Remembering Arun Bali: From Kedarnath to Barfi, 5 best onscreen performances of the late actor

On Oct 7, 2022

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Veteran actor Arun Bali passed away on Friday morning around 4:20 AM at the age of 79. He was suffering from Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disease caused by a communication failure between nerves and muscles. Arun’s son Ankush Bali PTI said that his father was responding well to the treatment but passed away at around 4.30 am. “My father left us. He was suffering from Myasthenia gravis. He had mood swings for two-three days. He told the caretaker he wanted to go to the washroom and after coming out he told him he wanted to sit down and he never got up then,” he added.

Starring in several films and television shows, the late actor has been a part of the entertainment industry over the decades and has been a popular name as well. Arun played the part of King Porus in the 1991 period drama Chanakya and Kunwar Singh in the Doordarshan soap opera Swabhimaan. He is also a National Award-winning producer. In the 2000s, Arun became known for his “grandfatherly” roles like that of Harshvardhan Wadhwa in Kumkum and has even garnered popular awards for the same.

Now, as fans remember Arun Bali, here’s a look at some of the iconic roles played by the late actor that proves that his legacy will live on forever.

1. Kedarnath

Arun Bali played the role of the Chief Priest of Kedarnath Temple in the 2018 film Kedarnath. It also starred Sushant Singh Rajput in the lead alongside Sara Ali Khan, who made her debut in Abhishek Kapoor’s directorial. The film received positive reviews with praise for SSR’s and Sara’s performances, cinematography, music, and storyline.

The plot of the hit movie was based on a love story with the backdrop of Kedarnath’s tragic event. It tells an inter-faith love story between a wealthy Hindu Brahmin girl named Mukku, belonging to a wealthy family, and a Muslim boy who is a ‘pithoo’ (Mansoor) as their relationship grows closer, they face many obstacles and when the sudden rains of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods devastate the region, the couple is forced to face the ultimate test of their love.

2. 3 Idiots

Arun Bali made a special cameo appearance as he played Javed Jaaferi’s father, who was the original Ranchod Das Chanchad. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, the film stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Boman Irani, and Omi Vaidya star in pivotal roles. 3 Idiots received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. It is considered to be among the greatest Bollywood films ever made.

Be it All Izz Well, Zoobi Doobi, Behti Hawa Sa Tha Woh to Give Me Some Sunshine, and Jaane Nahin Denge, the songs of the film were also loved by the audience. It was loosely adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s novel Five Point Someone. The film received as many as three National Awards in the Best Popular film, Best Lyrics, and Best Audiography categories.

3. PK

In PK, Arun Bali played the role of an Old Sikh man in a restaurant who wants money from Pk, essayed by Aamir Khan. The film also starred Anushka Sharma, Sushant Singh Rajput, Boman Irani, Saurabh Shukla and Sanjay Dutt in pivotal roles. Upon release, it received positive reviews, with praise directed towards Khan’s performance and the film’s humour

4. Barfi!

Arun Bali played Priyanka Chopra aka Jhilmil’s grandfather. Directed by Anurag Basu, the film starred Ranbir Kapoor and Ileana D’Cruz in lead roles, with Saurabh Shukla, Ashish Vidyarthi, Haradhan Bandopadhyay and Jisshu Sengupta in supporting roles. The film was a major box-office success, becoming one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2012 in India.

The film traces his journey as Barfi grows up in Darjeeling, and falls in love with a tourist Shruti, but is left heartbroken and then forms another tender bond with his childhood friend, an autistic girl Jhilmil.

5. Laal Singh Chaddha

Arun Bali essayed the character of an old Sikh Man, who is one of the passengers on the train and listens to the life story of Aamir Khan‘s titular character Laal Singh Chaddha. Directed by Advait Chandan, it also starred Kareena Kapoor Khan, Naga Chaitanya, and Mona Singh. It was a remake of the 1994 American comedy-drama film Forrest Gump which featured Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and Sally Field.

Meanwhile, Arun Bali’s son Ankush said that his father’s cremation will take place tomorrow as they are awaiting for their family members to arrive in Mumbai from the United States, reported Indian Express.

On the work front, Arun Bali’s last Vikas Bahl’s directorial film Goodbye has been released in theatres on Friday. The film also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rashmika Mandanna, and Neena Gupta alongside Sunil Grover, Pavail Gulati, Ashish Vidyarthi, Elli AvrRam, Sahil Mehta, Shivin Narang, and Abhishekh Khan in supporting roles.

ALSO READ: Laal Singh Chaddha actor Arun Bali passes away at 79 in Mumbai

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