The late veteran actor AK Hangal, celebrated for his roles in classics like "Sholay" and "Bawarchi," was also a revered theater artist. A freedom fighter turned Padma Bhushan recipient in 2006, Hangal later voiced dissatisfaction with the honor. Explore this flashback interview with the iconic actor.
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PeopleTranscript
00:00 I am not happy with the way I have been treated
00:04 What will I do with this?
00:06 Look at how luxurious houses we live in
00:09 I have made so many sacrifices to live in a rented house
00:12 We also know how to enjoy, it's not like that
00:15 But they only enjoy, they don't do any work
00:18 Earlier, leaders were good, people were good
00:23 Now neither the leaders nor the people are good
00:26 If we talk about films, you have worked with many directors
00:36 Who were very close to you, who did you like working with?
00:39 Director, actor, why and for what?
00:42 See, with me, there was a director, Rishi Keshmukharji
00:48 And a Bengali director, Basu Chatterjee
00:52 And Bhattacharya, Basu Bhattacharya
00:56 There are many actors
01:01 Many big actors
01:06 Amitabh Bachchan, who has become my son
01:12 And that other, what was his name, famous actor
01:17 Shashi Kapoor
01:19 I worked with him and many other famous actors
01:24 Sanjeev Kumarji
01:27 Sanjeev Kumar was my student
01:29 In acting
01:31 My acting was different from others
01:36 It was natural
01:38 My acting was not artificial
01:42 It was natural
01:46 When we worked in dramas, Sanjeev Kumar came to us
01:51 To give us work in acting
01:53 I gave him the role of an old man in a drama
01:57 He was a very intelligent boy
02:00 Then, his interview was done
02:05 I used to say, "Flowers have bloomed, Gulshan Gulshan"
02:07 In that, Tapasam took his interview
02:12 He said, "I am very happy to hear this"
02:17 He said, "I am who I am today because of A.K. Hangal"
02:21 He said, "I remember him"
02:26 But, I never had any friendship with anyone
02:32 I worked with so many actors, with girls, with boys
02:37 I worked with Zeenat Aman, Balrajshani, Raj Kapoor
02:42 Why didn't you work with them?
02:44 I am not an adult
02:47 You should have equal friendship with everyone
02:51 Do you still go to meet them?
02:54 No, I don't go to meet them
02:57 I don't want to go, what can I do?
03:00 They are adults, I have accepted that
03:07 We can't do anything that they do
03:12 What can we do?
03:14 When Samjeet Kumar's death came, I was in Lucknow
03:18 Someone had said that there was a military leader
03:22 There was a newly built Bangladesh
03:27 The military leader had a big name
03:32 Everyone was sitting there
03:34 At that time, someone said to me, "Samjeet Kumar is dead"
03:37 I said, "Oh no, no, no"
03:39 "He was just eating and drinking"
03:42 "Do you believe that I cried so much?"
03:45 Everyone was sitting there, I was crying
03:49 They asked me, "Why?"
03:52 I said, "I had a very good relationship with him"
03:55 "I didn't eat anything that night"
03:58 "I went to a hotel and didn't shoot the next day"
04:03 I was so sad
04:06 But Samjeet Kumar never came to my house
04:10 I never went to his house
04:13 I lived separately
04:16 I didn't have any friendship with people
04:18 Did you have any glamour while living in Bollywood?
04:21 No, I didn't
04:22 I was never touched
04:25 How difficult was it to stay away from glamour?
04:29 People wanted to be glamorous
04:31 I used to go out in suits
04:35 My clothes were better than theirs
04:38 But I wasn't that kind of a glamour
04:46 I wasn't in that
04:49 Sometimes I loved people
04:52 Sometimes I ate food
04:55 But I never got into that
04:57 How many changes have you seen in India?
05:05 In the past and in the present
05:09 People used to be good leaders
05:16 Now neither the leaders nor the people are good
05:21 Now there is news of corruption
05:26 Corruption, hanging, poison, everything is going on
05:36 The one who has good intentions, is the one who is bad
05:41 The ones who lost their power after the war
05:49 After the war of independence
05:51 Except 2-3 people, the rest were not good
05:55 The ones who lost their power after the war of independence
06:00 They were not good
06:05 The one who lost his power after 6 months of independence, is not a good leader
06:15 What is your character from inside?
06:21 What sacrifices have you made?
06:24 What do you think of the country?
06:27 Money, money, money
06:30 If you have money, then it is not a sacrifice
06:33 It is not a character
06:35 What do you do for the society?
06:37 How many sacrifices do you make for the society?
06:40 This is what should be done
06:43 It was very less
06:44 In the beginning there were some people who made sacrifices
06:49 Then the people who came later
06:52 Later the people came to earn money
06:56 Look at the leader, he is wearing a Gandhi cap
07:00 He is a millionaire
07:02 He is wearing a khaddar dhoti, khaddar kurta
07:06 He sits in a car worth 5 lakhs
07:09 So, I feel very bad
07:13 I feel bad that people let go of their freedom
07:17 So that the common man gets some benefit
07:21 Common man of India should get something
07:26 Poverty should be removed
07:28 But the picture has changed
07:31 It is completely opposite
07:33 No, it is not opposite
07:34 The benefit is that we are free today
07:37 This is it
07:39 Earlier we were not free
07:41 So, we have achieved one big thing
07:43 We are free
07:44 We can change the government
07:47 We can change the law
07:50 This is a great quality
07:52 The rest of the society
07:54 Corruption and all
07:56 The government should fix it
07:58 I can't do it
08:00 So, it has increased
08:03 Corruption has increased
08:05 We take small children and do big things
08:09 We crush people
08:11 We are the sons of this person
08:15 What are you?
08:17 So, we see that we feel bad
08:22 When we were small and the movement was going on
08:27 Very good people used to come
08:30 Very good people used to come
08:33 They didn't want anything for themselves
08:36 They used to wear their khaddar kurta and roam
08:40 The next generation
08:44 After getting freedom
08:47 Then it is about money
08:50 Look at the luxurious houses
08:53 I have made so many sacrifices to live in a rented house
08:57 This is a rented house
09:00 I pay only 150 rupees for rent
09:03 Tell me
09:05 150 rupees?
09:07 Yes, it is old
09:10 I don't have any property
09:14 Look at the name
09:17 Kalam is giving Padam Bhushan
09:21 Look at this
09:23 There is a name
09:25 There is no money
09:27 Why?
09:29 Because we didn't join the movement to earn money
09:33 So, the character was different
09:37 Now look at it
09:40 I feel so bad
09:43 The rich people take cars and run
09:46 They crush people
09:48 Big cars
09:50 Modern night clubs
09:52 We also know what a night club is
09:56 We also know how to enjoy
09:59 But they only enjoy
10:02 They don't do any work
10:04 They live on their father's earnings
10:09 So, I feel sad to see these things
10:15 Now
10:18 There is an example of Sanskrit
10:23 Yatha Raja Tatha Praja
10:26 When the kings were like this
10:29 The subjects were also like this
10:31 How is today's politics?
10:34 It is very bad
10:36 Because today's youth don't take interest in politics
10:39 Because they know that it is corruption
10:42 It is the father's earnings
10:45 It is corruption
10:47 Look at the young people
10:50 They crush the children under the cars
10:53 Every fourth or fifth day
10:56 They crush the children under the car
10:59 What is this?
11:02 I feel very sad to see this
11:05 I don't have any happiness
11:08 What will I do with this?
11:10 I will leave it
11:13 The End
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