As Paresh Rawal gears up to be seen onscreen as late Sunil Dutt in Rajkumar Hirani’s biopic on Sanjay Dutt, Sanju – the trailer lands on Wednesday, he is celebrating a major milestone – hos 68th birthday.
In a career spanning 33 years, the actor has done hundreds of films in various languages. A Member of Parliament now, Paresh has been honoured with the Padma Shri (2014) and also a National Film Award (1994).
Through his vast filmography, Paresh has essayed various roles – starting out as a villain, he has done films as leads, as supporting characters with all the shades that film industry allows. Here’s a look at five pathbreaking roles that define the versatility of Paresh Rawal.
Andaz Apna Apna
One of the earliest and most endearing works of Paresh, the double role he played in this Aamir Khan-Salman Khan comedy caper is fodder for memes even till date. He played twin brothers, Shyam Bajaj and Ram Bajaj. While one is a millionaire, the other is a goon who is not particularly good at what he does. As the goon, Teja, Paresh won a fan following of his own. His dialogues from the movie continue to be part of everyday conversations of Bollywood crazy fans.
Any identity crisis elicits a ‘Teja mai hu mark idhar hai’ while unrealistic plans are met with ‘Bread ka badshah aur omelette ka raja, Bajaj, humara Bajaj!’
Hera Pheri
As the endearing Babu Bhaiya, he was the heart of this film about three men down on their luck trying to make a quick buck from an opportunity arising out of cross connection. A comedy of errors, it had a special place for the drunk who takes Akshay Kumar and Suniel Shetty as tenants and inevitably becomes a part of a kidnapping. Paresh reprised the role in a sequel too.
Atithi Tim Kab Jaoge
Paresh essayed the role of a naive, moralistic, Bollywood crazy old man who is not accustomed to the ways of living in a metro city like Mumbai. While his rural style of living and interactions with unwilling hosts Ajay Devgn and Konkona Sensharma are mostly irritating, Paresh’s loving attitude is often endearing in the film. He paints the perfect picture of an old, outdated but totally concerned guardian in today’s busy set-up of a nuclear family.
Tamanna
Paresh essayed a touching role with Mahesh Bhatt’s film where he played a eunuch who raises a young girl only to be later abandoned by her. This film won National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues in 1998.
Oh My God
Akshay Kumar-starrer Oh My God was the first among many films that debunked superstitions and blind faith that come packaged with religion today. Paresh’s character in OMG, Kanji Lalji Mehta is an atheist whose shop is destroyed in an earthquake. When insurance firm dismisses his claim as ‘act of god’, Paresh’s character drags God’s representatives on earth – religious leaders of all hues – to court. The movie won the National Film Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay. Aamir Khan-Anushka Sharma’s PK was on the same lines. Even Paresh later did a similar movie, Dharam Sankat Mein where he played a Hindi hardliner who discovers that his dad was actually a Muslim.
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