Govardhan Asrani

Biography

Govardhan Asrani (born 1 January 1940), popularly known simply as Asrani, is an Indian actor and director whose Bollywood career has spanned five decades. He has acted in over 350 Hindi films.

Asrani has played the lead roles, character roles, comedic roles, and supporting roles. He is best known for his role in Sholay as a jailer and for characters, he played in 25 films with Rajesh Khanna in the lead role between 1972 and 1991.

In Hindi films, he played the comedian's role from 1966 to 2013 and played a supporting actor's role as the close friend of the lead hero in many films between 1972 and 1994. In a few Hindi films like Chala Murari Hero Banne and Salaam Memsaab, he played the main lead hero.

In Gujarati films, he played the lead hero from 1972 to 1984 and played character roles from 1985 to 2012. He also directed six films between 1974 and 1997.

Asrani was born into a middle-class, Sindhi family in Jaipur. His father opened a carpet shop. He has four sisters and three brothers: two elder and one younger. Asrani was uninterested in business and weak in mathematics.

He completed his matriculation from St. Xaviers School and did his graduation from Rajasthan College, Jaipur. He simultaneously worked as a voice artist at All India Radio, Jaipur, to pay for his education.

He married actress Manju Bansal, with whom he fell in love while working together in films like Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar and Namak Haram. After they wed, the couple acted in Tapasya, Chandi Sona, Jaan-E-Bahaar, Jurmana, Nalayak, Sarkari Mehmaan, Narad Vivah, and Chor Sipahee.

In Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar, Asrani played Champak Boomia / Amit Desai and Manju played Kesari Desai. For this role, Asrani won the Filmfare Award for Best Comedian. Later the couple acted in Hum Nahin Sudhrenge, a home production directed by Asrani in 1980.