Avtar Kishan Hangal, known more prominently by his screen name A K Hangal has made a mark for himself in Indian history as both an actor and a freedom fighter. Although initially a stage actor, he took to Bollywood with a flourish despite his older age, and even played some iconic roles in Hindi films, including cult classics like Sholay (1977) where he portrayed Imaam Sa’ab, Ram Shastri in Aaina (1977), and Anokhelal in Manzil (1979), amongst many others. He also played special cameo roles in popular films of the 2000s such as Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan (2001) and Amol Palekar's Paheli (2005). A K Hangal was born in Sialkot, Punjab in 1914 - a turbulent time in Indian history when it was still under colonial rule. He was born into a Kashmiri Pandit family and spent a large chunk of his youth in Peshawar, which is where he honed his acting abilities as a theatre actor. At the age of 22, he joined the Shree Sangeet Priya Mandal. His dedication and passion set off his acting career with this theatre troupe in Peshawar and as a young man, he performed in countless plays set in India before the Partition. At the time of the Partition, A K Hangal was in Karachi, and was involved with a theatre group called Indian People’s Theatre Association. Due to its Marxist leanings, he was imprisoned for three years, before he moved to Mumbai in 1949, where he spent the rest of his long life.

A K Hangal was never afraid of making his ideologies clear, and was open about his left leaning political inclinations. He remained a prominent member of the Communist Party of India and spoke vehemently against the RSS in Mumbai.

A K Hangal’s Bollywood career began at a much later time, in the year 1966, when he was aged 52. His first film was Teesri Kasam (1966), and he went on to act in numerous movies in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

With his final on-screen performance in Paheli (2005), A K Hangal’s health deteriorated considerably. His son Vijay Hangal, a professional photographer, also mentioned that they lacked the funds to cover his medical expenses, because of which a number of celebrities offered financial help, including Jaya Bachchan and Salman Khan. He breathed his last on the 26th August 2012, due to respiratory failure, at the Asha Parekh Hospital in Santacruz, Mumbai.

Despite the fact that none of the more prominent celebrities made an appearance for his funeral, his death was seen as a great loss to the Indian film industry. They held him as an exemplar of a talented actor who carried out his social and public responsibilities diligently and stood up for all that he believed in.