If you bring Ashok Kumar in the character actors' category than you will have to include Amitabh Bacchan in the same list too. 

Eventually all actors and actresses become character actors as they grow older. Ashok Kumar has done more character roles than leading roles since he was dong both side by side right from the fifties and sixties..Even comedians are character artistes and who can forget the impact or entertainment value they lent to a  movie  in the olden day  films. Johny Walker and Mehmood would have  important roles to play in all the films and they also got to sing some very popular songs in their films ..

Present day Amitabh Bachchan is definitely a character actor. In Piku he was not the hero but surprisingly he got the best actor award last year for Piku. Actually, at present the scripts are of wide range so protagonist and supporting actors sometimes get merged. In Pink too we can't say that Mr. Bachchan is the hero, rather there is no hero in the film and due to his impactful role he has emerged as the hero of the movie.

Movie making is a business. Naturally, the producers expect back their returns. For this to achieve both Producer and Director chose those Stars endowed with histrionic talents and attractive charismatic looks. . . But for some roles the script demands either a middle aged man or an old aged. For such roles actors like Balraj Sahani or AB of today are quite suitable. Rajesh Khanna in the prime of his youth played an old School Teacher  and won many laurels.

It is unfortunate that the ladies never had any powerful roles ...Even as leading ladies they were just there to add glamor or play second fiddle to the hero and except for very few roles played by Shashikala, Nazima, Farida Jalal or Aruna Irani , even those being either negative roles or sisters roles complementing the hero, we dont get to see many powerful character roles played by women. Nirupa Roy, Sulochana and Achala Sachdev were eternal mothers self sacrificing and had little say .. 

Yes. It's truth. To lend a touch of glamour and  to dance in a few Item Songs are what most of the Female actresses are used. Even, I know how good the famous actresses  and  blessed with Histrionic talents Helen is being used in an unproductive way. Perhaps due to  belief that Woman roles are meant only to toe the leading actor.

rambabu wrote:

Movie making is a business. Naturally, the producers expect back their returns. For this to achieve both Producer and Director chose those Stars endowed with histrionic talents and attractive charismatic looks. . . But for some roles the script demands either a middle aged man or an old aged. For such roles actors like Balraj Sahani or AB of today are quite suitable. Rajesh Khanna in the prime of his youth played an old School Teacher  and won many laurels.

AB was success hero of Bollywood. So he have good image but Balraj Shani joined Bollywood at the age of 34. But he was the person who never played role of romantic hero but he was the person who was important in his films like romantic hero. Waqt, Talash, Ek Phool Do Mali is example.

The lead Actor need not be romantic . But the story revolves around that lead actor.

anil wrote:

rambabu wrote:

Movie making is a business. Naturally, the producers expect back their returns. For this to achieve both Producer and Director chose those Stars endowed with histrionic talents and attractive charismatic looks. . . But for some roles the script demands either a middle aged man or an old aged. For such roles actors like Balraj Sahani or AB of today are quite suitable. Rajesh Khanna in the prime of his youth played an old School Teacher  and won many laurels.

AB was success hero of Bollywood. So he have good image but Balraj Shani joined Bollywood at the age of 34. But he was the person who never played role of romantic hero but he was the person who was important in his films like romantic hero. Waqt, Talash, Ek Phool Do Mali is example.

Balraj Sahni has acted in many films as a romantic hero with Nutan, Nargis , Geeta Bali , Shyama and others as well as in character roles. His Kabuliwala was unforgettable.

usha manohar wrote:

anil wrote:

rambabu wrote:

Movie making is a business. Naturally, the producers expect back their returns. For this to achieve both Producer and Director chose those Stars endowed with histrionic talents and attractive charismatic looks. . . But for some roles the script demands either a middle aged man or an old aged. For such roles actors like Balraj Sahani or AB of today are quite suitable. Rajesh Khanna in the prime of his youth played an old School Teacher  and won many laurels.

AB was success hero of Bollywood. So he have good image but Balraj Shani joined Bollywood at the age of 34. But he was the person who never played role of romantic hero but he was the person who was important in his films like romantic hero. Waqt, Talash, Ek Phool Do Mali is example.

Balraj Sahni has acted in many films as a romantic hero with Nutan, Nargis , Geeta Bali , Shyama and others as well as in character roles. His Kabuliwala was unforgettable.

I don'e know about Balraj Sahni's films with Nargis, Geeta Bali and Shyama, but with Nutan Seema is not a romantic film. Kabuliwala, Do Beegha Jameen, Garm coat are some memorable films of Balraj Sahni.