'Om Shanti Om' to 'Iqbal': Shreyas Talpade's best Bollywood films
Shreyas Talpade initiated his career with a minor role in Vipul Amrutlal Shah's Aankhen in 2002 and over the years, has carved a special place for himself in both dramatic and comedic roles. In his two-decade-long career, he has collaborated with filmmakers such as Farah Khan and Rohit Shetty and the diversity of roles has helped him hone his craft. Revisit his best roles.
'Iqbal'
Iqbal was a springboard for Talpade and helped him get noticed in the crowd of newcomers in Bollywood. It's an uncommon choice for an actor to play a specially-abled character in their third film in the industry, but not only did he accept it head-on, he also fared extremely well. The sports drama film presented him as a mute and deaf cricket prodigy.
'Dor'
While Dor is best remembered for its song Ye Haunsla, it also remains another film that stands as testimony to Talpade's talent and his screen presence. Dor, an adaptation of the Malayalam film Perumazhakkalam, also starred Ayesha Takia, Girish Karnad, Vishal Malhotra, and Gul Panag and marked Talpade's reunion with director Nagesh Kukunoor (Iqbal). Dor is streaming on SonyLIV and YouTube.
The 'Golmaal' series
When Talpade starred in Golmaal 2, Golmaal 3, and Golmaal Again, he ensured that the viewers didn't feel the absence of Sharman Joshi, who had starred in Golmaal: Fun Unlimited but didn't continue with the franchise thereafter. His chemistry with his co-actors and his comic timing shone brightly on the screen, cementing him as an actor to watch out for in the comedy genre.
'Om Shanti Om'
Didn't we all wish for a friend like Pappu while watching Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om? Talpade played two ages (the same person when young and when much older) and he did justice to both these parts. "The experience was wonderful, to say the least. To date, SRK is one of the best co-stars I have worked with," gushed Talpade in an interview.
'Kaun Pravin Tambe?'
Life came full circle for Talpade when he acted in another cricket-based film Kaun Pravin Tambe? helmed by Jayprad Desai. It was released directly on Disney+ Hotstar in April 2022. "There used to be pains, sprains, injuries, but then you think about who the story is based on. That fighter keeps inspiring you to get up and do it," said Talpade.
