Agha (actor)

Agha (21 March 1914 – 30 April 1992) was an Indian film actor of Bollywood films of Persian descent. He was known for comic roles and modeled himself on Bob Hope's style of acting. He appeared in over 300 Hindi films in his career between 1935 and 1986. His son, Jalal Agha, also became an actor, most known for the song, Mehbooba Mehbooba in Sholay (1975).

Agha confessed that he went to school for just three days, "that was as long as I could stand it". He spent time "mooching" around the Poona Race Course as he wanted to become a jockey and loved horses. Agha came to Bombay and joined his neighbourhood drama group. His interest in acting took him to films where in 1933 he started as a production manager in Kanwal Movietone.

Agha’s first film was Kanwal Movietone’s Stree Dharma also called Painted Sin (1935) starring Mehtab and Nazir. However, his films Karwan-e-Husn (1935), Wadia Movietone's Rangila Mazdoor (1938), and Anuradha (1940) helped him gain recognition as a comic actor. He acted in Kikubhai Desai's (Manmohan Desai's father) Circus Ki Sundari (1941) which was popular and this helped in getting lead roles in films like Muqabala (1942), Laheri Cameraman (1944) and Taxi Driver (1944). His most active years were from 1930s to 1960s.

Selected list.

Agha died on 30 April 1992 of a heart attack in Pune, Maharashtra, India. He was 78 years old. He was survived by three daughters and one son, Jalal Agha. Jalal Agha died on 5 March 1995, in New Delhi, also of a heart attack.

He was nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for the 1960 film Ghunghat.