Late actor Birbal Khosla's best roles: 'Sholay' to 'Anurodh'
Veteran actor Birbal Khosla, who worked with the industry's top actors such as Manoj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, et al, died on Tuesday (September 12). The 84-year-old actor died of cardiac arrest at a Mumbai hospital. Over the course of his career, he acted in many Hindi, Marathi, and other language films. Here are his career's best films.
'Sholay'
The 1975 cult classic movie Sholay saw Khosla essaying the role of a prisoner who donned a half-cut mustache. Directed by Ramesh Sippy, it featured an ensemble cast comprising Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra, Bachchan, and Malini. Sholay was a commercial failure upon its release, only to become one of the best films of Hindi cinema over the years.
'Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti'
Khosla, once in an old interview, recalled how V Shantaram's 1967 film Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti became a turning point in his career. He essayed the role of Baanchcharam in the film. Starring Jeetendra and Mumtaz in the lead roles, it also featured Nana Patekar, Akashdeep, Lalita Pawar, and others in pivotal roles. It was produced under Rajkamal Kalamandir's banner.
'Roti Kapada Aur Makaan'
Khosla acted in many films that were led by Manoj Kumar. Among those include titles such as Upkar and Kranti. He also starred in Roti Kapada Aur Makaan which was a Kumar directorial. The action drama, which was released in the year 1974, also starred Zeenat Aman, Moushumi Chatterjee, Shashi Kapoor, Kumar, and Bachchan. It's touted as one of the best Hindi films ever.
'Anurodh'
Filmmaker Shakti Samanta's 1977 movie Anurodh was a superhit movie of its time, starring Rajesh Khanna alongside his sister-in-law, Simple Kapadia. Khosla played the character of a drug addict in the movie, earning praise for his performance. Although the film was super hit, its director, Samanta reportedly believed it could have become a blockbuster but people weren't willing to accept Khanna romancing his sister-in-law.
