Mumbai: Veteran comedy actor Satinder Kumar Khosla, better known as Birbal, passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday, family sources said. He was 84 years old. He acted in over 500 films.
He started his career through Manoj Kumar's Upkaar in 1967. Birbal alias Satinder Kumar Khosla was born in Gurdaspur, Punjab on 28 October 1938. He acted in Hindi, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, and Marathi movies. Since college, he had a desire to pursue a career in artistic life. During his college days, he watched Bengali programs and plays that left an impact on him.
His father ran a printing press business and advised him to continue it. However, Khosla chose a career in films. Some of the movies in which he acted included Raj Khosla's Do Badan (1966), and V Shantaram's Boond Jo Ban Gayi Moti (1967).
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As per the advice of actor Manoj Kumar, he adopted the name Birbal. He was a part of Manoj Kumar's Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974) and Kranti (1981), which earned him praise from the audience. He also played the role of a prisoner in Ramesh Sippy helmed Sholay (1975), which featured megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra.
He also featured in Avarog (1977) and Insaan among others. His role in Dev Anand's film Amir Garib (1974) was also well received by the audience. Fans and movie buffs are saddened by the demise of Satinder Kumar.
