Danny Denzongpa

25 Feb, 1948 | Sikkim

Actor

Biography

Danny Denzongpa started out with B-grade movies such as Zaroorat in 1971 and later moved on to Mere Apne and Kala Sona where he played more positive roles. He then went on to play the role of a villain in numerous movies. Some of the antihero roles he played were an unscrupulous politician, corrupt policeman, traitor, and mingy landlord.  He got his major break in Gulzar's Mere Apne, and later in B R Chopra's Dhund where he played a crippled and frustrated husband. He missed out on one of the most famous villain roles in Indian Cinema, that of Gabbar Singh for Sholay. He was the original choice for the role but had to back out because of a clash of dates. The character later became an icon and made Amjad Khan a star overnight. He is also an accomplished singer having sung with Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhonsle, three stalwarts of Indian music. He has released Nepalese songs and has sung for Nepalese movies. His two most famous songs are "Chiso Chiso Hawama", and "Rato Rani Phule". He is also a painter, a writer and a sculptor. Denzongpa owns two breweries, one in South Sikkim, and the other in the state of Orissa.