Sambha, the indomitable

Samba of 69

Poore pachas baar. Samba repeated “Poore pachas hazaar” , his only dialogue in sholay, poore pachas baar for the TV ‘bites’ (I insist on the spelling). It was marketing and everything at its best at the launch of Ab Tera Kya Hoga Kaliaa. Now, now, this book is not about Kaalia or Gabbar, but a self-help book on memory improving techniques. Biswaroop Roy Chaudhary, the author, followed the launch with a Guinness Book attempt at push-ups and bettered Roy Berger’s of 138 push-ups with 198 push-ups in a minute. Samba and Kalia, that is, Mac Mohan and Viju Khote launched the book in their Sholay get up and a little advertorial gig for the book. One day matches are often won by extras.

Mac Mohan ka raaz
More about the book in our books page. Here we come back to our Samba fixation. I waited two hours to get a Samba exclusive. Two reasons. The names Samba and Mac Mohan have always been intriguing. How did Ramesh Sippy come up with a Latino Carribean whistle name? “We never thought Sholay will become what it is,” both Samba and Kaalia echoed. The surname Mac denotes clan affiliation. So, a mac Donald would mean Donald’s posterity. So I always wondered whether some Mohan decided to follow this tradition of naming his sons Mac Mohan. Samba ne paani pher diya humari theory pe, “My name was Mohan. I am from Lucknow. My pet name was Mack, so I became Mac Mohan.”

Samba forever
So, I congratulate Mac on looking the same Samba forever. He’s looked the same, and done the same roles, he is timeless. “My maintenance department is good,” says the actor who’s visibly ageing, but only when you get close to him, at 68. “Now I dye my beard, but am still the same at heart,” he chuckles.

“Sir, why couldn’t you graduate from Samba to Gabbar in all these years. Or did you choose to be this?” I ask. “See I am doing the roles of a father, a grandfather, and a policeman in a comic role now,” he replies.

Why the Indian cricket team was weak in the 70s
After etymology, I try to get into the genesis of Mac Mohan. Mac’splayed first class cricket in Up as well as in Bombay, but “could never reach Ranji”. So while studying in Jai Hind College, he acted in Haqeeqat as Brij Mohan, and has ever since acted in many films in which his characters are named either Mac or Brij Mohan! “Begaars can’t be choosers,” he says, “that’s why I did such roles.” Before Mac became Samba, he was known as Breganza after his role in Hanste Zakhm.

The morph scandalAll of a sudden he launches into a dramatic monologue, “I will sit and drink at home but not be a part of a semi porn films or B grade films.” “But sir I saw your credit in this film called Patli Kamar Lambe Baal,” I retort. “Sometimes you know what happens, these people pick our pictures and videos and morph them into their films.” Either Mac or I have been caught at the boundary line. I venture further, “Sir there was this film called Dhoti Lota Aur Chowpatty…your role was important.” Samba is pissed off and his gun his not near. “Send me a copy of your article on this address,” he says. I was too happy to get an autograph of none other than Mac Mohan. Dhoti, Lota Aur Chowpatty by the way is a pathbreaking film, for it had reverse casting. Mohan Choti, Mac, Farida Jalal were in the lead while Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar were Samba and Kaalia.