By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
On His Birth Anniversary
Keshto Mukherjee, born in Kolkata in 1925, is regarded as a comedian who could play the role of a ‘drunkard’ with unbelievable perfection & precision .Most cine-goers believed he was used to drinking for they could never digest the fact that a person could perform or imitate a heavily drunk person, on camera, so convincingly.
Mukherjee started his career in film in early 1950s. One of his earlier films was “Do Bigha Zameen” (1953). In a career spanning nearly three decades the comedian acted in hundreds of films playing minor roles, more notably of a drunkard, peon, vendour, taxi -driver, policeman, prisoner, waiter , rarely enacting a gentleman.
His prominent films include the likes of Musafir (1957), Khazanchi (1958), Parakh (1960), China Town (1962), Asli Naqli (1962), Aarti (1962), Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1968), Zanzeer (1973) & Sholay (1975). Also featured in Aarop, Pratiggya, Kaala Sona , Koshish, Meharban, Anokhi Raat, Baazi Koshish, Geeta Mera Naam, Parichay & Padosan. His last film “Aathank” (1996) was released more than a decade after his death.
