Happy birthday, Pavan Malhotra: Best roles of versatile actor
Pavan Malhotra is one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema. After starting his acting career with Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984) and garnering popularity with the Doordarshan TV series Nukkad—in which he essayed Hari's character—Malhotra went on to do many acclaimed films, including National Film Award-winning ones. On his 65th birthday on Sunday, we take a look a some of his best performances.
'Bagh Bahadur' (1989)
National Film Award-winning Bengali/Hindi movie Bagh Bahadur featured Malhotra as Ghumuram, a local villager who wears a tiger costume and dances to convey the strong message of human-wildlife conflict in the villages close to the Sundarbans. Directed by Buddhadev Dasgupta, it is based on a short story written by Prafulla Roy. The 1989 film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.
'Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro' (1989)
Also released in 1989, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. It starred Malhotra in the titular role as a physically challenged man involved in crimes like extortion and robbery. He decides to give up on crime after watching a documentary on Bhiwandi's communal riots. He is, however, killed at his sister's engagement by his rivals.
'Black Friday'
Malhotra played Tiger Memon in Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday, based on the 1993 Bombay (now Mumbai) bomb blasts that shook the entire country. Black Friday was completed in 2004, but its release was stalled in India until the Supreme Court gave it a green signal in 2007. It was based on Hussain Zaidi's book Black Friday: The True Story of the Bombay Bomb Blasts.
'Aithe' (2003)
Chandra Sekhar Yeleti's 2003 Telugu thriller Aithe revolves around hijacking and underworld criminal nexus. It was simultaneously shot in Hindi with the title 50 Lakh. Malhotra played a pivotal role in the film and also won the Nandi Special Jury Award for it. It marked the debut of actors Mohit Chadda and Shashank. The Telugu film was well-received by the audience.
'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' (2013)
Starring Farhan Akhtar as Indian athlete and Olympian Milkha Singh (who gained popularity as "The Flying Sikh"), the sports biopic directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra featured Malhotra as Havaldar Gurdev Singh. He essayed the role of Milkha's coach during his days in the Indian Army. The film also starred actors Divya Dutta, Yograj Singh, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Prakash Raj, and Dalip Tahil, among others.
