Trained as a photographer before being introduced to acting through a chance encounter with a screenwriter
Awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997
The Indian government awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 2001, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in cinema, in 2013
Acted alongside life-long friend Ashok Kumar in 27 films