Johnny Walker Life Story: During 60s, A man Named Badruddin Jamaluddin Qazi was a resident of a Muslim family of Indore. He had a joint family of 15 people. At that time, due to poverty and hunger, Qazi used to do different jobs to run his family. Fortunately, he got a job as a bus conductor in Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). While doing his job, he used to entertain the passengers as well. The ever-cheerful Qazi used to make people laugh during his job.
Johnny Walker in limelight
One day, Legend actor Balraj Sahani was also traveling in the same bus and Qazi was entertaining people like every day. Sahani was working on one of his scripts but Qazi grabbed his attention. Balraj Sahani felt with thrilled when he watched him doing crazy stuff. Sahani told Qazi that he should go and meet Guru Dutt, he is looking for an actor like you.
Qazi never accepted that. Later, when Qazi reached Guru Dutt’s office, Guru Dutt asked him to act as a drunkard. Qazi played the character so well that Guru Dutt named Qazi- Johnny Walker which was his favourite whiskey. Johnny Walker, who left an indelible mark on the Bollywood industry with his acting, became Guru Dutt’s favourite.
Johnny Walker was named by Guru Dutt
And after that, Guru Dutt used to keep Johnny Walker in every film. Johnny also considered him as his guru. In many films, Guru Dutt changed the scene for Johnny.
Renowned actor Johnny has acted in about 300 films like Baazi, Aar Paar, Taxi Driver, Mr and Mrs 55, CID, Pyaasa and Naya Daur. Even he witnesses the changing era of hindi cinema from black and white to colour.
Guru Dutt always keep Johnny with home. They both were in Kolkata where Guru Dutt, pointing to a masseur and said, Johnny, watch that masseur carefully, you have to play his character. Johnny Walker played that role which was brilliantly executed. The song in which he played that role was “Sar Jo Tera Chakraye, ya dil dooba jaye”.
Although we have always seen Johnny in the role of a comedian, but watching his emotional character in Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan starrer Anand still brings tears to our eyes. Everyone was stunned to see his performance.
How Johnny Walker lost Guru Dutt
When Johnny Walker made a mark with his work, he got a film offer from Madras (Chennai). When he reached Madras for the shooting of the film, he came to know at the airport itself that his nephew had passed away. He lived with the whole family. And he returned after hearing the news of his nephew’s death. Then after a few months he again went to Madras, he got the news that his father had passed away. He again returned to Bombay. Once again after a few months Johnny went to Madras and as soon as he reached the hotel room the telephone rang, he picked up the phone without holding the bag in his hand and the news came that Guru Dutt was no more.
Johnny was very shocked by this and he refused to go to Madras fearing that bad news would come if he went there again. This affected his career as well but he did not go to Madras. Then he signed Kamal Haasan’s film Chachi Charsobis in the year 1996, he did not know that he would have to go to Madras for this film, but after 14 years he again went to Madras, sitting scared in the whole flight, but nothing had happened. His character in the film was of an alcoholic painter. This was the last film in which Johnny Sahab was seen.
On July 29, 2003, Johnny Walker said goodbye to the world, but the character played by him, his performance is still discussed today. Songs composed on him like “Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Hai”, “Mera Yaar Bana Hai Dulha”, “Jaane Kaha Mera Jigar Gaya Ji” are still sung by us today. Johnny Sahab has made us laugh in different ways with his acting. You will always be remembered by us.
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