Dalip Tahil

Dalip Tahil (born Dalip Tahilramani; 30 October 1952) is an Indian film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his work in Baazigar (1993), Raja (1995), Hum hai rahi pyar ke (1993) and Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), Pyaar Ki Miss Call (2009) along with actor Gaurav Prateek. In the UK, he appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Dan Ferreira, the head of the Ferreira family, from June to December 2003.
Early life
Dalip Tahilramani was born on 30 October 1952 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India into a Sindhi Hindu family which had recently migrated from Sindh during the Partition of India. He studied at Sherwood College in Nainital, India. After attending Aligarh Muslim University for a year, he graduated from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.
Stage
Tahil began to appear on stage while at Sherwood College, Nainital, at the age of 10. His participation over the years in choir, elocution competitions, nativity plays, and formal and informal concerts gave him a platform to be cast in principal parts. During his senior years at school, he won the Kendall Cup for the best actor in two consecutive years, first as Joseph in the play My Three Angels and again as Macbeth in Shakespeare's Macbeth. He was declared the best actor for a record third time in 1969, his final year at Sherwood College.
Tahil moved with his family to Mumbai in 1968, joined the Theatre Group Bombay and trained under its directors, Alyque and Pearl Padamsee. He appeared in some of its major productions, playing John the Baptist and Jesus in Godspell (India's first English theatre musical, directed by Pearl Padamsee), and Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by Alyque Padamsee.
He played Galy Gay, in Amal Alana's production of Bertolt Brecht's Man Is a Man.
Tahil is internationally known for starring as Madan Kumar in the A.R Rahman theatre musical Bombay Dreams, which he performed in over 500 times until 2002 at the Apollo Theatre in London.
Films
Director Shyam Benegal noticed Dalip and offered him a part in his first feature film Ankur in 1974. In 1980, Ramesh Sippy offered him the role of a villain in his epic production, Shaan. This was followed by a cameo in Sir Richard Attenborough's,Gandhi, in 1982.
He went on to play principal character roles of a villain or supporting role of a father, police officer, in over 100 Bollywood films from the 1980s to 2013. He appeared in the Merchant Ivory English films The Deceivers and The Perfect Murder (1988).
In 1984, he acted as the father of Baby Sonia in India's first 3-D film, My Dear Kuttichathan, produced by Navodaya. In 2013, he portrayed Jawaharlal Nehru, in Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra's, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, with Farhan Akhtar in the title role of Milkha Singh. In 2007, he starred in the Punjabi movie, Sajna ve Sajna. He is well remembered for his villainous role of Madan Chopra, a wicked businessman in Baazigar (1993). Dalip has also played the role of Rupert Dali in Mission Mangal.
Television
On television, Tahil played roles in Sanjay Khan's television serial The Sword of Tipu Sultan and Ramesh Sippy's Buniyaad. Thereafter, Tahil worked in his first British television series, Bombay Blue (TV series).
Tahil gained national recognition across the UK when he won the role of Dan Ferreira, in the iconic BBC1 soap opera EastEnders in 2003, appearing in over 60 episodes. He made his last appearance in the episode aired on 30 December 2003. As a result of an insufficient work permit application, Dalip had to exit the series which compelled him to appeal to the Secretary of State in the UK. Dalip was subsequently granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK in 2005.
In 2007, Tahil appeared in the BBC2 mini-series Nuclear Secrets in the episode "Terror Traders", playing Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan. He later played the role of King Dasaratha in the Indian television series, Siya Ke Ram, which premiered on 16 November 2015 through Star Plus and concluded on 4 November 2016.
Music
He released an album titled Raaz Ki Baaten.
Selected filmography
Ankur (1974)
Shaan (1980) as Kumar
Shakti (1982) as Ganpat Rai
Gandhi (1982) as Zia
Arth (1982) as Dilip
My Dear Kuttichathan (Malayalam) (1984) as Laxmi's father, [India's first 3D Film]
Aaj Ki Awaz (1984) as Suresh Thakur
Trikaal (1985) as Leon Gonsalves
Adventures of Tarzan (1985) as D.K.
Janbaaz (1986) as Farm Manager
Sultanat (1986) as Janna
Aakhree Raasta (1986) as Police Inspector / Police Commissioner Roop Kumar Sahay
Buniyaad (1987) TV serial on DD National as "Bhushan" Haveli Ram's Eldest Son
Jalwa (1987) as D.D.'s Henchman
Nazrana as Banke
Dance Dance (1987) as Brijmohan "Binjo"
Kaash (1987) as Vijay
Mere Baad (1988) as Jeevan
Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) as Dhanraj Singh
The Deceivers (1988) as Daffadar Ganesha
The Perfect Murder (1988) as Dilip Lal
Ram Lakhan (1989) as Thakur Pratap Singh
Tridev (1989) as Don
Love Love Love (1989) as Amit's Father
The Sword of Tipu Sultan (1989) on DD National
Kishen Kanhaiya (1990) as Mahesh
Ajooba (1991) as Shah Rukh
Ganga Jamuna Ki Lalkar (1991)
Dancer (1991) as Brij Bhushan
Saudagar (1991) as Gajendra Singh
Vishwatma (1992) as DCP Gupta
Deewana (1992) as Ramakant Sahay
Jungle Queen (1993)
King Uncle (1993) as Pradeep Malik
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) as Mr. Bijlani
Darr (1993) as Captain Mehra
Baazigar (1993) as Madan Chopra
Professor Ki Padosan (1993) as Ranjeet
Suhaag (1994) as Dr. Sinha
Imtihan (1994) as Dindayal Khanna
Aatank Hi Aatank (1995) as Robert
Raja (1995) as Vishwa Garewal
Jeet (1996) as Ramakant Sahay
Shohrat (1996)
Judwaa (1997) as SP Malhorta
Ishq (1997) as Harbanslal
Gupt (1997) as Meghnath Choudhary
Soldier (1998) as Veerendra Sinha
Ghulam (1998) as Siddharth's Father
Mann (1999) as Pratap Singhania
Chal Mere Bhai (2000) as Balraj Oberoi
Dhai Akshar Prem Ke (2000) as Rai Bahadur
Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai (2000) as Mr. Malik
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (2000) as Mr. Chinoy
Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001) as Karan's father
Chhupa Rustam: A Musical Thriller (2001) as Diwan Baldev
Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001) as Rajeev Malhotra
Ajnabee (2001) as Priya's Father
Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega (2001) as Sapna's Father
Maine Dil Tujhko Diya (2002) as Mr. Chopra
Talaash (2003) as D.K. Sharma
EastEnders (2003) as Dan Ferreira (British soap opera)
Paarewari (2004) as Madhu's father (Sindhi language film)
Nuclear Secrets (2007) as A.Q Khan
Shakalaka Boom Boom (2007) as album producer
Partner (2007) as Raja Singh
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal (2007) as Johny Bakshi
Race (2008) as Kabir Ahuja
Love Story 2050 (2008) as Karan's fad
God Tussi Great Ho (2008) as TV station owner, Kewalchandani
Rock On!! (2008) as Farhaan Akhtar's boss
Zindagi Tere Naam (2008)
Sajna Ve Sajna (2008) as Kartar Singh
Raat Gayi Baat Gayi (2008) as Saxena
Kisaan (2008)
Hello (2008) as Subhash Bakshi
I Can't Think Straight (2008) as Omar
Dil Bole Hadippa (2009) as Liyaqat Ali Khan (Lucky)
I Can't Think Straight (2008) as Omar
Prince (2010)
Ra.One (2011)
Loot (2011) as Batliwala
London, Paris, New York (2012) as Lalitha's father
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) as Jawahar Lal Nehru
War Chhod Na Yaar (2013) as Politician
Entertainment (2014) as Pannalal Johri
Anjaan (2014) as JK
Samvidhaan (2014) TV serial on RS TV as Pandit Nehru
Phir Se... (2015)
Welcome 2 Karachi (2015) as Kedar's father
Jaanisaar (2015) as Kunwar Iqbal Hassan
Salaam Mumbai (2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) as Ego (Hindi version)
Razia Sultan as Marush
Mission Mangal (2019) as Rupert Desai
Darbar (2020) as Union Home secretary
Toolsidas Junior(2022) as Jimmy Tandon
HIT: The First Case (2022) as Ajit Singh Shekhawat
Web series
Parchhayee (2019) as Dadaji
The Family Man (2019) web series on Amazon Prime as Kulkarni
Hostages (2019) web series on Hotstar as CM Khushwant Lal Handa
Guilty (2020)
A New Day Will Be
Made in Heaven (2019) web series on Amazon Prime as Kishore Khanna
Television
References
External links
1952 births
Living people
Sindhi people
Indian Hindus
Indian people of Sindhi descent
Indian male film actors
People from Agra
Indian male television actors
Indian male stage actors
Indian male voice actors
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Indian emigrants to the United Kingdom
Aligarh Muslim University alumni
Sherwood College alumni
Sindhi Hindus