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In movies he has played a very large number of character roles, mostly positive, with rare exceptions where his negative roles became famous, like in Manzil and Prem Bandhan. His best performances in his later years was in Shararat (2002) his character roles in Tere Mere Sapne (1997) and Lagaan. Ram Avtar, Bewafai until Sautela Bhai in 1996. He, as a character actor was part of 16 films with Rajesh Khanna as the lead hero, like Aap Ki Kasam, Amar Deep, Naukri, Prem Bandhan, Thodisi Bewafaii, Phir Wohi Raat, Kudrat, Aaj Ka M.L.A. His pivotal roles in the films such as Chetan Anand's Heer Raanjha, Namak Haraam, Shaukeen (1981), Sholay, Aaina (1977), Avtaar, Arjun, Aandhi, Tapasya, Kora Kagaz, Bawarchi, Chhupa Rustam, Chitchor, Balika Badhu, Guddi and Naram Garam are considered to be among his best. He started his Hindi film career at the age of 52 with Basu Bhattacharya's Teesri Kasam in 1966 and Shagird, and went on to play as the man of principles playing the on-screen father or uncle of the leading men/women in the films in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, or sometimes the quintessential meek and oppressed old man. He later acted in many plays in theatres in India from 1949 to 1965. He was jailed because he was a communist in Karachi for two years from 1947 to 1949 and after his release came to India and settled in Mumbai. He was involved with the theatre group IPTA along with Balraj Sahni and Kaifi Azmi, both of whom had Marxist leanings. He moved to Bombay after the Partition of India in 1949 after 3 years in prison in Pakistan. Following his father's retirement, the family moved from Peshawar to Karachi. He joined Shree Sangeet Priya Mandal, a theatre group in Peshawar in 1936 and continued to act in many plays in undivided India till 1946. He was an active participant in the Indian freedom struggle from 1929 to 1947. However, his primary occupation for the early part of his life was that of a tailor. His father's name was Pandit Hari Kishan Hangal. His family home was inside Reti Gate as mentioned in his memoirs. Born into a Kashmiri Pandit family, he spent his childhood and youth in Peshawar, where he had performed in theatre for some major roles.