Ashok Saraf

Ashok Saraf (born 4 June 1947) is an Indian film and stage actor and comedian. He has appeared in many Hindi and Marathi movies. Since the late 1960s, Ashok Saraf has been known mainly for comedy movies, many of which he appeared in with Laxmikant Berde. Apart from films, Ashok Saraf has also starred in television serials like Yeh Choti Badi Baatein and Hum Paanch (as Anand Mathur). One of his most memorable roles in Bollywood is that of a comical "Munshiji" in Rakesh Roshan's 1995 action thriller Karan Arjun. In film industry, he is popularly known as Mama (maternal uncle) or Ashokmama.

Ashok Saraf basically from Belgaum was born in Mumbai. He spent his childhood at Chikhalwadi in south Mumbai. He completed his schooling from DGT Vidyalay Mumbai.

Ashok Saraf has been working in the film and television industry since the year 1969. He has acted in more than 250 Marathi films out of which 100 movies have been silver jubilee hits. He has mostly acted in comedy films. He has played many roles in Marathi Cinema, Marathi Plays, Hindi Cinema, Marathi Television Serials and Hindi Television serials He started his career with the Marathi movie 'Janaki' in 1969. He then acted in the movies like 'Donhi Gharacha Pahuna', 'Jawal Ye Laju Nako', 'Tumacha Amacha Jamala', Chimanrao Gundyabhau', 'Deed Shahane', 'Haldikunku', 'Duniya Kari Salam' and more during the 1970s–1980s. He continued to work with Marathi films with Laxmikant Berde, Sachin and Mahesh Kothare. The Marathi movie moved in the different term of comedy during that phase.'Ashi Hi Banava Banavi' , 'Aayatya gharat gharoba' and 'Dhum dhadaka' are some of the super hit and very popular Marathi movies.

Saraf has also acted in various Marathi plays and Hindi serials. He then developed his own production house 'Aniket Telefilms' which is handled by his wife Nivedita Saraf.

Saraf survived a major car accident in the year 2012 on the Mumbai Pune Expressway near Talegaon.

Ashok Saraf had a great pair with Laxmikant Berde, another great comedian from Marathi cinema who has also acted in many Hindi films. Saraf, Sachin Pilgaonkar and Laxmikant Berde together they played many Marathi films and most films were super hits. Both Laxmikant and Ashok were known to be good friends of actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar and actor-producer-director Mahesh Kothare. He tasted major success in 1988's Ashi Hi Banwa Banwi, as lead role and the two reigning superstars of Marathi cinema, Sachin Pilgaonkar and Laxmikant Berde. The movie was a runaway hit, establishing many actors in the films as a hitmaker.

Ashok Saraf is such a versatile actor that he also played an important roles in the Bollywood. Some of the roles which are remembered are from the films Singham, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Gupt, Koyla, Yes Boss and Karan Arjun.

Ashok Saraf has also starred in television serials like Yeh Choti Badi Baatein and Hum Paanch (as Anand Mathur) which tasted a major success.

He has played number of roles in Marathi Play in his career. Some of the important plays includes Hamidabaichi Kothi, Anidhikrut, Manomilan, He Ram Cardiogram, Darling Darling, Sarkha Chatit Dukhtay, Laginghai.

1977 - first Filmfare award for Ram Ram Gangaram. In total 5 Filmfare awards

Maharashtra government award for this movie Pandu Havaldar

Screen award for movie Sawai Havaldar,

Bhojpuri film award for Maika Bitua ]

10 State government awards for Marathi Films

Best Comedian in "Maharashtracha Favorite Kon?"

Due to his extra ordinary performance in marathi film, He is affectionately known as Amitabh Bacchan of Marathi movie

He is married to actress Nivedita Joshi-Saraf. They Have one son.

Ashok Saraf and Marathi film actress Ranjana had an affair and had done number of films together. Their affair which later broke up after Ranjana's tragic accident.

Ashok Saraf's Filmography with Super Star Rajesh Khanna :

1. Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa (2002) .... as Mr. Patel
2. Sundara Satarkar (1981)
3. Ghar Parivar (1991) .... as Ramu Bhaiya