From the upcoming biopic Amri on Amrita Sher-Gil to classic roles like Akshaye Khanna’s Sid in Dil Chahta Hai and Anil Kapoor’s Majnubhai in Welcome, Bollywood has often explored the lives and artistry of painters.
Key Points
- Mira Nair’s upcoming biopic Amri will feature Anjali Sivaraman as the iconic painter Amrita Sher-Gil, bringing her unique life story to the screen.
- Akshaye Khanna’s portrayal of Sid in Dil Chahta Hai is celebrated for its sensitive depiction of an artist whose emotions are expressed through his canvas.
- Aamir Khan has explored various artistic roles, including a moody artist in Dhobi Ghat and an empathetic art teacher in Taare Zameen Par.
- Randeep Hooda’s Rang Rasiya vividly recreated the life and inspirations of legendary painter Raja Ravi Varma.
- Anil Kapoor’s hilarious character Majnubhai from Welcome remains an iconic and meme-worthy painter in Bollywood cinema.
Silver screen is painted in hues of life and emotion but not too many painters become its focus on film. All the more reason to feel grateful for the Mira Nair directed biopic Amri, which stars Bad Girl‘s Anjali Sivaraman as the part-Sikh, part Hungarian painter Amrita Sher-Gil.
Meanwhile, Sukanya Verma points us towards some of Bollywood’s prominent painter characters.
Iconic Portrayals of Artists
Akshaye Khanna, Dil Chahta Hai
Akshaye Khanna’s portrayal of the sensitive and private Sid whose inner life comes alive on canvas, especially when he paints his best one ever — the woman he loves — grows in value with every viewing.
Rajesh Khanna, Safar
A year before Anand cemented his dying young imagery, Rajesh Khanna got the message across as the philosophic painter surrounded by his art that speaks volumes of his love and loss.
Aamir Khan, Dhobi Ghat
Aamir Khan feels strongly about art if ones goes by his movie choices. In Kiran Rao’s Dhobi Ghat, the actor’s grey-haired, moody artist gig was quite a surprise.
In Taare Zameen Par, where he pitched in as director, AK’s art teacher to school kids sees the medium as a reflection of one’s self as well as reaching out to his students in the most meaningful way.
There’s Mann too, the An Affair to Remember rip-off starring the star as a painter whose portrait of his muses becomes a tragic turning point in the melodrama.
Bringing Legends and Laughter to Life
Randeep Hooda, Rang Rasiya
Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya recreates the key moments of iconic painter Raja Ravi Varma’s life and the inspiration that leads to his most celebrated creations in Randeep Hooda’s rendering.
Shah Rukh Khan, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Shah Rukh Khan’s unforgettable cameo as poet Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s painter ex-husband happens at an art gallery showcasing his work and ‘Ek tarfa pyar ki taqat hi kuch aur hoti hai…’ philosophy.
Rajiv Goswami in Painter Babu
The acting debut of Manoj Kumar’s son Rajiv in the titular role as the painter heir of a wealthy family caught in a tragic romance is a debacle that’s best forgotten.
Rani Mukerji, Baabul
Playing a painter in Baabul has little to with art but mostly provide Rani an excuse to meet cute with Salman Khan and romp about dressed in Sabyasachi style bohemian creations.
Diverse Artistic Expressions in Cinema
Emraan Hashmi, Raaz 2
Where would horror movies be without those walls full of intimidating portraits inside a haunted haveli or psychic painters predicting the future through their art like Emraan Hashmi in Raaz 2?
Dharmendra, Jheel Ke Us Paar
As the painter committed to capturing moving life and all its bitter sweet stories on his canvas, Dharmendra’s skill introduces him to all the key characters in Jheel Ke Us Paar — the blind girl he falls in love with, and the eye doctor he’ll request to operate on her.
Anil Kapoor, Welcome
The world paid good money to watch Majnubhai‘s one-of-a-kind painting in Welcome. Hands down, it is the most hilarious thing about the comedy and is still going strong as a meme nearly two decades later.
Jacqueline Fernandez, Roy
Jacqueline Fernandez’s pretty painter exists so that Ranbir Kapoor’s art thief can too. Except Roy is so convoluted, few will remember it still exists.
Shahid Kapoor, Farzi
Raj & DK’s OTT show about a painter using his artistic gifts to counterfeit currency comes alive in Shahid Kapoor’s devious conviction.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
