Let's list Indian Film personalities that have been in film business for more than 40 Yrs and are still active in business.
Started out this thread as '40 Yrs and still active in films'. But, now (2020) changed to 'Are/Were Active for > 40 Yrs'.





(Can check imdb.com when you think of a name)
Also, how did they celebrate or plan to celebrate 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 Yrs in film business ??

Achla Sachdev 1938
Pran 1941
Dilip Kumar 1944
Shashi Kala 1944
Lata Mangeshkar 1945
Dev Annand 1946
Manna Dey 1948 (imdb doesn't list any recent films, but Manna Dey has been performing live concerts all the time. So, counting him as 'active')
B R Chopra 1949
Tanuja 1950
Helen 1951
Shashi Kapoor 1951
Asha Bhosle 1952
Shammi Kapoor 1953
Jagdeep 1953
Waheeda Rehman 1955
Yash Raj Chopra 1957
Honey Irani 1959
Dara Singh (1959 Jagga Daku; Was he really in Pehli Jhalak 1955, Sangdil 1952 ??)
Sharmila Tagore 1959, (Kashmir Ki Kali in 1964)
Dharmendra 1960
Farida Jalal 1960
Prem Chopra 1960
Hema Malini 1961 dancer, (1968 first film)
Aruna Irani 1961
Gulzar 1961
Bindu 1962
Prithvi Raj Kapoor (active 1929-1972)
Randhir Kapoor (1964 Sangam Child Actor; may be earlier too??)
Rishi Kapoor
Dimple Kapadia
Anil Dhawan
Anil Kapoor
Boney Kapoor
Jeetendra 1964
Mac Mohan 1964
Rekha 1966
Rajesh Khanna 1966
Ameen Sayani 1952
Nagesh ?? (See beegee post)
Akkineni Nageshwara Rao (1923–2014) IMDB lists films during 1941-2014
Shobha Khote (Since 1955, still active in 2019)
Lalita Pawar (1918–98) (active 1928-98)
P.Jairaj (Paidee Jairaj) (1909-2000) (active 1930-2000, last film released 2004, acted in SHOLAY)
Jaya Prada (born 1962, 1st film 1974, 1st Hindi film 1979, recent films in 2018 and another listed after 2018)
Sridevi (1963–2018) active 1967-2018
Jaya Bachchan (born 1949 - ) active since 1963
Babubhai Mistry (1918-2010) (active 1942-2002 )
Leela Mishra (1908-1988) (active 1937 - 1988)
Manher Desai (1917 - 1992) (active 1948-1988)
Sunil Dutt
Rajinder Nath
Rajendra Kumar (active 1949-1998)
Balraj Sahni
Azad Irani (active 1958-Zimbo - 2000 Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya)

Almost 40 Yrs:

Junior Mehmood 1968
Vinod Khanna 1968
Bappi Lahiri 1969
March 2009 edit: the above 3 are in the "40 Yrs in film business" club now.
Plus Amiabh Bachchan who signed his first film Saat Hindustani in Feb 2009.
S. Mohinder (Music Director) IMDB lists 1950-1987, there could be more films. (1925 - ). Celebrated 92nd B'day in 2017.

Who else can you think of ??
Personnel from Non Hindi films ??
M N Nambiar (since 1935) Recent films: Sudesi-2006, Baba-2002
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Some famous names but don't think they appeared in any film for long time:
Dilip Kumar 1944
Vyjanthi Mala 1949
A K Hangal 1966


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Some who got included in the list initially but had/ have passed away:
Johny Walker 1951
M N Nambiar (Passed away Nov 19, 2008)
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Some that got left out but names recalled after they passed away:
Rajinder Nath
Manorama (since 1926 as per imdb credits ) really ??

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More Names:
Leela Chitnis (active 1935 - 1987) (died 2003)
Durga Khote (active 1931-1983) died 1991
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More Names ?? Nutan, Mala Sinha, Nanda, Asha Parekh, Silk Smitha, Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar, Sheikh Mukhtar, Sohrab Modi, Shahu Modak, - - - - -


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As more names are pointed out or as I think of, I'll keep on editing this post, for a while, to include them.

Thanks.

Pran since 1941
Manna Dey since 1948

I think the two have long retired, but are still living.

Rajesh Khanna in Aakhri Khat (1966)
Gulzar as Assistant Director in Kabuliwala (1961)
A. K. Hangal in Teesri Kasam (1966)
Achala Sachdev (wife of Balraj Sahani in Waqt & mother of Amitabh in K3G)
Shashi Kala

How about if the filmi career started as child artist?

Honey Irani as child artist in Qaidi No. 911 (1959)
Shashi Kapoor as child artist in Awaara (1951) and lead actor in Dharmputra (1961)
Tanuja as child artist in Hamari Beti (1950)
Farida Jalaal as child artist in Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960)

Few that I can think off...

M. N. Nambiar - Since 1949 (Villian and Supporting actor)
Shivaji Ganesan - 1952 - 2001
MS Viswanathan - Since 1953 (Music Director)
Kaka Radhakrishnan - Since 1954
Manorama - Since 1958s- Guinness record holder for acting more than 1000 movies
Kamal Haasan - Since 1960
SriDevi - Since 1967
K Balachandar - Since 1967 (Director)

Has he been acting continuously since then? I know he's been in some films as a kid.

Pran died a while ago. Dilip Kumar hasn't been "active" in the industry in well over a decade; ditto for Manna Dey; ditto for Shashi Kapoor. I don't remember having seen A.K. Hangal in some time; ditto for Jeetendra (though, with the latter, I just might not have been looking).

Johnny Walker died a while ago.

Shammi Kapoor still shows up now and then, so there's one to add.

How can you confirm this news? I've been researching for quite a bit on his current status and all online sources don't indicate a death date of his.

Dilip Kumar:
lately
non-active: Films
active in some functions though.

Manna Dey:
non active in new films singing
active in concerts (Hindi songs)

A K Hangal:
I don't see him active in films or news recently.

Shashi Kapoor:
imdb has 1998 as last entry. I think he has appeared or is/ was active in films until recently ??

Randhir Kapoor:
I count him as active in films as he is the boss of RK Films and Studios, still active.

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BTW, what would you say about including Ameen Sayani (Binaca Geetmala host) ?? He may not be an actor, but sure is/ was more famous, due to Film Business, than many big stars.

It was in a newspaper.

Kamal acted as child/young artists till 67 and disappared and came back in 71.

I forgot to mention another very important person - Nagesh. Acting for more than 50 Years!

I'm sure Pran is alive and well. Can't imagine, Pran getting sick and we never heard it, in the days of internet. Not only the news, even Google search and other search engines show no such thing.

Wishing long life to our Pran.

Rana, I, too, very much like Pran, and would wish him good health, myself... if I thought he were alive. I doubt I still have the newspaper in which I read the story if his passing, and I don't want to go on and on about how "he is gone, damn it" when I don't possess the proof to back it up, but — unless I misread (and, just to be fair, I suppose it's possible that I did) — I'm pretty sure Pran died a a while ago (definitely after 2000). That said, I also can't find any news of this on-line...

PRAN:

The following looks like the official PRAN website.
http://www.pransikand.com/

Send letters to your favourite Actor on this address

Mr. Pran Sikand
7th Floor, 'Eden Roc' Building
25, Union Park, Khar
Mumbai 400 052

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Pran born Feb 1920

2004 News about Pran:

Another one as recent as Feb 2007 on Pran's 87th birthday

Great, I was said for nothing — lol. Well, thanks: this is one time I'm glad I was wrong.