If some youngsters today are asked what they think of Johnny Walker, they might reply by saying that they prefer the Double Black or Blue Label version, hilariously missing the point. But that's probably because November 11 marks the legendary actor-comedian's 100th birth anniversary, while today's favourites are the social-media-friendly Kapil Sharma and Samay Raina.
However, Badruddin Jamaluddin Kazi (his original name) was not merely a legendary comedian because he was funny; he was a trailblazer who paved the way for others such as Mehmood and Johny Lever. To be specific, scenes in films used to be written exclusively for him, a practice that producers and directors continued with Mehmood and Lever.
BEST buses to the silver screen
One of 12 children of a weaving teacher, his family moved from Indore to Mumbai after his father lost his job. Kazi subsequently became a bus conductor, entertaining passengers with his comical antics while also performing his regular duty of issuing tickets. Actor Balraj Sahni introduced him to Guru Dutt after spotting his talent, and Dutt was the one who coined the name Johnny Walker, taking a cue from his hilarious portrayal of a drunkard. This eventually led to his debut film, Baazi (1951).
Tailor-made songs
Walker became such a sensation that his mere presence in a movie was considered enough to guarantee its commercial success. In the 1950s and 1960s, even songs were written exclusively for him, with distributors willing to pay extra to ensure his presence in a song. Songs such as "Sar Jo Tera Chakraye" (Pyaasa, 1957) and "Aye Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yaha" (C.I.D., 1956) were written keeping his personality in mind.
Dutt made sure to write a part for Walker in each of his films, with one exception. During the making of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Dutt repeatedly urged director Abrar Alvi to include a track featuring Walker in the movie. However, Alvi argued that doing so would ruin the sombre theme of the film.
Behind the 'drunkard'
The most surprising fact about him? Walker was a teetotaller and claimed that he had never consumed alcohol in his life, despite his claim to fame being his portrayal of alcoholics.
Apart from all this, there is another reason why he will always be remembered with respect: he refused to perform vulgar comedy. Filmmakers who wanted him to be part of their movies had to ensure that the humour was character-driven and witty. It is also said that Walker was the first actor to employ a secretary or manager and refuse to work on Sundays.
He paved the way for other legends such as Mehmood and Johny Lever, for whom special comic subplots were incorporated into films. During his heyday in the 1990s, filmmakers would often leave the entire comedy sketch to Lever, frequently saying, "Johny bhai will handle it." One of his most famous roles was that of the forgetful househelp in Baazigar (1993). Just like Walker, both Mehmood and Lever were such scene-stealers that certain lead actors would sometimes refuse to share scenes with them.
Over time, heroes also began asking directors to give them the funny lines instead, ultimately leading to a decline in the prominence of such comedians in films.
While Walker acted in over 300 films, if you want to get a glimpse of his humour during his birthday week, here are some films worth checking out: Mr. and Mrs. '55, Madhumati, Taxi Driver, C.I.D. and Pyaasa. Interestingly, his last film was the comedy Chachi 420, in which Kamal Haasan played the lead double role, inspired by the Hollywood film Mrs. Doubtfire.
