He was a textbook multifaceted personality.
An actor, writer, filmmaker.
Despite being immensely talented, it is unfortunate that IS Johar did not get due recognition as an actor in India. He was amongst the first to star in international projects and was nominated for a BAFTA for Harry Black in 1959. I hope you know how much that means. Other international films included David Lean‘s magnum opus Lawrence Of Arabia (1962), in which he played Gasim, and John Guillermin‘s Death On The Nile (1978), based on a book by Agatha Christie. On home turf, he won the Filmfare award for Best Comedian for his role in Johny Mera Naam (1970), and don’t miss that laugh-a-minute Shagird.
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| As Gasim in LoA |
Incredibly talented and a maverick IS Johar never fit in. He made a movie called Nasbandi (sterilization) during the emergency. It was so hated by the establishment that they (literally) burnt the movie.
He ran a hilarious and extremely-popular column called 'Question Box' in Filmfare. Whenever I landed one of this mag, this column was my first stop. After ISJ died, Shatrughan Sinha took charge. But it lacked the sting, venom, and humor that ISJ brought. It died a quiet death.
Q: ” When does a man reach old age ?”
A: “When he can’t take yes for an answer.”
Anyways, Inder Sen Johar is one of the unsung icons of the Indian film industry.
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