Agha (actor)


Agha was an Indian film actor of Bollywood films of Persian descent. He was known for comic roles and modeled himself on Bob Hope's style of acting. He appeared in over 300 Hindi films in his career between 1935 and 1986. His son, Jalal Agha, also became an actor, most known for the song Mehbooba Mehbooba in Sholay.

Early years

Agha confessed that he went to school for just three days, "that was as long as I could stand it". He spent time "mooching" around the Poona Race Course as he wanted to become a jockey and loved horses. Agha came to Bombay and joined his neighbourhood drama group. His interest in acting took him to films where in 1933 he started as a production manager in Kanwal Movietone.

Career

Agha's first film was Kanwal Movietone's Stree Dharma, also called Painted Sin, starring Mehtab and Nazir. However, his films Karwan-e-Husn, Wadia Movietone's Rangila Mazdoor and Anuradha helped him gain recognition as a comic actor. He acted in Kikubhai Desai's Circus Ki Sundari, which was popular and this helped in getting lead roles in films such as Muqabala, Laheri Cameraman and Taxi Driver. His most active years were from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Filmography

Selected list.
YearFilmDirector---
1935Stree DharmaC. M. Rafi---
1935Karwan-e-HusnC. M. Rafi---
1936BerozgaarRajhans---
1937DaulatS. M. Yusuf---
1938Rangila MazdoorS. M. Yusuf---
1939Kahan Hai Manzil TeriS. M. Yusuf---
1940AnuradhaMohan Sinha---
1940Captain KishoriK. Amarnath---
1941Circus Ki SundariBalwant Bhatt---
1941Nai RoshniChimankant Gandhi---
1941Safed SawarNari Ghadiali---
1941RotiMehboob Khan---
1942MuqablaNanabhai Bhatt, Babubhai Mistri---
1942Apna ParayaRamachandra Thakur---
1942Mera GaonPrafulla Roy---
1943AmanatLalit Chandra Mehta---
1943Mohabbat Ki JeetRamanlal Desai---
1944Laheri CameramanNari Ghadiali---
1944Taxi DriverS. M. Raza---
1944Bhagya LaxmiSarvottam Badami---
1945MeghdootDebaki Bose---
1945Chalis KarodNanabhai Bhatt---
1946Khush NaseebVithaldas Panchotia---
1946DhokhebaazR. Shivraj---
1947ElaanMehboob Khan---
1947JugnuShaukat Hussain Rizvi---
1948Jadui BansuriNanubhai Vakil---
1948ShikayatShahid Lateef---
1949BalamHomi Wadia---
1949Bhool BhulaiyanTaimur Behramshah---
1950Hamari BetiShobhana Samarth---
1950Hamara GharNanabhai Bhatt---
1951BadalAmiya Chakravarty---
1951Ustad PedroHarish---
1952Do RahaBal Chhabda---
1952AmbarJayant Desai---
1953PatitaAmiya Chakravarty---
1954Bahut Din HuyeS. S. Vasan---
1954Chandni ChowkB. R. Chopra---
1955Udan KhatolaS. U. Sunny---
1955Mr. and Mrs. 55Guru Dutt---
1956ParivarAsit Sen---
1957Bade SarkarKishore Sahu---
1957Nausherwan-E-AdilSohrab Modi---
1958Kala PaniRaj Khosla---
1959NavrangV. Shantaram---
1959Ardhangini---
1960GhunghatRamanand Sagar---
1961Zindagi aur Khwab---
1963NartakiNitin Bose---
1964Daal Mein KaalaSatyen Bose1964Dulha DulhanaRaj Kapoor
1968PadosanJyoti Swaroop---
1969Jigri DostRavikant Nagaich---
1971Tere Mere SapneVijay Anand---
1972Bombay To GoaS. Ramanathan---
1972Piya Ka GharBasu Chatterjee---
1973HoneymoonHiren Nag---
1976CharasRamanad Sagar---
1977Aadmi Sadak KaDevendra Goel---
1981KrantiManoj Kumar---
1986Love And GodK. Asif---
1986Baat Ban JayeBharat Rangachary---

Death

Agha died on 30 April 1992 of a heart attack in Pune, Maharashtra, India. He was 78 years old. He was survived by three daughters and one son, Jalal Agha. Jalal Agha died on 5 March 1995, in New Delhi, also of a heart attack.

Awards

He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for the 1960 film Ghunghat.