Sayedna Iftekhar Ahmed Sharif

Iftekar was born as Indra Sen Johar on 16 February 1920 in Talagang, a town in Punjab province of British India (now in Pakistan). He completed his MA degree in Economics and Politics and then his LLB. He was interested in film and theatre since his college days. He moved to Bombay in 1949 and made his film debut in Ek Thi Ladki, a comedy action film. He acted in many Hindi films, mostly in comic roles, and also appeared in some international films, such as Harry Black, North West Frontier, Lawrence of Arabia and Death on the Nile. He was known for his witty dialogue delivery and his ability to play multiple characters in the same film. He also wrote, produced and directed several films, such as Nastik, a partition-based drama, Johar Mehmood in Goa and Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong, comedy films inspired by the Bob Hope-Bing Crosby Road to... series, and Nasbandi, a satire on the forced sterilization policy of Indira Gandhi's government. He also acted in some Punjabi films, such as Chaddian Di Doli, Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai and Yamla Jatt. He was one of the most educated and versatile actors of his time. He received a BAFTA nomination for his role in Harry Black and a Filmfare award for his role in Johny Mera Naam. He was also honoured with several titles and awards for his contributions to the field of cinema and culture. He was conferred the title "Gana Kalabhushana" by the Karnataka Sangeetha Nruthya Academy in 1976 and the title "Gaanakalaa Gandharva" by the scholars of Mysore state in 1978. He also received the Rajyotsava Award in 1986 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991. He was a member of the Kannada Film Advisory Board and the Karnataka Sangeetha Nruthya Academy. He was married five times and had two children, Anil Johar and Ambika Johar, who also acted in some of his films. He died on 10 March 1995 in Bombay at the age of 64. The cause of his death was not disclosed. He was cremated with state honours. He is remembered as one of the most popular comedians of Indian cinema and a pioneer of spoof and satire. ¹