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Sadashiv Amrapurkar

Sadashiv Amrapurkar Sign
Sadashiv Amrapurkar Sign Image: Wikimedia Commons. Ashokdhakane / CC BY-SA 4.0

Overview

Sadashiv Dattatray Amrapurkar (11 May 1950 – 3 November 2014) was an Indian actor who worked predominantly in Marathi and Hindi cinema. Active from 1983 to 2013, he appeared in more than 300 films across Hindi, Marathi and other Indian languages, and was particularly noted for his portrayals of villains, alongside a substantial body of supporting and comic roles.

Key facts

Full name Sadashiv Dattatray Amrapurkar
Born 11 May 1950
Died 3 November 2014
Occupation Actor
Languages of work Hindi, Marathi and other regional languages
Active years 1983–2013
Notable awards Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role (1991, for Sadak)

Career

Amrapurkar built a career spanning three decades in Indian cinema, beginning in 1983. Working across Hindi, Marathi and other regional film industries, he became known for the intensity he brought to antagonist roles, while also taking on supporting and, in his later career, comic parts.

Breakthrough in Hindi cinema

In 1987, he played a negative role opposite Dharmendra in Hukumat, directed by Anil Sharma. The film was Sharma's first major commercial success and helped establish Amrapurkar as a prominent screen villain in Hindi cinema.

Award-winning villain roles

Amrapurkar received the inaugural Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role in 1991 for his portrayal in Mahesh Bhatt's Sadak. In 1993, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Villainous Role, again in the year the award was instituted.

Comic and supporting work

Alongside his villainous roles, Amrapurkar branched into comedy. In 1993, he played the comic hero Inspector Pyare Mohan in Aankhen. In the latter part of his career, comic and character roles formed an increasing share of his output.

Timeline

  • 1950 – Born on 11 May.
  • 1983 – Begins his film career.
  • 1987 – Appears as the antagonist in Hukumat, opposite Dharmendra.
  • 1991 – Wins the first Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role for Sadak.
  • 1993 – Wins the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Villainous Role; also plays Inspector Pyare Mohan in Aankhen.
  • 2013 – Final year of screen activity.
  • 2014 – Dies on 3 November.

Significance

Amrapurkar is remembered as one of Hindi cinema's defining character actors of the late 1980s and 1990s. His win for Sadak at the inaugural Filmfare Best Negative Role honour, followed by the 1993 Best Villain award in its first year, mark him as a pioneering recipient in the formal recognition of antagonist performances by mainstream Indian film awards. His parallel presence in Marathi cinema also made him a familiar figure across multiple regional film traditions.

References