Birth Anniversary: Johnny Walker (Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi): Know how the bus conductor turned actor

It was in the 50s that Badruddin Jamaluddin Qazi was a resident of a Muslim family in Indore. He had a complete family of 15 people. At that time, due to poverty and hunger, Qazi used to do different jobs to run his family. After this, he got a job as a bus conductor at Bambo Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Along with doing his job, he used to entertain the passengers as well. The ever-cheerful Qazi used to distribute the tickets as well as make people laugh.

It was such a common day that Kazi was entertaining people on the bus like every day. Legend actor Balraj Sahani was also traveling in the same bus that day. And was working on one of his scripts. While working, his attention went to Kazi. Sahani told Qazi that you go and meet Guru Dutt, he is looking for such an actor. When Kazi reached Guru Dutt's office, Guru Dutt asked him to act as a drunkard. Kazi played the character so well that Guru Dutt named Kazi after his favorite whiskey, Johnnie Walker.

Johnny Walker, who left an indelible mark on the Bollywood industry with his acting, became a favorite of Guru Dutt. After this, Guru Dutt used to keep Johnny Walker in every film. Johnny also considered him as his guru. In many films, Guru Dutt changed the scene for Johnny. By the way, Johnny has acted in about 300 films. Even he has traveled from black and wide to color cinema and no one can forget some of his films like Baazi, Aar Paar, Taxi Driver, Mr and Mrs 55, CID, Pyaasa, and Naya Daur.

When Johnny Walker used to work in films, at that time only songs were composed for the lead actors, but at that time famous music composers like OP Nayyar composed songs for Johnny, which was sung by Mohammed Rafi. Once upon a time, Johnny Walker was in Kolkata with Guru Dutt, pointing to a masseur, Guru Dutt said, Johnny, watch that masseur carefully, you have to play his character. And the character he played and that song “Sar Jo Tera Chakraye” we still sing. Although we have always seen Johnny in the role of a comedian, watching his emotional character in Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan starrer Anand still brings tears to our eyes. Everyone was stunned to see his performance.

When Johnny Walker made a mark with his work, he got a film offer from Madras (Chennai). When he reached Madras for the shooting of the film, he came to know at the airport itself that his nephew had passed away. He lived with the whole family. And he returned after hearing the news of his nephew's death. When after a few months he again went to Madras, he got the news that his father had passed away. He again returned to Bombay. Once again when Johnny went to Madras after a few months, he reached the hotel room, he had not even put the bag down when the telephone rang, he picked up the phone without holding the bag in his hand, then the news came that Guru Dutt was no more.

He was very shocked by this and refused to go to Madras fearing that bad news would come if he went there. This affected his career as well but he did not go to Madras. Then he signed Kamal Haasan's film Chachi Charsobis in the year 1996, he did not know that he would have to go to Madras for this film, but after 14 years he again went to Madras, sitting scared in the whole flight, but it is a matter of happiness that It happened that again no sad news came. His character in the film was that of an alcoholic painter. This was the last film in which Johnny was seen.

On July 29, 2003, Johnny Walker said goodbye to the world, but the character played by him, his performance is still discussed today. Songs composed on him like “Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Hai”, “Mera Yaar Bana Hai Dulha”, “Jaane Kaha Mera Jigar Gaya Ji” are still sung by us today. While Johnny has made us laugh in different ways with his acting, Anand has also made us cry a lot. You will always be remembered by us.