While stars take up the major part of our film screens, we often tend to look over the junior artistes who also contribute to the film. One such junior artiste has worked from Dilip Kumar to Shah Rukh Khan and Ranveer Singh.
The artiste we are talking about has worked in 2500 films, however, he still failed to become a top hero. He has been active in the profession for 56 years now and he is Aamir Lakdawala.
Aamir Lakdawala revealed that he didn’t have much interest in studies and used to roam around Meboob Studio after missing school. Though he had worked as a child artiste in films in 1964, he got his first job as a telephone operator in Mehboob Studios. While the first film there was being shot, he got an urge to act and then decided to work as a junior artiste.
He then made his Bollywood debut as a junior artiste in the movie Boond Jo Ban Gaye Moti-starring Jeetendra. He played the role of a young boy in the film. After this, he continued to star in films like Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Dilip Kumar’s Bairag and more.
In an interview, the actor revealed that in his career of 56 years, he has done 2500 films and said, “If I sit down to count, I have not done less than 2,500 films so far. Small, passing roles, somewhere standing in a party, somewhere in a song. I used to stand where I got money. At that time, I used to get eight rupees or ten rupees a day, but I had developed the habit of getting the money. I used to do everything. I just wanted to get paid every day. I never thought of becoming a big actor, because luck can shine in it, but on the contrary, you can also have no work. Then, a junior artist does many more films than the main actors. Where he spoke, stood in the scene, and came home with money. “
He said that he has seen the struggles of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Akshay Kumar. He added that while Shah Rukh and Salman are good-hearted stars, doesn’t ignore junior artistes. He revealed that he worked with Shah Rukh in films like Baazigar, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Badshah, Happy New Year, and more.
He cited the example of Rajendra Kumar while talking about actors who ignore junior artistes and said, “Yes, some actors also live in arrogance, ignore junior artists. For example, Rajendra Kumar used to ignore. He is a very senior actor right now. One day a junior artist died on the shoot, so everyone stopped working. The actor came and started saying – the work will not stop, the show must go on. There are also such tough actors.”
Aamir’s children, son and daughter, are also in the acting profession. While his son Javed has worked as a junior artiste in films like Dhoom, Dhamaal, One Two Ka Four, Billu and more, his daughter, Aziz has acted in several television shows like Ghar Ki Laxmi Betiyan, Madam Sir, Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara and more.
Aamir Lakdwala is now set to appear in Rohit Shetty’s Singham Again wherein he will be sharing the screen with Ranveer Singh. The film also stars Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, and Arjun Kapoor and is scheduled to release in theatres this Diwali.
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