Amol Palekar Birthday Special: 10 Movies Of Amol Palekar That Are Delights For Every Movie Buff

Amol Palekar was like a calmness that the 70s needed which was rigged with one hero saving heroines from multiple goons in revenge drama set-ups. He debuted in 1974 in the Hindi Cinema world and became an integral part of it. He was the poster boy of middle-class sensibilities having worked in films like Gol Maal, Gharonda and others. The actor was a Fine Arts graduate who has been part of many exhibitions but then films happened and he graduated from being an actor to a director with equal finesse.

Ram Prasad Sharma is perhaps one of the most fondly remembered character of Palekar ever. His desperation to land a job which makes him sacrifice his moustache and put his identity at risk is everyone's favourite. Unemployment was the crux of the film and how the youth was ready to go to any lengths to land a good job...yet all that was said in a funny way! Amol Palekar to Return on Stage After 25 Years for Upcoming Hindi Theatre Play ‘Kusur’

But there's more to his work than just that!

Rajnigandha (1974)

A Basu Chatterjee wonder, this film gave the woman a choice to choose her mate. The film itself was a deeply liberating one where an actress is the lead and the men just aide her to make a decision. Amol Palekar played her flawed boyfriend Sanjay. He admires her but isn't anything that a woman wants in a man. But his deep trust in her despite knowing she is more educated than him or had a boyfriend makes him one of the most liked characters in the film. Palekar was divine in the role...it won't be wrong to say that an understanding boyfriend like that only appears in movies.

Choti Si Baat (1976)

This was a surprise hit of those times and one of the sweetest movies ever made in the history of Indian Cinema. Vidya Sinha and Amol Palekar reunite for another Basu Chatterjee film after Rajnigandha. Palekar is shown as a man who is in love with Sinha but is unable to profess it. He wants to be worthy of her and thus, gets coaching from a love guru, the deeply affable Ashok Kumar. Palekar makes his character so likable despite being insecure about his abilities that you would love him anyway. Such love stories are so rare on celluloid!

Chitchor (1976)

The same year, Chitchor released where his character was an exact contrast to his Choti Si Baat self. He was confident, a smooth-talker and a man who can make anyone his muse with just his songs. Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon is the tackiest remake of the same film made by the same production company but we will deal with that later. Palekar was unbelievably kind in the film!

Gharonda (1977)

Gharonda wasn't a typical Amol Palekar film where he is a middle-class man displaying humour or his non-confident nature in the story but a man who is forced by circumstances to scheme and plot. He and Zarina Wahab played a couple who save money for their own house but the builder turns out to be a fraud. Palekar then turns from a dejected guy in love to a man who sees the opportunity to seize even if that means he has to sacrifice his girlfriend. At one moment, your heart will pain for him and in another, you would want to slam him for even thinking about such a thing.

Bhumika (1977)

Amol Palekar's Keshav Dalvi in Bhumika breaks every notion that you have about him as an actor. He played the spiteful husband to Smita Patil in this biopic so well, it will give you goosebumps!

Gol Maal (1979)

Ram Kumar Sharma is one of the most loved characters of Hindi cinema and Gol Maal the most cherished movie of all time. Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt's equation is the best way one can showcase the turbulent relationship of a boss and an employee. But all that was done so humorously well that we can watch the film on repeat!

Baton Baton Mein (1979)

Amol Palekar was Tony Braganza in the film, a man who is trying to get married in the arranged set up. What works the most in this character is the way he shows off a calm and composed side of a man who is pressurized to get married as soon as possible. We all know how that can freak out a person!

Apne Paraye (1980)

Can you imagine Amol Palekar or Ram Prasad Sharma slacking? Well, he did that in Apne Paraye and was unbelievably fine in that role. Only he could have made a character so flawed come across so charming!

Naram Garam (1981)

Amol Palekar is a man of many schemes in this film which is unlike anything that you have seen before. To get a good house for himself and his love, Palekar plays such games with a straight-face that it will leave you amused. It also brings him together with Dutt again.

Khamosh (1985)

If you have always loved this man in sweet avatars, his sinister turn in Vidhu Vinod Chopras whodunit will leave you amazed. Amol Palekar can be good and really bad as well!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 24, 2019 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).