| Aniruddh Agarwal | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1949-12-20) 20 December 1949 (age 74) Dehradun, United Provinces, India |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–2010 |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Aniruddh "Ajay" Agarwal (born 20 December 1949) is a retired Indian actor. He is known for his appearances in horror films such as Purana Mandir, Bandh Darwaza, and Saamri as well as starring in episodes of Zee Horror Show.
Early life
During his school and college years, Agarwal was the sports ambassador. He studied Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, before graduating in 1974. He moved to Mumbai, where he initially started working as an engineer but quit his job to begin his acting career.
Career
Due to his somewhat intimidating appearance, caused by a tumor near his pituitary gland, Agarwal starred in Hindi films and television as demonic/ghostly characters or villains in general. He most notably worked with the Ramsay brothers, first starring in their film Purana Mandir as Samri, then as the vampire Nevla in Bandh Darwaza and once again as Samri in Saamri. He also featured in two Hollywood films; playing a supporting antagonist in Stephen Sommers' 1994 live action adaptation of The Jungle Book and later briefly appearing in Such a Long Journey.
And in 1994, when he was approached by Shekhar Kapur for the role of Babu Gujjar in Bandit Queen, it was a defining moment as he got the right opportunity to demonstrate his versatility as an artist. He later joined hands with his friends Aamir Khan for Mela in 2000 and with Akshay Kumar for Talash: The Hunt Begins in 2003.
Following a cameo in Mallika in 2010, Agarwal retired from acting due to film roles becoming scarce.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Teri Maang Sitaron Se Bhar Doon | ||
| 1984 | Purana Mandir | Samri | |
| 1984 | Awaaz | Malhotra Henchman | |
| 1985 | 3D Saamri | Dharmesh Saxena 'Samri' | |
| 1986 | Allah Rakha | Gorilla fighter | |
| 1986 | Avinash | Pratap's Henhman | |
| 1988 | Kasam | ||
| Mar Mitenge | |||
| 1989 | Jaadugar | Not known | |
| 1989 | Ram Lakhan | Jeeva | |
| 1990 | Tum Mere Ho | Kaalu Sapera | |
| 1990 | Bandh Darwaza | Nevla | |
| 1990 | Aaj Ka Arjun | Not known | |
| 1992 | Tahalka | Dong's Henchman | |
| 1993 | Gopalaa | Vikraal, Prisoner in Jail | |
| 1994 | Bandit Queen | Babu Gurjjar | |
| The Jungle Book | Tabaqui | English film | |
| 1995 | Trimurti | Talaf | |
| 1998 | Such a Long Journey | English film | |
| 1999 | Dulhan Bani Daayan | Not known | |
| 2000 | Mela | Kaali | |
| 2003 | Talaash: The Hunt Begins | Passenger on Train | |
| Palnati Brahmanayudu | Telugu film | ||
| 2007 | Journey Bombay to Goa Laughter Unlimited | Junglee | |
| 2010 | Mallika | Samri | |
| 2010 | Bachao: Inside Bhoot Hai | Not known | |
| 2024 | Stree 2 Sarkat Ka Aatank | Face of Sarkata |
Television
- Zee Horror Show (1993)
- Tu Tu Main Main (1994)
- Mano Ya Na Mano (1995)
- Shaktimaan (1997)
- Hudd Kar Di (1999)
References
- "The benign menace of Bollywood's cult 'monster'". Shamya Dasgupta. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- "Biographies of Indian actors". Susanto Sen. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "The benign menace of Bollywood's cult 'monster'". BBC Online. Shamya Dasgupta. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- "Biographies of Indian actors". Susanto Sen. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- "Anirudh Agarwal - Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
