Mumbai, August 4: Arvind Joshi was born on August 5, 1929, into a cultured Gujarati Brahmin family. His elder brother, the renowned theater artist and director Praveen Joshi, provided him with a strong foundation in the world of art.
Arvind Joshi began his career in theater and was associated with the Indian National Theatre (INT) for nearly a decade. His experience with INT served as a laboratory where he learned to blend traditional plays with modern social realism. Later, he founded his own theater group called ‘Prasthan’, aimed at transforming Gujarati theater from mere entertainment to a medium for social reflection.
In addition to theater, Arvind Joshi’s contributions to cinema were significant. During the 1970s and 1980s, when Indian cinema reached its melodramatic peak, he adopted a style of ‘underacting’ and subtle expressions.
Melodrama is characterized by exaggerated drama, intense emotions, and sensational events. In the 1975 blockbuster film ‘Sholay’, Arvind Joshi played the role of Thakur Baldev Singh’s elder son (Sanjeev Kumar). Although his screen time was limited, his precise expressions established the scene’s gravity. He consistently showcased his artistic versatility in both Hindi and Gujarati cinema.
Arvind Joshi made his film debut in 1961 with ‘Chundadi Chokha’, which was based on rural Gujarati life. In 1969, he portrayed the struggles of a widow in ‘Kanku’, a film that received much acclaim. That same year, he had a significant supporting role in the Hindi film ‘Ittefaq’. He appeared as the Thakur’s elder son in the famous film ‘Sholay’ in 1975. In 1983, he starred in ‘Dhola-Maru’, a romantic epic based on a Rajasthani folktale.
In 1957, he married Usha Joshi. His son, Sharman Joshi, is a well-known Bollywood actor, and his daughter, Mansi Joshi Roy, is a prominent television actress.
Arvind Joshi passed away on January 29, 2021, at Nanavati Hospital in Vile Parle, Mumbai, due to age-related complications and neurological issues, particularly a severe chest infection.
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