Sholays Sambha loses cancer fight

His dialogue with Gabbar Singh in the 1975 film is part of cinema history. Arre o Sambha,kitna inaam rakhe hain sarkar hum par? asks Gabbar Singh. Poore pachaas hazaar, replies Mac Mohan in his role as Sambha.

Today,Sambha is part of our pop culture,to the extent that mobile phone companies have even come up with Sambha jokes and ringtones.

In an earlier conversation with The Indian Express,the actor had revealed the detailing that went into Salim- Javeds script of Sholay,so that even character roles became memorable. Sholays script had portrayed Sambha as a dacoit who was so good at defending his boss that till he was alive Gabbars enemies could never venture into his den. Only when Sambha is eliminated,did Jai and Veeru get to Gabbars hideout.

But it was only by chance that Mac Mohan discovered acting. His childhood dream was to become a cricketer but he ended up in theatre. He joined the Filmalaya School of Acting. Mac Mohan went on play villainous characters in a lot of films in which his character name was mostly Mac.

Not many people are aware that he is actress Raveena Tandons maternal uncle.

Mac Mohan was last seen in Zoya Akhtars Luck By Chance where he good-naturedly spoofed his iconic words. In the scene Mac Mohan (as himself) presides over the graduating ceremony of an acting class,when a student requests him to say his famous dialogue and he willingly obliges with Poore Pachaas Hazaar.

That scene could well be the closing lines of a biopic on Mac Mohan.