Veteran Bollywood and Marathi actor Viju Khote worked in 440 movies and his career took a 360-degree change with his 7-minute role in Sholay.
A film becomes a historic blockbuster because of its strong writing and the talented pool of actors who give life to the script. An actor can't carry a film on his shoulder alone, and many times, a supporting role becomes a scene-stealer, or leave a solid impression.
Today we will discuss an actor who had a roughly 7-minute role in the iconic Sholay, but he earned a lifetime recognition. In this ensemble film, he played a character that became memorable. This actor may have always played supporting roles in this film but his character of Kaalia from Sholay and Robert from Andaz Apna Apna is among his career's best. Yes, we're talking about Viju Khote.
Who was Viju Khote?
Viju Khote was a veteran actor in Indian cinema. He has done over 440 Hindi and Marathi movies. Viju was the younger brother of actress Shubha Khote. Their father Nandu Khote was a respected stage actor and in silent movies.
How much did Viju Khote charge for Sholay?
Every fan of Sholay do remember Viju Khote aka Kaalia's dialouge to Gabbar Singh, "Sardar maine aapka namak khaya hai." Reportedly, for his 7-minute role in Sholay, Viju got Rs 2500 acting fees. It's said that for a supporting role, this remuneration was more than the industry's trend.
Fess of other cast members from Sholay
As per media reports, Sholay was made on a budget of Rs 3 crore, and Dharmendra got Rs 1.50 lakh and became the most expensive actor among the cast. After Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar was the second-highest-paid actor in the film. As News18 reported, Sanjeev Kumar got Rs 1.25 lakh for the film. Even though Amitabh was second-lead in the film, he was paid less than Sanjeev Kumar. As per media reports, Amitabh Bachchan earned Rs 1 lakh for the film. In the same report, Hema Malini only got Rs 75,000 for her role of Basanti. Debutant Amjad Khan, who played the menacing Gabbar Singh, got Rs 50,000 for his debut film. Jaya Bachchan (Bahaduri), who played the role of Radha, only earned Rs 35,000 acting fees, becoming the lowest-paid actor among the primary cast.
Viju's notable works include.
Viju Khote earned recognition by playing Robert in Andaz Apna Apna. His other popular movies are Krantiveer, Ghatak, and Veerta. He was also actively involved in Marathi movies and theatre and did several plays and movies in the regional language.
The end of an era
Viju Khote died on September 30, 2019, at his Mumbai home due to multiple organ failure at the age of 77.
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 "A still from Sholay")
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