Our Indian cinema stars like playing such characters because patriotism has long been a favourite theme among our film industry’s writers and filmmakers and also among audiences. Aiyaari, Border, Holiday, The Ghazi Attack, Lakshya, Shaurya, Uri: The Surgical Strike, Shershaah and many other films are devoted to our Indian Army.
While we adore seeing our favourite celebrities in uniformed roles and are huge fans of such characters and films, it’s fascinating to learn about their past occupations.
Let’s take a look at some of the actors that have served in the Indian Army:
1. Gufi Paintal
Gufi Paintal, one of the most prominent performers of the classic period, made the legendary series Mahabharata an unforgettable one. Gufi Paintal, who played the sneaky part of Shakuni mama in the series, was a renowned actor of the 1980s.
The actor was originally trained as an engineer and began modelling assignments in 1969 after recovering from a sick family. While we are all familiar with his varied appearances in television series and films, few of us are aware that he was once a captain in the Indian Army.
2. Anand Bakshi
Anand Bakshi is among the best lyricists India has produced. Born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan his family later moved to India. He was quite fond of writing since his youth as a personal hobby. He got his break in Bollywood with Bhalaa Aadmi (1958). Anand was nominated for the Filmfare award for Best lyricist a total of 40 times, and winning 4 of them.
Anand Bakshi joined Royal Indian Navy in 1944. After partition his family left Pakistan ad travelled to Delhi, and later joined the Indian Army.
3. Raaj Kumar
The Bollywood actor Raaj Kumar was commonly known in the Hindi film industry as “Jaani,” and was responsible for some iconic dialogues that are permanently carved in our hearts. Raaj Kumar has left a lasting effect on the Indian public with his powerful performances in masterpieces like Waqt, Pakeezah, Tirangaa, mother India, Nausherwan-E-Adil, and others.
While we admire the actor and his outstanding performances, he also served as the sub-inspector in the Mumbai Police Department before entering the glam industry in the late 1940s.
4. Bikramjeet Kanwarpal
The late actor Bikramjeet Kanwarpal, was known for his remarkable performances as a supporting actor in many films and television programmes. Bikramjeet gained hearts by brilliantly portraying supporting roles in films like Don, Grand Masti, Murder 2, and several television programmes such as 24, Special Ops, Crime Patrol, and others.
But were you aware that he was a Major in the Indian Army? After retiring from the army in 2002, the actor returned to the glam industry in 2003, starring in the Madhur Bhandarkar film, Page 3.
5. Rehman
Rehman’s career lasted from the late 1940s to the late 1970s, making him a great actor of the golden age. Rehman rose to fame after appearing in legendary masterpieces including Pyaasa, Chaudhri Ka Chand, Waqt, Jeet, Badi Behen, Pardes, and others.
While the younger generation may have forgotten or choose not to know much about the actor, the revelation that he served the country as a pilot in the Royal Indian Air Force is a total surprise to his admirers. The actor quit his prestigious profession as a pilot to pursue a career in acting, and the rest is history.
6. Rudrashish Majumder
Rudrashish Majumdar, a former army officer turned actor, has appeared in films such as Chhichhore, Hawa Singh, Mrs Undercover, and Jersey, as well as a Bengali web series called Lost in Tollywood. The actor has also appeared in several commercials, including those for Coca-Cola and MG Hector.
However, only a handful in the audience would be aware that he served the country as a major in the Indian Army for seven years.
7. Achyut Potdar
In films like 3 idiots, Dabangg 2, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, and others, he gave brief but noteworthy performances. Achyut Potdar has established himself as one of Bollywood’s most promising performers. Despite appearing in a few quick and minor roles, this actor has received a lot of appreciation from Indian viewers. And now that we’ve learned everything about his cinematic career, it’s time to look back at his early days before breaking into the spotlight.
He began his career as a professor at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh before joining the Indian Army as a captain and retiring in 1967. After 25 years as an executive in the Indian oil industry, he eventually entered the entertainment industry at the age of 44.
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