Be it the Jai-Veeru pair or Gabbar Singh or Thakur or Basanti every character of the 1975 film Sholay was such that it cannot be forgotten even today. There was also a character of Rahim Chacha in this film whose dialogue Itna sannata kyun hai bhai was quite famous. This character was played by legendary actor A.K. Hangal. His full name was Avtar Kishan Hangal (AK Hangal) who was such a legendary artist of Indian cinema who made a place in the hearts of millions of viewers with his simplicity sensitive acting and deep voice. Born on 1 February 1914 in Sialkot Hangal was not only a brilliant actor but also a freedom fighter and theater artist. Who was AK Hangal? He started his film career at the age of 52 and worked in more than 250 films. His character of Rahim Chacha in Sholay and dialogues like Itna sannata kyun hai bhai gave him a distinct identity among cine lovers. Was once a freedom fighter For the unversed Avtar Kishan Hangal was a freedom fighter before coming into films. In the early days he used to work as a tailor but was also active in Indias freedom struggle between 1929 and 1947. He had to remain imprisoned in Karachi jail for three years. When he was released he came to India. The book Life and Times of A.K. Hangal also mentions the untouched aspects of his life. According to this his fathers close friend advised him to become a tailor. After this Hangal also learned this art from a skilled tailor in England. Hangal started his career at the age of 52 in 1966 with the film Teesri Kasam in which he played the role of Raj Kapoors elder brother. He worked in about 250 Hindi films from 1966 to 2005 which include films like Sholay (1975) Namak Haram Aandhi Bawarchi Lagaan (2001) and Shararat (2002). Worked with big names of Bollywood He worked in 16 films with Rajesh Khanna including Aap Ki Kasam Amar Deep Kudrat and Sautela Bhai. His specialty was that he mostly appeared in positive roles like father uncle or elderly person but his performance in some negative roles like Prem Bandhan and Manzil was also memorable. He received great appreciation for his voice of Shambhu Kaka in Lagaan in 2001 and Ugrasen in his last film Krishna Aur Kansa in 2012. Hangal also worked on Doordarshan. His last TV appearance was as a cameo in Madhubala – Ek Ishq Ek Junoon in 2012 which was a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema. Hangal did not leave cinema despite his advancing age and continued to rule the hearts of people with his acting till his last breath. The then President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam honored AK Hangal with the 2006 Padma Bhushan Award. He said goodbye to this world on 26 August 2012. His simplicity patriotism and dedication to acting gave him a special place in Hindi cinema. Story Highlights A.K. Hangal’s iconic dialogue “Itna sannata kyun hai bhai” made him unforgettable in Indian cinema. Before films he was active in India’s freedom struggle even spending 3 years in Karachi jail. He began his film career at 52 with Teesri Kasam (1966) and went on to act in over 250 films. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2006 Hangal continued acting till his last years.