Amol Palekar is a renowned Indian actor, filmmaker, and theatre personality, predominantly active in Hindi and Marathi cinema. With a career spanning over five decades, he has acted in approximately 50 films across five languages and has directed several feature films and TV shows.
Born into a lower-middle-class family, Palekar's father worked at the General Post Office, while his mother was employed in a private company. He completed his schooling at Bal Mohan Vidya Mandir in Mumbai and went on to study fine arts at Sir J. J. School of Art, graduating in 1965. During this period, he worked various odd jobs to sustain himself.
After graduation, Palekar worked as a clerk at the Bank of India by day and pursued his passion for painting at night. In 1967, he held his first solo painting exhibition at the Taj Art Gallery. Around the same time, he ventured into theatre and began performing in stage shows. This led to an opportunity to work in films, and Palekar transitioned to acting.
Palekar made his acting debut in the Marathi film Bajiraocha Beta (1971) directed by Raja Thakur. His first Hindi film was Rajnigandha (1974) directed by Basu Chatterjee, which became a sleeper hit.
In 1976, he acted in Basu Chatterjee's romantic comedy Chhoti Si Baat (1976),which turned out to be a box office hit. The same year, he acted in the romantic musical film Chitchor (1976) directed by Basu Chatterjee, marking his third collaboration with the director. With this film, Palekar scored a hat-trick of hits at the box office, solidifying his position in the Hindi film industry.
Palekar played a negative role in Shyam Benegal's Bhumika (1977),starring Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Anant Nag. The film revolves around an individual's quest for identity and self-fulfillment.
In 1979, Palekar acted in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's comedy film Gol Maal (1979). He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 1980 for Gol Maal. He also played the lead role in Baton Baton Mein (1979) directed by Basu Chatterjee, which became a commercial and critical success.
In 1986, Palekar appeared in a leading role in the thriller Khamosh (1986) directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Palekar portrayed a fictional version of himself in this movie.
Palekar has been married twice, first to Chitra Palekar in 1969, and then to Sandhya Gokhale in 2001. One of his directorial ventures Paheli (2005) starring Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji was the official entry of India for the 78th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
In 2023, Palekar appeared in Gulmohar (2023) directed by Rahul V. Chittella, marking his recent work in the film industry.
