Johny Lever, a comedian of Indian cinema, has won hearts with his unique style of comedy. Every cinema lover in our country admires Johny Lever and his comedy. For a long time, Johny Lever has ruled the comedy segment of Bollywood single-handedly.
Johny was born on August 14, 1957, in Prakasam, Andhra Pradesh, into a Telugu Christian family. His father, Prakash Rao Janumala, worked at a Hindustan Lever factory. His mother’s name was Kanunma Janumala. His parents named him John Prakash Rao. Yes, Johny Lever’s real name is John Prakash Rao.
Johny spent a few years of his childhood in Andhra Pradesh. However, he witnessed his family submerged in abject poverty from an early age. The poverty was so severe that he had to quit studying after the seventh grade. Due to circumstances, he had to work in the Yakutpura area of Hyderabad.
Johny and his family moved to Mumbai after his father received news of his transfer to the Hindustan Lever factory in Mumbai. The entire family came to Mumbai and started living in the King’s Circle area. Here, Johny Lever and his brothers also began working. Sometimes, Johny Lever sold pens in trains, and sometimes, he danced on the streets.
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At one time, during a show, he saw the famous actor Dinesh Hingu performing stand-up comedy. Seeing him, Johny also wished to do stand-up comedy in the same way. It was during this time that he met Pratap Jani, who later became his mentor. Pratap Jani introduced him to the mimicry artist Ram Kumar.
Ram Kumar polished his comedy and instilled confidence in him, convincing him that he too could mimic. One day, Ram Kumar introduced him to Dinesh Hingu. Dinesh Hingu first watched his comedy for a long time and then gave him a chance to do stand-up comedy for the first time in a stage show. The audience liked his comedy, and from there, his journey began.
How John Prakash Rao Became Johny Lever
The story of John Prakash Rao becoming Johny Lever is also quite interesting. In fact, a few years after coming to Mumbai, his father got him a job at the Hindustan Lever factory. During work, he entertained his fellow workers by mimicking several famous artists. He became so famous among his fellow workers that he was called upon to perform on stage at factory events. His popularity grew to the extent that the laborers at Hindustan Lever started calling him Johnny instead of John, and thus, Johny Lever was born.
Opportunity in Films by Sunil Dutt
When Johnny’s name began to rise in stand-up comedy, several famous orchestras associated with him. The renowned actress Tabassum included him in the talent hunt show Tabassum Hit Parade, and he also became a part of the music director duo Kalyanji-Anandji’s troupe. In 1982, he even joined Amitabh Bachchan’s world tour. Thus, Johnny Lever became a big name on stage. However, he was still waiting for opportunities in films. Once, during a stage show, he caught the eye of Sunil Dutt Sahab.
Johny Lever Life Changed
Sunil Dutt Sahab was quite impressed with Johnny Lever’s stage show. He cast Johnny in the film “Dard Ka Rishta.” Along with this, Johnny also released his comedy album “Hansi Ke Hangame,” which sold millions of copies across the country. During this time, he also started getting work in TV commercials and was making a name for himself there too. Poverty and destitution, which he experienced in his childhood, were now being replaced by fame, and money was also starting to come in.
Johny Lever First Film
Although “Dard Ka Rishta,” released in 1982, is considered Johnny’s debut film, if we look closely at his career, his first film was “Tum Par Hum Qurban.” This film was produced by the famous stage artist and actress Tabassum. This film was announced much before Tabassum Dutt Sahab’s film. However, due to various reasons, the shooting of the film was stalled midway, and this film was released in 1985. This is why Johnny Lever’s filmography lists “Dard Ka Rishta” as his first film.
Becoming the Backbone of Films
When Johnny Lever’s journey in films began, it was so spectacular that he never had to look back in life. He worked in one film after another. Every year, Bollywood finds a new superstar, and the stardom of the old ones fades away. However, Johnny Lever’s charisma continued for years.
Directors launching new actors used to ensure that Johnny was a part of the film to make it successful. Special and unique characters started being written for Johnny. Although the film “Baazigar” may be famous because of Shah Rukh Khan, Johnny’s entertainment in his scenes made Shah Rukh look pale in comparison.
Achieving Success Everywhere
Johnny Lever worked not only in Hindi but also in Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Bhojpuri films. There was a time when Johnny Lever had ten to twelve films released every year. There was so much work that he didn’t even have time to catch his breath. In 2007, Johnny Lever even had a separate TV show called “Johny Aala Re.” This show aired on Zee TV. He was also seen as a judge in several reality shows. His amazing comic timing, superb acting skills, and fantastic facial expressions were truly the keys to his success.
This is Johnny’s Personal Life
Speaking of Johnny Lever’s personal life, his wife’s name is Sujatha. They have two children. Their daughter Jamie is also a comedian like him, and their son Jesse is currently studying. His brother Jimmy Moses is also a stand-up comedian. In the 80s, when it was decided that comedians were disappearing from films, heroes were starting to do comedy. That’s when Johnny Lever completely rejected this idea and, with his unparalleled acting, continued to make his mark in Bollywood for years. Johnny Lever’s contribution to Indian cinema can never be forgotten. A big salute to Johnny Lever from the Merath Manthan and all its readers.