A veteran of the industry and one of the most versatile actors Vikram Gokhale who has predominantly worked in the Hindi and Marathi film industries, breathed his last in a hospital in Pune on November 26. Vikram Gokhale was a very seasoned actor and his demise is deeply saddening. Vikram Gokhale was a noted actor in Marathi theatre and cinema, as well as in Hindi films, where he acted in movies such as Agnipath (1990), Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Bhool Bhulaiyaan (2007), Natsamrat (2015), Hichki (2018), and Mission Mangal (2019). Born on November 14, 1945, Vikram Gokhale was an actor best known for his work in Marathi theatre, Hindi movies, and television. Vikram started his acting journey on Marathi stage and was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for acting in theatre in 2011. His big-screen journey began in 1971 with Parwana, which also featured Amitabh Bachchan. Apart from Bollywood films, the duo also worked in a Marathi film titled AB Ani CD. In his career of 59 years, Gokhale acted in every medium, from theatre to television to cinema in at least two major languages- Marathi and Hindi. He was without a doubt the most talented actor to have made a name for himself in the movie industry. As a result, he was regarded as the most well-known and adored actor in the movie business. His roles in the films Barrister, Gafla and Sau Jhooth Ek Sach are the ones he found the most challenging. The actor made his film debut in the 1971 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Parwana. He is best known for his performances in films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Agnipath, and Khuda Gawah. He won the National Award for Best Actor in 2010 for his performance in the Marathi film Anumati. In 2010, he made his directorial debut with the Marathi film Aaghaat. He is fondly remembered for playing the patriarch in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De ChukeSanam. He also appeared in films like Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Bhool Bhulaiyaan, Mission Mangal, Aiyaary among many others. He was hounored with the National Award for best actor at 60th National Awards in 2013 for ‘Anumati’, a Marathi film. The actor, who was close to reaching his golden jubilee in movies, received praise for his outstanding acting abilities and won numerous awards. In recognition of his contribution to cinema, the actor was honoured with the Vishnudas Bhave Award in 2015 by the Akhil Maharashtra Natya Vidya Mandir. Over the decades, Gokhale gave stellar performances in a range of roles in prominent Hindi films such as Bhool Bhulaiyaan, Traffic, Hichki and Ab Tak Chhappan. He used to say, “An actor should not hard-sell skills. Acting should not be about peddling your abilities. To me to be seen acting is not acting. To act to believe is acting. Acting is the art of creating the illusion of the truth. You have to make people forget you are acting.” No doubt, we shall miss his presence on the big screen but he has left an indelible mark on the hearts of all cinema lovers and his work will always be remembered.
