At 97, AK Hangal shoots for TV
Mumbai. A year and a half ago, Avtar Kishan Hangal aka A K Hangal, who had made millions weep with his heart-rending roles on screen was fighting illness and poverty at his residence in Santa Cruz East.
But things are now changing for the actor who had also been an active participant in the national struggle for freedom. The 97-year-old actor after starring in over 200 films, is all set to return to the small screen with brand new show, Madhubala. He has been a part of several shows in the 1990s.
Mirror has learnt that the actor will play himself on the show that is reportedly based on the life of veteran actress Madhubala. In fact, Hangal shot for the part a couple of days back.
When contacted, Saurabh Tewari, the producer of the show said, “There is a vital sequence for which we needed a veteran actor. We were looking for someone who has been a part of the Hindi cinema industry for long. It was a scene where the protagonist, Madhubala gets named after her birth on a film set. That’s when we thought of Hangal Saab.”
However, the makers weren’t too sure whether the 97-year-old actor would be able to shoot. “I was rather apprehensive when I got in touch with him and met him. When I told him about the show and the scene, his eyes lit up. I could see how excited he was to come back to a set and shoot. He just told me that he would like to wear his own costume,” said Tewari.
Hangal came on the scheduled day and shot for nearly an hour. “It was something that we had never imagined possible. He has unique energy. It was like a blessing for us. Even his son told us how happy he was to shoot after almost seven to eight years. We were all charged up seeing him on the sets. That one-hour was purely magical. I did not know whether he would be able to pull it off at this age. But he managed to give a one-take shot. It was wonderful,” added Tewari.
