Johnny Walker- King of Comedy

Johnny Walker’s father was a poor man who lost his job when the mill where he worked closed down. Johnny quit school at age 14. He pursued various jobs--a green grocer, an ice-cream salesman and a bus conductor. Once when he was joking with passengers, he was spotted by Balraj Sahni who was also riding the bus. Balraj Sahni was very impressed and advised him to see Guru Dutt who was making a film scripted by Sahni himself. Johnny did just that and since then he became a close friend and a permanent member of the Guru Dutt establishment. His friends used to call him Johnny but having seen him act as a drunk, Dutt added Walker to his name.

I will name just a few of his popular films-Pyasa, CID, Taxi Driver, Aar Paar, Johnny Walker, Choo Mantar, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Naya Daur, and Mere Mehboob.

I met Johnny Walker in the early 60’s when he came to London. I was surprised to find that he had a normal voice, quite different from the one he adapted in the movies. He was very friendly and quite unpretentious. He performed ’Chote Nawab’ on the stage which sent audience into splits. He also recited a funny couplet in Urdu in his inimitable style:

Dulhan ka chehra, mohallay bhar meiN har ek ka dil pasand nikla
Mera muqaddar himalay say bhee chaar, cheh foot buland nikla

Johnny Walker played numerous roles in his long career. Rafi always enjoyed singing for him and in fact it was he who convinced S. D Burman to let Johnny say Tel Maalish in the song. Taxi Driver was another popular film in which Johnny excelled. ’

Chaudhvin Ka Chand owed its huge success to Johnny Walker’s superb acting as Mussarat Hussain Shaeda. I was in Bhopal at that time and I remember having seen people leave cinema hall as soon as his role was over. I saw that film about twenty times.

Johnny Walker was very slim in the beginning and when he played opposite to Tun Tun, they created humor of the highest order.

Johnny Walker was a teetotaler and a religious man. One thing common between him and Bob Hope was that neither of them ever played vulgar jokes. Comedians of today make you cry rather than laugh. Johnny Walker’s departure marks the golden era of comedy in the Indian movie industry.

Johnny was often called by radio stations for question and answer sessions. Interestingly, on many occasions, he would make up the questions and answers. When Johnny got down to work, he was sincerity personified. He was the soul of Hindi Cinema’s comedy.

"Every time there was a function on Independence Day or Republic Day, I was asked to get all these people to perform. Pandit Jawarlal Nehru would specially request for these people especially Johnny Walker and Mukri. And I could get them as they were my friends. “Today that he is no more, I miss him. May his soul rest in peace". Said Dilip Kumar on his demise.

There will be many comedians--Zareefs, Mahmoods, Moeen Akhtars, Om Parkashs --but there will be no Johnny Walker who had a unique style and who knew the art of making people laugh with empathy and subtlet