Mangal Dhillon

Mangal Dhillon (Punjabi;ਮੰਗਲ ਢਿੱਲੋਂ) in an Indian actor and film producer. He was born in the village Wander Jatana near Kotkapura in the Faridkot district, Punjab.

Early life and education

Mangal Dhillon is a multidimensional person, who is an actor, writer, producer, director and a poet. He was born in a small village called Wander Jatana, in Punjab, India on 18 June. He did his matriculation from Nighasan a place in district Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) and Graduation from Government College, Muktsar. He used to act in plays since school and college times, which inspired him to join the Department of Indian Theatre at Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1980. He was awarded a Gold Medal for his out standing performances as an actor at the completion of his training by the University-Drama Department.

Career

He did a lot of theatre from 1978 to 1987 as an actor-writer-director and taught acting at various institutions. He worked in Doordarshan serials and radio plays besides doing commercial voicing in New Delhi and Mumbai for couple of years. In 1987 he got the role of Lubhaya Ram in Ramesh Sippy's serial Buniyaad, which laid his foundation stone in the Mumbai Film and Television Industry.

After Buniyad he worked in almost 25-30 Hindi Feature Films and Television Serials. He is writing two books in English and Punjabi titled Kujh Saddaran ate Chand Haunke (Some Desires and a Few Sighs) along with The Dark World of The Ghosts based on his own research and observations. Besides this a volume of his own poetry in Hindustani is also ready for publication, which is titled Be-Tarteeb Jazbaat(Scattered Emotions). As an actor his latest Hindi film was Janasheen by Feroz Khan in 2003.

Filmography

Television

Feature films

Production House

Mangal Dhillon with his wife Ritu formed a production company and released a historical film entitled Khalsa. The film was well received. His other productions include A Day at the Golden Temple, The Inseparables and The Greatness of Sikhism.

“Shahaadat” a feature film, about politics of votes, "Saaka-Sarhind” a docu-drama film about the martyrdom of the sons of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, “Sarvnaash” a documentary film about drug abuse & “Sarv Rog Ka Aukhad Naam” a film about the divine healing powers of spiritual hymns of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Prakash Sri Guru Granth Sahib (2004) is a documentary about Sri Harmandir Sahib and is based on the entire ceremonial pageantry of the Prakash from the early morning and the mariyada of Kirtan and Sukhasan of the Guru Granth Sahib at night.

Sarvnaash (2007) was a documentary against drug abuse has been screened in various schools, colleges, and villages of Punjab.

Gurbani De Kautak is a docudrama about the miracles of the gurus of Sikhism. It was screened in many villages and Gurdwaras of Punjab when it was first made, and toured again in 2009.

Gurbani De Kautak (part 2) is still in production.

Toshakhan Sri Darbar Sahib, The Greatness of Sikhism and Saaka Sirhind, a tribute to the martyrdom of the younger Sahibzadas, are still in preproduction.

Awards

He won the RAPA (Radio and Television Advertising Practitioners' Association) award for best actor for the year 1998 for television serial Junoon. Honored with Baba Farid Award by Punjab Government for the film Khalsa and received outstanding achievements award from Chief Minister Punjab in 2006 as well as various other organizations all over Punjab and abroad.

External links

• Mangal Dhillon at the Internet Movie Database
• Sikh Article on Mangal Dhillon