Photo: Bollywood Hungama / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
A. K. Hangal was born on August 15, 1915 in Sialkot, Sialkot District, Pakistan and was credited as a film actor, television actor and politician. A. K. Hangal died on August 26, 2012, aged 97. Awards on record include Padma Bhushan.
My Take
A. K. Hangal fascinates me because his life held two epics: freedom fighter first, then beloved character actor. Born in Sialkot, he brought decades of lived gravity to roles in Sholay, Namak Haraam and sixteen films alongside Rajesh Khanna. He rarely chased the spotlight, yet his gentle, weathered presence could anchor an entire scene. That, to me, is the rarest gift in cinema. Honored with the Padma Bhushan and active nearly until the end of a long life, he reminds me that supporting players often carry a film's soul. I hold his quiet craft in deep regard.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- A. K. Hangal
- Name (Japanese)
- A・K・ハンガル
- Reading
- A・K・はんがる
- Born
- August 15, 1915 – August 26, 2012
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Rabbit
- Origin
- Sialkot, Sialkot District, Pakistan
- Occupation
- film actor / television actor / politician
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- Padma Bhushan
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.%20K.%20Hangal
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3595806
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was A. K. Hangal born?
Born August 15, 1915.
When did A. K. Hangal die?
Died August 26, 2012, aged 97.
Where was A. K. Hangal from?
A. K. Hangal was from Sialkot, Sialkot District, Pakistan.
What did A. K. Hangal do?
A. K. Hangal worked as film actor, television actor, politician.
Film actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from Pakistan →