) Vinod Sinha
Choti Si Baat (1975) Nagesh
Rafoo Chakkar (1975) Kanhaiyalal Chaturvedi
Sholay (1975) Jailor
Chupke Chupke (1975) Prashant Shrivastav
Bidaai (1974) Murli/Bhaskar
Bawarchi (1974) Music Composer
Ajnabee (1974) Chetan Kumar
Aap Ki Kasam (1974) Dr. Ghad-Ghad Singhwala
Namak Haraam (1973) Dhondu, Shyama's brother
Parichay (1972) Narayan
Mere Apne (1971) Raghunath
Umang (1969)

External links