Govardhan Asrani, known as Asrani, is a famous Indian actor and director, whose Bollywood career has spanned five decades. He was born on 1 January 1940 in Jaipur, Jaipur State, Undivided India. He has acted in over 350 Hindi films. Asrani has played the lead roles, character roles, comedic roles and supporting roles. He is best known for his role in Sholay as a jailer and characters he played in 25 films with Rajesh Khanna in lead role between 1972 to 1991.
Asrani learned acting in Sahitya Kalbhai Thakkar for two simultaneous years from 1960 to 1962, after completing his training, Asrani shifted to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting. In accidental meetings with some Bollywood actors, they advised Asrani to professionally learn acting, for which he joined the Film Institute located in Poona, and completed the course in 1966.
In 1967, Asrani did his first film debut as a side actor in “Hare Kaanch Ki Choodiyan”. It was just a start to his career in acting and he is one of the successful actors in India and he is still acting till date. The myth that actors never retire, is truly applied on Asrani. He has done several of characters and roles in numerous movies.
He acted in four other movies, mainly as actor or supporting actor, in Gujarati from 1967 to 1969. He did not get many offers from the Hindi film industry between 1967 and 1969. His old advisor, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, then gave him the role of supporting actor in the film Satyakam in 1969. He got noticed then in the film Mere Apne. From 1971, he started getting more offers as the main comedian in films or as the close friend of the lead actor.
The 2000s saw Asrani in a number of films like Hera Pheri, Chup Chup Ke, Hulchul, Deewane Huye Paagal, Garam Masala, Malamaal Weekly, Bhagam Bhag, De Dana Dan, Bol Bachchan, and Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal. He appeared in a serious role in Kyun Ki. He was an integral part of comedies by Sajid Nadiadwala and Priyadarshan after 2000. His screen space in the films of Rohit Shetty and others were reduced gradually after 2009.
Asrani in 2018 played the role of Mikesh’s grandfather in the popular web series Permanent Roommates and even appeared in advertisement in 2019. He also played the role of DGP Director general of police in the serial Partners Trouble Ho Gayi Double.
Asrani belong to middle-class, Sindhi family in Jaipur. His father opened a carpet shop. He has four sisters and three brothers: two elder and one younger. Asrani was uninterested in business and weak in mathematics. He completed his matriculation from St. Xaviers School and did his graduation from Rajasthan College, Jaipur. He simultaneously worked as a voice artist at All India Radio, Jaipur, to pay for his education.
He is married to Manju Asrani, who is also an actress, with whom he fell in love while working together in the Bollywood film “Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar”, a comedy film of 1973. After they wed, the couple acted in Tapasya, Chandi Sona, Jaan-E-Bahaar, Jurmana, Nalayak, Sarkari Mehmaan, Narad Vivah and Chor Sipahee.
In Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar, Asrani played Champak Boomia / Amit Desai and Manju played Kesari Desai. For this role Asrani won the Filmfare Award for Best Comedian. Later the couple acted in Hum Nahin Sudhrenge, a home production directed by Asrani in 1980.