It’s been 50 years since Danny Denzongpa started as an actor with Mere Apne (1971). In his long career, Danny has played mostly villainous or character roles, mainly working in Bollywood films. Some of his most memorable films are Dhund, 36 Ghante, Bandish (1980), Jeeo Aur Jeene Do, Dharm Aur Qanoon and Agneepath. He has also starred in some international films, the most famous being Seven Years in Tibet where he appeared alongside Brad Pitt.
The actor turned 72 on February 25, 2021. Looking back at the beginning of his career, Danny talked about not finding acting jobs because of his distinct looks. He wanted to become a singer, but ended up enrolling for an acting course.
“I wanted to study music at the film institute, and I thought I would become a singer, but then I realised at the institute that there was music, but it was part of the acting course… and I was like an alien as I looked different. Filmmakers would make movies on subjects in which I didn’t fit in,” he told Outlook India in an interview.
“Somehow I got a chance to act in Gulzar Saab’s ‘Mere Apne’ which is among the many films in which I have been cast as a generic Indian without a back story, rather than an exotic creature from somewhere in the subcontinent,” he added.
The veteran actor also said that though he received his dues in the industry, he didn’t get the roles he wanted to play. “Many offers that came to me were conventional roles, which I had played before. Most new directors have that image of me from the movies, which I did in the ’80s and ’90s. That was too monotonous and I wanted to do something different,” he said.
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