A K Hangal, iconic character artiste who has appeared in nearly 200 films, is ill and impecunious

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2011)

For decades he made cinephiles weep with him, at him as he battled bereavement, exploitation and misery on screen. At 95, Avtar Kishan Hangal, aka A K Hangal, remembered for some of the most heart-rending roles in Hindi cinema, battles a fading memory, illness and acute penury.

Saraswati Mansion in Santacruz (East), where the veteran actor lives with his 74-year-old son, Vijay, looks run down, and in crying need for repairs. But neither Hangal, who is confined to the bed, or his son, who suffers from a debilitating back problem, are in any position to bring about cosmetic changes to their modest dwelling, struggling as they are to pay for medication.

A friend of the Hangal family told Mumbai Mirror, “Hangal saab was an active participant in the Indian freedom struggle and he acted in nearly 200 films. It is sad to see him reduced to such a state where he has to depend on benefactors for survival.”

A K Hangal with his son Vijay (Rana Chakraborty)

Hangal and his son have depleted their savings. Vijay was a Bollywood photographer. “But I am 74 years old now and can’t be running around clicking pictures on the field. Besides, there is the back problem,” he tells us.

Despite his contribution to the film industry, the city has not been kind to the actor. In 1993 Hangal had applied for a More >