Avtar Gill

Some Lesser Known Facts About Avtar Gill

• Avtar Gill is a veteran Indian actor who primarily works in Hindi and Punjabi cinema.

• He was born in Punjab, but his family relocated to Chembur, Mumbai, when he was just 40 days old.

• His father was a lorry driver in Mumbai, and his mother was a homemaker.

• In his childhood, Avtar was inspired by Dara Singh and wanted to become a wrestler.

• He disclosed in an interview that the Indian Army was his second choice if he had not succeeded in becoming an actor.

• Director Raman Kumar and actor Javed Khan, who were his classmates at Khalsa College in Mumbai’s King’s Circle area in Matunga, helped him establish a career in acting.

  

• His acting journey started with theatre performances, for which he was paid Rs. 10 per play. In his initial days of acting, he was introduced to IPTA (Indian People’s Theatre Association).

• His association with theatre still continues as it gives him a kick. In an interview, he revealed his love for theatre and said,
  

  “I have been doing theatre since college, and it’s my passion. No matter how occupied I am with films and TV shows, I manage to take time out for theatre. In my career of 38 years, I have done plays in Hindi, English, Punjabi, Marathi and many other languages, and have performed all over India and abroad. The live response one gets after the play is far more enriching than films and TV. Theatre gives me a kick and I feel high after every show.” ^[2]Hindustan Times

• He has appeared in many plays including ‘Wo Lahore,’ ‘Biwi O Biwi,’ ‘Tajmahal Ka Tender,’ and ‘Wrong Number.’

  

• Avtar’s debut Hindi film ‘Noorie’ (1979) was produced by Yash Chopra Productions. It was a super hit and the seventh highest-grossing film at the Indian box office in 1979.

• In 1980, he appeared in the Hindi film ‘Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai’, which had Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, and Smita Patil as the main actors. The film received the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie in 1981. In 2017, Soumitra Ranade remade the film with the same title in which Manav Kaul and Nandita Das appeared in the lead roles.

  

• He gained recognition for his portrayal of Kader Bhai in the popular TV show ‘Nukkad’ (1986-87). The common saying was that ‘Nukkad’  brought the streets of Mumbai to living rooms as it portrayed the life of Mumbai’s common people. Due to its success, a second season titled ‘Naya Nukkad’ was aired in 1993-94.

  

• He played important roles in many popular TV shows including ‘Tara’ (1993-1995), ‘Gharwali Uparwali’ (2000), ‘Detective Karan’ ( 2003-2004), ‘Adaalat’ (2010), ‘Ek Duje Ke Vaaste’ (2016), and ‘Kyun Uthhe Dil Chhod Aaye’ (2021).

  

• He appeared in supporting roles in various Hindi films such as Police Commissioner in ‘Shahenshah’ (1988), as Usman Bhai in ‘Agneepath’ (1990), as Police Inspector Deshpande in ‘Aashiqui’ (1990), as Salim Bhai in ‘Sadak’ (1991), as Natwar Lal Yadav in ‘Dilwale’ (1994), and as Amrit Pal in ‘Airlift’ (2016).

  

• In 2023, he was signed to play the role of Zaakariya Khan in the Punjabi film Mastaney.

  

• He occasionally consumes alcohol.