Sholay’s Kalia, Viju Khote, dies at 77

The veteran actor paased away at his residence in Mumbai on Monday
Onkar Kulkarni and Ismat Tahseen (BOMBAY TIMES; October 1, 2019)
Veteran actor Viju Khote, who played Kaalia in the iconic Bollywood film Sholay (1975), is no more. The 77-year-old died at 6.55 am of multiple organ failure at his residence in Mumbai.
“He passed away in his sleep at the residence. He had been unwell for quite some time,” actress Bhavana Balsavar, his niece, said.
Famous for his roles in Sholay and the Aamir Khan-Salman Khan-starrer, Andaz Apna Apna (1994), late Viju Khote began his acting career as a theatre actor. He is veteran actor Shubha Khote’s brother and actress Bhavana Balsavar’s uncle. Late actress Durga Khote was his aunt.
The actor, who was most remembered for his role in the 1993-sitcom Zabaan Sambhalke, starred in Hindi and Marathi movies. He was seen in films like Garam Masala, Pukar, Mela, China Gate and Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak among others. His last notable work includes Marathi film Ventilator (2016), which was produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas. He was last seen in the Bollywood movie, Jaane Kyun De Yaaron (2018), which also starred Kabir Bedi.
Talking about the deceased actor, theatre personality Bharat Dabholkar says, “Viju was an integral part of my plays — over 25 of them — and my life. He was an amazing actor who must have done over 300 films. His comic timing was impeccable. But somehow, the Kaalia tag got stuck to him. Whenever we travelled, he would get mobbed. He was also a fantastic dancer, which not many people know. Whenever he would dance in my plays, he would put even renowned dancers to shame, and get an ovation from the audience.”
He added, “Above everything, Viju was a caring and sensitive human being. He would get tears in his eyes at the drop of a hat, and was the most gracious host. I am just glad that he went without suffering.”
Ramesh Sippy, who directed the actor in Sholay, said, “Most of Gabbar Singh’s lines from Sholay became folklore. Viju was part of one of the exchanges of dialogues between him and Gabbar. He did his job really well. The last time I met him was a few years ago when my wife and I had gone to see a play. He was present for the show with his sister Shubha Khote.”
Actor Rishi Kapoor wrote a heartfelt note for his friend on Twitter. He wrote, “RIP. Viju Khote. Dear friend over the years. Though much elder, we used to bike together along with sister Shobha Khoteji, when I was young. Passionate and well informed about American films. We will miss you. Viju kutte aahe? (sic).”