Kulbhushan Karbhanda moved to Mumbai after he got a call from Shyam Benegal.
Bondesque villain Shakal from the 1980 film Shaan, played meticulously by Kulbhushan Karabhanda, has become an iconic antagonist featured in films.
For years, a film’s legacy was carried forward most prominently by its lead actor, but on occasions, we have antagonists who have often become iconic. He has sometimes defeated even the hero. Amjad Khan’s Gabbar Singh and Amrish Puri’s Mogambo are two such roles. The third is Shakal, the Bondesque villain from the 1980 film Shaan, played with care by Kulbhushan Karabhanda. Shakal was modeled after James Bond villains with high-tech technology at their disposal and the actor was critically acclaimed for his role.
However, it is sometimes misinformed that Shaan was Kulbhushan Karabhanda’s debut film. Shaan was the veteran actor’s first mainstream commercial film, but before that he had appeared in several parallel genre films. before transitioning to mainstream cinema. He was a regular in Shyam Benegal’s films like Junoon, Nishant, Manthan, Bhumika and Kalyug. Due to his vast experience of working in theatre, he was one of the most sought after actors in parallel cinema.
After finishing his studies, Kulbhushan Karabhanda and some of his college friends founded the theater company Abhiyan. Later, he joined Delhi’s Yatrik, a bilingual theater repertory founded in 1964 by director Joy Michael. He later shifted base to Kolkata and worked with the theater group Padatik before moving to Mumbai to act in films after getting a call from Shyam Benegal.
After Shaan, he appeared in several commercial films such as Joshiley, Ghayal, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Border and Lagaan. His stint with parallel cinema also continued simultaneously as he appeared in Deepa Mehta’s Elements trilogy of films, Fire, Earth and Water.
Kulbhushan Karabhanda can currently be seen on multiple digital platforms including Amazon Prime’s Mirzapur (2018) and Mirzapur 2 (2020), where his portrayal of Satyanand Tripathi, better known as Bauji, received acclaim from fans across the globe. The series has successfully run for two seasons, and the third is currently in pre-production. Due to high demand, the filming of Mirzapur Season 3 will start soon.