Veteran actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar dead

Veteran actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar, who has acted in nearly 300 movies, including blockbusters like “Ardh Satya”, “Sadak” and “Ishq”, passed away here on Monday at the age of 64 after prolonged illness.

He is survived by three daughters, three sons-in-law and grandchildren. Amrapurkar died early on Monday at Kokilaben Dhriubhai Ambani Hospital where he had been admitted following a long infection and was put on ventilator.

The actor’s mortal remains were kept at the Bhaidas Hall in Vile Parle on the same day and the last rites will be performed in his home district of Ahmednagar on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were among those who condoled the death of Amrapurkar, who played negative roles in several films through the eighties and nineties, but also made a mark as a comic.

He was born Ganesh Kumar Narwode on May 11, 1950, to an affluent business family. Amrapurkar, fondly known as Tatya in his family and friend circles, grew up in Ahmednagar and completed his schooling there. He obtained his Masters in History from the University of Pune and began his acting career in Marathi theatre at the age of 24.

Amrapurkar made his debut in the 1976 film “Aamras” and rose to fame after acting in “Bal Gangadhar Tilak” in 1979. Producer Govind Nihalani spotted the actor during a Marathi play titled “Hands up” and soon offered him a role in Ardh Satya, a hit cop drama, in which actor Om Puri, too, left his mark. Dharmendra-starrer “Hukumat” is what gave Amrapurkar popularity as a villain in Hindi cinema, after which he went on to deliver a number of hits as the main antagonist.

He is best known for his stellar performance in the role of a eunuch named Maharani in Mahesh Bhatt’s “Sadak” and his last role was in “Bombay Talkies”, a film released in 2013 to celebrate hundred years of Indian Cinema.