Remembering Sadashiv Amrapurkar, one of the finest actors of Hindi and Marathi cinema, on his 4th death anniversary today.
Sadashiv Amrapurkar was one of the most ‘relevant’ villains after Amjad Khan’s powerful portrayal of Gabbar Singh (in Sholay).
He will always be remembered for his work in Ardha Satya and Sadak along many other comic and villainous roles on the celluloid. He has acted in more than 300 movies in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Oriya and Haryanvi.
Born as Ganesh Kumar Narwode on 2 January 1950 in Ahmednagar, Maharashta, the actor adopted the stage name Sadashiv Amrapurkar in 1974 and made a mark on theatre as well as the silver screen with his spine-chilling performances in negative roles. His performance in Ardh Satya (1983) as don Rama Shetty won him the Filmfare award for Best Supporting Actor. Sadashiv was also the first actor to receive the Filmfare award for ‘Best Performance in a Negative Role’ for his portrayal of Maharani, an evil eunuch running a brothel, in the Sanjay Dutt-starrer Sadak in 1991.
Amrapurkar began his acting career in theatre where directed and acted in nearly fifty plays. Sadashiv got his first on-screen break in Marathi film 22 June 1897 in which he played Bal Gangadhar Tilak. It was Govind Nihlani’s Ardh Satya that gave Amrapurkar his first Hindi onscreen appearance. He left a remarkable impression with his acting prowess. The actor moved on to comic roles and supporting roles in the 90s and worked in Aankhen, Ishq, Coolie №1, Gupt: The Hidden Truth, Aunty №1, Jai Hind and Chote Sarkar and several other films. Apart from his fine acting skills, Sadashiv Amrapurkar was also known for his social work. He always looked out for those less fortunate even during his childhood. He was a philanthropist, social activist and was also engaged in a number of social organizations like Samajik krutadnyata nidhi, Andhashraddha nirmulan samiti, Snehalaya, Lokshahi Prabodhan Vyaspeeth, Ahmednagar Aitihasik Vastu Sangrahalaya and many others.
Sadashiv Amrapurkar will be remembered as a versatile actor, popular across generations. May his noble soul rest in eternal peace.
