Remembering actor Mac Mohan 1938-2010

Mohan Makijany (24 April 1938 – 10 May 2010), popularly known as Mac Mohan, was a well-known Indian character actor in Hindi language films. Although Mac Mohan acted in 218 films and remained popular as a rather sympathetic villain through the 1970s and 1980s with films such as Don, Karz, Satte Pe Satta, Zanjeer, Rafoo Chakkar, Shaan and Khoon Pasina, he is mostly remembered for his role of Sambha, the sidekick of dacoit Gabbar Singh in Ramesh Sippy's blockbuster Sholay (1975).

Mac Mohan was born in Karachi in British India. Mohan came to Mumbai to become a cricketer, but joined theatre and became a Bollywood actor. He learned acting in the Filmalaya School of Acting in Mumbai.

Mac Mohan started his Hindi film career as an assistant with director Chetan Anand, before making his debut as an actor in his film, Haqeeqat in 1964. His last appearance was in Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge in a guest appearance.

Besides Hindi movies, he also acted in Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Haryanvi, Marathi, Punjabi and Sindhi films. He had delivered dialogue in almost all Indian languages except Oriya, as well as in English, Russian and Spanish films.

He is the only actor whose real name "Mac" was used as his character name in many movies.

Illness and death
In November 2009, a day before he could start the shooting for Ashwini Dheer's Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?, Mac Mohan was admitted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri in Mumbai after his health detoriated. He had a tumour in the right lung, which grew to be lung cancer and finally killed him on 10 May 2010, aged 72. Asian Academy of Film & Television had a special prayer meeting on 14 May at Noida Film City. There was also a prayer meeting on the same day at Ajivasan Hall for family and friends, and people from the oldest of his spot boys to Amitabh Bachchan attended the prayer meeting to pay their respects.

Personal life
Mac Mohan married Minny in 1986 and they had two daughters; Manjari Makijany, Vinati Makijany and a son Vikrant Makijany. He was the maternal uncle of actress Raveena Tandon.