By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
In the film industry people sing hymns in praise of those who are financially well off ,popular & can dictate their own terms & conditions. Yet, some manage to make their presence felt. Satyen Kapoo was one of them. The number of films he has worked in are indicative of the fact.
Satyen Kapoo , made his film debut with Balrj Sahni starrer “Kabuliwala’ (1961). A member of IPTA and an ardent stage personality, Satyen Kapoo, later worked in more than 350 films playing different characters.
‘Kabuliwala’ -1961 was followed by ‘Bandini’ (1963), ‘Sapno Ka Saudagar'(1968), ‘Khilona’, ‘Kati Patang’ (1970), ‘Amar Prem’, ‘Jawani Diwani’, ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, (1972), ‘Anhonee’, ‘Keemat’, ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat’ (1973), ‘Benaam’ (1974), ‘Sholay’, ‘Deewar’ & ‘Dharmatama’ (1975), Vishwanath'(1978) , ‘Natwar Lal’ (1979), ‘Kudrat’, ‘Naseeb’,’Lawaaris’, ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ (1981), ‘Namak Halaal’ (1982) ‘Coolie’ (1983) & ‘Khel’ (1994) to mention some. He played the role of Amitabh Bachchan’s father in “Deewar” (1975), the film which turned the tide for the mega star. It was a #Blockbuster directed by #Yash Chopra for producer Gulshan Rai. Also appeared in TV serials ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’ & ‘Aarohan’.
