Johnny Walker (actor)
Encyclopedia
Johnny Walker is the screen name of an Indian movie comedian, who acted in over 300 movies. He was born as Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi in Indore
, India
, the son of a mill worker. The family shifted to Mumbai
(Bombay) when the textile mill his father worked in closed. Looking after his 15-member family was tough for the father; five of the family members died young. Badruddin tried his hand at different occupations, including the job of a conductor in Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (B.E.S.T) buses. (He was posted mainly at Dadar
bus depot, but worked on several routes.)
in 1950 while he was once traveling in a B.E.S.T. bus on which Badruddin, then 27, was working as a conductor. Sahni was penning at that time the script for the movie, Baazi (1951), and introduced Badruddin to Guru Dutt
as a candidate for the role of a comedian. Badruddin's screen test consisted of acting as a drunk, and he did it so well that Guru Dutt gave him the screen name, "Johnny Walker", after the famous Scotch whisky brand. (Walker was always a teetotaler.) Later Johnny was cast as the hero in a movie, Johnny-Walker (1957), which was named after himself.
He had a close friendship with Guru Dutt, who would often change scripts of his movies to accommodate a role for Johnny. The untimely death of Guru Dutt in 1964 deeply impacted him.
During the 1970s through the '90s, he had a few small roles in movies. His role in Anand showed that he could excel in a serious role even if it was for only a few minutes. His last performance was in actor/director Kamal Hasan's Chachi 420 in 1998; he had performed at the request of poet/director/writer Gulzar
who had scripted that movie.
He also starred in the Punjabi film Teri meri ek jindari.
. He met Noor in 1955 on the sets of Guru Dutt
's film Mr. and Mrs. 55. Johnny and Noor had three daughters: Kausar, Tasneem, and Firdaus; and three sons: Nazim, Kazim, and Nasir. Nasir is a well-known movie and TV actor.
Johnny Walker was a humble man, who kept a low profile even at the peak of his career. Ironically, despite his being typecast as a drunk in most of his films, he was an observant Muslim who never touched alcohol.
The above are the main movies in which Johnny Walker performed. IMDB's web site provides a complete list.
. While once having breakfast at a roadside joint, they happened to watch a local masseur apply his talents to a gentleman's head, and Guru Dutt asked Johnny to keep that scene in mind.
In view of the comedian's high popularity, in the 1950s producers would insist that a movie song be centered around Johnny. Johnny's popularity began to wane in the 1960s with the rise of actor/comedian Mehmood. "Filmmakers were no longer interested in my kind of clean comedies, and I thought it's time for me to bid goodbye," he once later said.
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the son of a mill worker. The family shifted to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(Bombay) when the textile mill his father worked in closed. Looking after his 15-member family was tough for the father; five of the family members died young. Badruddin tried his hand at different occupations, including the job of a conductor in Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (B.E.S.T) buses. (He was posted mainly at Dadar
Dadar
Dadar is a place in Mumbai, and is also a railway station on both the Western and Central lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Dadar is situated in the heart of Mumbai, and Dadar station is the only railway station common to both the Central and Western lines...
bus depot, but worked on several routes.)
Career
While issuing tickets as a B.E.S.T. bus conductor, Badruddin used to entertain passengers aboard with some antics. These antics caught the attention of actor and script-writer Balraj SahniBalraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni , born Yudhishthir Sahni , was a famous Hindi film actor. He belonged to a Punjabi Khatri family from Bhera now in Punjab, Pakistan...
in 1950 while he was once traveling in a B.E.S.T. bus on which Badruddin, then 27, was working as a conductor. Sahni was penning at that time the script for the movie, Baazi (1951), and introduced Badruddin to Guru Dutt
Guru Dutt
Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone , popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema...
as a candidate for the role of a comedian. Badruddin's screen test consisted of acting as a drunk, and he did it so well that Guru Dutt gave him the screen name, "Johnny Walker", after the famous Scotch whisky brand. (Walker was always a teetotaler.) Later Johnny was cast as the hero in a movie, Johnny-Walker (1957), which was named after himself.
He had a close friendship with Guru Dutt, who would often change scripts of his movies to accommodate a role for Johnny. The untimely death of Guru Dutt in 1964 deeply impacted him.
During the 1970s through the '90s, he had a few small roles in movies. His role in Anand showed that he could excel in a serious role even if it was for only a few minutes. His last performance was in actor/director Kamal Hasan's Chachi 420 in 1998; he had performed at the request of poet/director/writer Gulzar
Gulzar (lyricist)
Sampooran Singh Kalra , known popularly by his pen name Gulzar , is an Indian poet, lyricist and director. He primarily writes in Hindi-Urdu and has also written in Punjabi and several dialects of Hindi such as Braj Bhasha, Khariboli, Haryanvi and Marwari.Gulzar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in...
who had scripted that movie.
He also starred in the Punjabi film Teri meri ek jindari.
Family life
Johnny Walker married Noor (short for Noorjehan), a sister of Shakila (actress)Shakila (actress)
Shakila is an actress, best known for her roles in Guru Dutt's films: Aar Paar and C.I.D. . She also starred with Shammi Kapoor in Shakti Samanta's China Town . She retired from films in 1963 when she married and decided to move to United Kingdom with her husband who was not from the film...
. He met Noor in 1955 on the sets of Guru Dutt
Guru Dutt
Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone , popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema...
's film Mr. and Mrs. 55. Johnny and Noor had three daughters: Kausar, Tasneem, and Firdaus; and three sons: Nazim, Kazim, and Nasir. Nasir is a well-known movie and TV actor.
Johnny Walker was a humble man, who kept a low profile even at the peak of his career. Ironically, despite his being typecast as a drunk in most of his films, he was an observant Muslim who never touched alcohol.
Awards
- Filmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
for his role in MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to... - Filmfare Best Comedian AwardFilmfare Best Comedian AwardThe Filmfare Best Comedian Award was given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise an actor who had delivered an outstanding performance in a comic role....
for his role in ShikarShikar (1968 film)Shikar is a 1968 Hindi movie produced and directed by Atma Ram. The film is a murder mystery that became a box office hit. The film stars Dharmendra, Asha Parekh, Sanjeev Kumar, Helen, Rehman, Bela Bose, Ramesh Deo and Johnny Walker....
Selected filmography
- 1951 Baazi
- 1954 Aar PaarAar PaarAar-Paar is a 1954 Indian Hindi-language film. Directed by Guru Dutt, the film has music by O.P. Nayyar and lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. A light-hearted film , Aar-Paar stars Johnny Walker, Shyama, Shakila, Jagdeep, Jagdish Sethi, Bir Sakuja, Rajendra, Amir Banu, Rashid Khan, M.A...
- 1954 Taxi DriverTaxi Driver (1954 film)Taxi Driver is a 1954 Hindi movie produced by Navketan Films. The film is directed by Chetan Anand and stars his brother Dev Anand , Dev's wife to be Kalpana Kartik and Johnny Walker. The film's music director is S. D...
- 1955 Mr. & Mrs. '55Mr. & Mrs. '55Mr. & Mrs. '55 is a 1955 Bollywood film by director Guru Dutt. Guru Dutt stars alongside Madhubala, supported by Lalita Pawar, Johnny Walker and Jagdeep in this socially critical romantic comedy set in contemporary Bombay. The films music is by O. P...
- 1956 C.I.D.
- 1956 Chori ChoriChori ChoriChori Chori is a 1956 Hindi film directed by Anant Thakur, with music by Shankar Jaikishan and lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra. The film is inspired by the Hollywood movie, It Happened One Night. The film stars Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Bhagwan Dada, Pran, David, and Johnny Walker have...
- 1957 PyaasaPyaasaPyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
- 1957 Naya Daur
- 1958 MadhumatiMadhumatiMadhumati is a 1958 Hindi film produced and directed by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The music was composed by Salil Choudhury with the lyrics by Shailendra. The film stars Dilip Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Pran, and Johnny Walker. It was one of the earliest films to...
- 1958 AmardeepAmardeepAmar Deep is a 1979 Bollywood romantic drama film directed by R. Krishnamurthy and K. Vijayan. The film stars Rajesh Khanna in the lead role supported by Shabana Azmi and Vinod Mehra and introducing new actress Deepa. The lyrics were by Anand Bakshi and the music is by Laxmikant Pyarelal.-Plot:Raja...
- 1959 Kaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke PhoolKaagaz Ke Phool, , is a 1959 Hindi film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film .The film was a box office disaster of its time but was later resurrected as a world cinema cult classic in the 1980s. The film's music was composed by S. D...
- 1960 Mughal-E-AzamMughal-e-AzamMughal-E-Azam is a 1960 Indian historical epic film produced under the banner of Sterling Investment Corporation Pvt Ltd, and directed by K. Asif. With its unmatched production, K. Asif's magnum opus took nine years and $3 million to complete this movie. This was when a typical Bollywood film...
- 1960 Chaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka ChandChaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
- 1963 Bees Saal BaadBees Saal BaadBees Saal Baad is a 1962 Bollywood film. The movie was produced by Hemant Kumar, who also gave the music and sings some of the movie's memorable songs, the film is directed by Biren Nag. The film stars Biswajeet, Waheeda Rehman, Madan Puri, Sajjan and Asit Sen.The plot is loosely based on Sir...
- 1963 Mere MehboobMere MehboobMere Mehboob is a 1963 Indian film directed by Harnam Singh Rawail and starring Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana, Ashok Kumar, Nimmi, Pran, Johnny Walker and Ameeta. The film became a "blockbuster" and took the number one position at the box office in 1963. The movie drew a background from Aligarh Muslim...
- 1968 Haseena Maan JayegiHaseena Maan JayegiHaseena Maan Jayegi is a 1968 Hindi movie directed by Prakash Mehra. The film stars Shashi Kapoor, Babita, Ameeta, Yunus Parvez and Johnny Walker...
- 1968 ShikarShikar (1968 film)Shikar is a 1968 Hindi movie produced and directed by Atma Ram. The film is a murder mystery that became a box office hit. The film stars Dharmendra, Asha Parekh, Sanjeev Kumar, Helen, Rehman, Bela Bose, Ramesh Deo and Johnny Walker....
- 1970 Anand
- 1975 PratigyaPratigyaPratigya is a 1975 Indian Hindi film. Produced by Dharmendra and B.S Dahal, the film is directed by Dulal Guha. The music is given by Laxmikant Pyarelal. The film stars Dharmendra trying to take revenge on Ajit who killed his parents. He goes to the village and pretends to be the new police...
- 1977 Farishta ya QatilFarishta Ya QatilFarishta Ya Qatil is a 1977 Bollywood action film directed by S.M. Abbas. The film stars Shashi Kapoor and Rekha.-Cast:*Shashi Kapoor*Rekha*Jayshree T.*Yunus Parvez*Utpal Dutt*Bindu*Sujit Kumar*Mac Mohan*Prem Nath*Om Shivpuri*Johnny Walker...
- 1980 ShaanShaan (film)Shaan is a 1980 Indian Hindi film. It is director Ramesh Sippy's 2nd film with Amitabh Bachchan after Sholay. The story was written by Salim-Javed....
- 1998 Chachi 420Chachi 420Chachi 420 is a 1998 comedy film, made in India and directed by Kamal Haasan who also starred in the film as the main character. Other actors include Amrish Puri, Tabu, Om Puri, Johnny Walker, Paresh Rawal, Rajendranath Zutshi, Ayesha Jhulka, Nassar and Baby Sana. The Executive Producer is Sab...
The above are the main movies in which Johnny Walker performed. IMDB's web site provides a complete list.
Memorable Performances
Johnny's most memorable roles were in the movies, "C.I.D","Pyaasa" and Chaudhwin ka Chand, wherein he sang the songs,Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan --a paean to the city of Bombay—and Sar Jo Tera Chakraye and a very famous shadi song "Mera Yaar Bana Hai Dulha", respectively. The song "Sar Jo Tera Chakraye" was developed during a visit by Guru Dutt and Johnny to Kolkata (Calcutta) before the filming of PyaasaPyaasa
Pyaasa is a 1957 Indian film produced and directed by Guru Dutt. The film tells the story of struggling poet, Vijay , trying to make his works known in post-independence India...
. While once having breakfast at a roadside joint, they happened to watch a local masseur apply his talents to a gentleman's head, and Guru Dutt asked Johnny to keep that scene in mind.
In view of the comedian's high popularity, in the 1950s producers would insist that a movie song be centered around Johnny. Johnny's popularity began to wane in the 1960s with the rise of actor/comedian Mehmood. "Filmmakers were no longer interested in my kind of clean comedies, and I thought it's time for me to bid goodbye," he once later said.
Tributes
- "Johnny Walker’s impeccable style lent a new meaning and respectability to the genre of comedy in Indian cinema," said Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister of India, on Johnny's death.
- "Every time there was a function on Independence Day or Republic Day, I was asked to get all these people to perform. [Indian Prime Minister] Pandit Jawarlal Nehru would request especially for Johnny Walker and Mukri. I could get them as they were my friends. Today that he is no more. I miss him," remarked Indian actor Dilip KumarDilip KumarDilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
on Johnny's demise.
External links
- Dilip Kumar on Johnny Walker at Outlook (magazine)Outlook (magazine)Outlook is one of India's four top-selling English weekly newsmagazines. Like many other Indian magazines, it is reluctant to reveal its circulation, but the 2007 National Readership Survey suggested 1.5 million copies...