Birbal Khosla (1938-2023) was a veteran Indian actor. He is known for playing the supporting role of a prisoner in the Diamond Jubilee Bollywood film ‘Sholay’ (1975). In 2023, he died of cardiac arrest at the age of 84.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Birbal Khosla was born as Satinder Kumar Khosla [1]Hindustan Times on Friday, 28 October 1938 (age 84 years; at the time of death) in Gurdaspur, Punjab Province, British India (now Gurdaspur, Punjab, India). His zodiac sign is Scorpio. He attended Hira Lal Jain Senior Secondary School in New Delhi. After completing his schooling, Birbal enrolled at the University of Delhi. He also attended a college in Jalandhar. During his college days, he used to watch films starring Kishore Kumar and developed an interest in acting.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father had a printing press in Punjab. He had two younger brothers and two younger sisters.
Wife & Children
His wife’s name is Neena Bhatia. He had a son named Santosh and a daughter named Shalini.
Career
Before making his acting debut, Birbal Khosla had played a blink-and-miss role in a song of Ram Dayal’s film ‘Raja.’ The film was released in the 1960s. In 1966, he made his acting debut in a supporting role as Mohan’s batchmate in the Hindi film ‘Do Badan’ starring Manoj Kumar and Asha Parekh.
Poster of the 1966 Hindi film ‘Do Badan’
He hit the spotlight after he played the role of Baanchcharam in V. Shantaram’s 1967 film ‘Boond Jo Ban Gayi Moti.’ Birbal often credited Raj Khosla and Manoj Kumar for his success, as he was featured in many of their films, including Upkar (1967), Mera Saaya (1966), Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), and Kranti (1981). In 1970, he appeared as a circus surgeon in Raj Kapoor’s romantic drama film ‘Mera Naam Joker.’ He rose to prominence after he played the role of a prisoner with a half-shaven moustache in the popular 1975 Hindi film ‘Sholay’ starring Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra in lead roles.
Birbal Khosla in a still from the 1975 Hindi film ‘Sholay’
His last film was the 2022 Hindi comedy-drama film ’10 Nahi 40′ in which he played the lead role of Birbal.
Death
On 12 September 2023, he died of cardiac arrest at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. [2]Hindustan Times His last rites were performed on 13 September 2023. Many Bollywood actors mourning his death.
Facts/Trivia
- Birbal had acted in more than 500 films in multiple languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Marathi, and Bhojpuri.
- During the initial days of his acting career, he used to do small jobs. He also worked on daily wages during that time.
- When he was shooting for the Hindi film ‘Anita’ (1967), actor Manoj Kumar and director Raj Khosla thought that his original name wasn’t suitable for the film industry, so they gave him the screen name ‘Birbal.’ [3]The Times of India
References
| ↑1, ↑2 | Hindustan Times |
|---|---|
| ↑3 | The Times of India |
