Today is Keshto’s 98 th birth anniversary. A comedian par excellence and a teetotaller in real life!

7 th August is the birth anniversary of the most popular rather legendary comedian of Indian Film industry Keshto Mukherjee. A comedian actor who made everyone laugh by being in inebriated condition in his roles in almost all his movies Keshto Mukherjee in his real life was a complete teetotaller. Born on 7 th August 1925 in Kolkata then Calcutta, Presidency, Keshto Mukherjee died in 1982 after acting in more than 175 movies starting his film career in Bengali movie Nagrik directed by Ritwik Ghatak who launched him for the very first time. Keshto was then 17 years old. Sounds very interesting that an actor comedian whose character was based on his ” Sharabi role”, was in real life a teetotaller, especially connected to a glamorous Bollywood world where liquor n drugs are the main ingredients of luxurious parties.

Though there was no dearth of comedians in Bollywood movies like Mehmood, Maruti, Jagdeep, Johnny Walker, Asrani, Tuntun Sunder, etc but Keshto Mukherjee was different , unique and outstanding carrying behind him a vast fan following. His fans after knowing about Keshto Mukherjee acting in a particular movie used to throng in picture halls in large numbers not worried which hero or heroine were acting in it. Such was the craze for this comedian actor. His charisma of Sharabi comedian was his brand for which Keshto was widely famous – remembered till date. After making his debut in 1942 from a Bengali film Nagrik his other notable acting credits were Padosan in 1968, Parichay in 1972, Bombay to Goa and Piya Ka Ghar ( both in 1972), Zanjeer, ( 1973) , Sholay in 1975, Golmaal in 1979 and Jurmaana in 1979. He got the prestigious film fare award for his outstanding role as comedian in movie Khoobsurat. He breathed his last in Mumbai on 2 nd March 1982 at the age of 56 leaving behind a vast fan following in utter shock and dismay. Our tributes to this super star par excellence comedian on his 98 th birth anniversary.