`Finding kinder face than A.K. Hangal`s difficult`

Mumbai: "It will be difficult to find a kinder face than Hangal`s in the film industry," Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan said Sunday in a tribute to the legendary actor who died here this morning. The governor said that Hangal`s smiling, gentle face - both on and off-screen - always assured the people that he was a man with values who would stand by truth come what may.

"He was a great human being who received the love and affection of the entire film industry," Sankaranarayanan said in a tribute. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan described Hangal as a person who came across as "an ideal and honest father figure" through his roles in Bollywood movies. "Few may be aware that Hangal was a freedom fighter with a secular outlook who championed the cause of the working classes, and a renowned stage artiste who worked for and through the forum of Indian Peoples Theatre Association and (Mumbai`s) Prithvi Theatre (named after the legendary Prithviraj Kapoor)". "Though he was part of the film industry, Hangal always fought against obscenity and other ills in films," Chavan said. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in his tribute, said Hangal was "an actor with rare finesse" who left an indelible mark with any role he portrayed in his long career in film industry. Pawar recalled his memorable roles in movies like `Shaukeen,` `Aandhi,` `Tapasya` and the portrayal of a blind Imam Sahab (Muslim priest) in `Sholay` with the unforgettable lines: "Itna sannata kyun hai, bhai?" IANS