Shafi Inamdar

Shafi Inamdar (23 October 1945 – 13 March 1996) was an Indian actor. He started his film career with the film Vijeta and continued it in Ardh Satya. He acted in a number of television serials including Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. His most notable film roles include the inspector in Aaj Ki Awaz, the villain in Awam and the friend of the hero in films like Nazrana, Anokha Rishta, Amrit. Some of his other films are Jurm, Khatron Ke Khiladi, Kudrat Ka Kanoon, Sadaa Suhagan and Love 86, all are successful.

Life and career Shafi Inamdar received his early education at Pangari Dapoli, Ratnagiri, MS and at St. Joseph's High School in Umerkhadi (Dongri) in Mumbai, India, where he passed his S.S.C exam in 1958. He did his B.Sc. from K.C College in 1963.

He is particularly known for playing the common man's role. He has acted in numerous television shows, the most notable being Kundan Shah's Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, telecast on Doordarshan in the 80s which made him a household name. The show went on to become so popular that it even started affecting the business of films, as it used to be aired late on Friday nights. The serial was such a hit that it ran for 61 episodes when generally a serial ran for a maximum of 25 weeks. One of his last performances on television was in Teri Bhi Chup Meri Bhi Chup. He also played the role of an advocate in the Hindi film Yeshwant, which was released after his death. He appeared in Ramesh Sippy's film Saagar. Inamdar also directed a film titled Hum Dono, starring Nana Patekar, Rishi Kapoor and Pooja Bhatt. The film was a hit and he was considered a good director.

From his schooling days he was interested in dramas and used to act and direct school plays. He participated in elocution competition and debates. This continued through his college days and intensified his desire to become a performing artist and a theatre personality. He started his career as an actor and director under the guidance of Gujarati theatre personality Praveen Joshi. He directed and acted in about 30 one act plays in Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English from 1973 to 1978. Later he joined the Indian National Theatre and Indian People's Theatre Association where he met Balraj Sahni and other members of Indian Theatre and learned the finer aspects of acting.

The turning point in his career was Ismat Chugtai’s play Nila Kamra, which he staged as his first commercial production in Hindi. In the late seventies when the Prithvi Theatre was started Shafi Inamdar got an opportunity to produce several Hindi plays that paved the way for establishing him as a theatre personality to be reckoned with. He founded his own theatre group Hum Productions in 1982 and directed, produced and acted in various plays. He also staged comedies and folk theatre based on human drama, Naag Mandala.

In 1984 came India's most popular television sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, a comedy serial starring Shafi Inamdar in the main lead as the character Ranjeet Verma, Swaroop Sampat played his wife Renu while Rakesh Bedi played his brother-in-law Raja. Shafi later acted in many other television serials like Adha Sach, Aadha Jooth, Mirza Ghalib and Teri Bhi Chup meri Bhi Chup. In 1983, he made first appearance on the Hindi screen in the Shashi Kapoor produced and Govind Nihalani directed film Vijeta, followed by the hard-hitting but popular Ardh Satya. He acted in B. R. Chopra films like Aaj Ki Awaaz (for which he also won a nomination in Filmfare award for Best Supporting Actor), Awaam and Dahleez, and became a regular with the B. R. film camp.

One of his most notable efforts comes from the film Krantiveer, in which he plays a TV anchor, a caricature of TV journalist Rajat Sharma of Aap Ki Adalat fame, and exposes a group of corrupted people regarding politics, law and police. His witty dialogues were appreciated. Krantiveer was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1994.

Personal life Shafi married actress Bhakti Barve, who died in a road accident on 12 February 2001.

Shafi died on 13 March 1996 following a massive heart attack while watching the India vs Sri Lanka 1996 Cricket World Cup semifinal match, which India lost. At the time, he was acting in the comedy show Teri Bhi Chup Meri Bhi Chup, which was shelved due to his death and All The Best in which his role was later played by Satish Shah.

Filmography Here is the updated table with the rowspan attributes applied to the Year column. This cleans up the visual repetition and makes the filmography much easier to read.

Shafi Inamdar Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1979 Ninaithale Inikkum Tamil-Telugu film; uncredited 1982 Vijeta Parulkar 1983 Ardh Satya Inspector Haider Ali Ashray 1984 Inquilaab Inspector Pratap Party Ravi Hip Hip Hurray Football Match Refry Aaj Ki Awaz Inspector Shafi Kamla Jaspal ji (editor) Arjun Anand Patkar 1985 Mahaguru Shyam Kumar Talwari Saagar Vikram Jaan Ki Baazi Inspector Ranjeet Waghmare 1986 Love 86 Ramniwas Tilak Pahuche Huwey Log Mohan Kala Dhanda Goray Log Advocate Abdul Rahim Khan Amrit Advocate Sharafat Ali Sadaa Suhagan Vinod Anokha Rishta Alex Lobo Dahleez Major General Khushal Singh Jumbish: A Movement - The Movie Shaitaan Swarthi Main Balwaan Jailor Insaaf Ki Awaaz Sanyasi Raja 1987 Ghar Ka Sukh Nazrana Shafi Anjaam Raj Sansar Albert Fernandes Dacait S. P. Srivastava Awam Mohanlal Kudrat Ka Kanoon Minister Chunautilal 1988 Inaam Dus Hazaar Karamat Khan Tera Naam Mera Naam Khatron Ke Khiladi Inspector Ram Avatar Agnee Amit Foster Father Aakhri Adaalat D.S.P Insaf Ki Jung 1989 Socha Na Tha Vardi Shambhu Abhimanyu G.S. Parmeswaran Dana Paani Advocate Gautam Tripathi Gola Barood Jailor Sharma Kala Bazaar Sampta (Kamini's dad) Ghar Ka Chiraag Ravi's dad Tujhe Nahin Chhodunga Police Ke Peechhe Police Hum Intezaar Karenge Barrister Vikas Anand 1990 Asli Haqdaar Zahreelay A.V. Raxdan Izzatdaar Prem Chand C.I.D. Police Inspector Faizaan Ghayal Barrister Pramod Saran Gupta Jurm Inspector Pramod Kadam Sailaab Police Inspector Haider Ali Paap Ki Kamaee Abu Bhai Gang Villain Pratibandh Corrupt Police Officer Jai Shiv Shankar Jaan-E-Wafa Haar Jeet (1990 film) Ajit Andher Gardi Police Commissioner 1991 Yodha Chandrakant Srivastav Prem Qaidi Jailor Henna Pak Police Superintendent Iqbal Pratigyabadh Lawyer S Merchant Love Maggie's father Meet Mere Man Ke Virendra Phool Bane Angaray Muralidhar Narasimha Inspector Vinod Rastogi Maskari Ghar Parivaar Police Inspector Fateh Inspector Doshi 1992 Sagale Sarkhech Albert Pinto Inteha Pyar Ki Dr.Lall Jaiswal Humlaa Puthran Dada Humshakal Inspector Kulkarni Sangeet Yashraj Ahuja Pyar Hua Chori Chori Raja Saaheb Naseebwaala Shankar Daulat Ki Jung Mr Chaudhary (Rajesh's father) 1993 Divya Shakti Police Commissioner Anand Patkar Hasti Bhisham Badi Bahen Seth Dwarkaprasad Yugandhar Ballu Sadhna Dhaniram Chahoonga Main Tujhe Neelu's father 1994 Janam Se Pehle Dr.Verma Insaniyat Police Commissioner Shafi Ishq Mein Jeena Ishq Mein Marna Krantiveer TV Interviewer Ikke Pe Ikka Iqbal Miya 1995 Meri Mohabbat Mera Naseeba Jeena Nahin Bin Tere Faisla Main Karungi Chandra Takkar DCP Mishra Akele Hum Akele Tum Kaushikji (music director) Nishana Vijay Kis Kaam Ke Yeh Rishte Ab Insaf Hoga Ashok Mishra Hum Dono Director 1996 Hukumnama Zordaar ACP Sharma (Anju's dad) Hahakaar Inspector N.A. Pradhan 1997 Anyay Hi Anyay Yeshwant Advocate Vikram 1998 Barsaat Ki Raat Final film role

Television Year Title Role Notes 1984–1986 Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi Ranjeet 1986 Bahadur Shah Zafar (TV series) Mirza Ghalib Episode No 7 1987-1988 Aadha Sach Aadha Jooth 1988 Mirza Ghalib Mohammad Ibrahim Zauq 1995-1996 Teri Bhi Chup Meri Bhi Chup Ramakant 1996 All the Best Dr. Raj 1996-1997 Biwi Toh Biwi Salla Re Salla Dr. Raj Sethi Episodes 1 - 16

Awards and nominations 1986: Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for Aaj Ki Awaaz