Touted to be one of the most noted comedians in Indian cinema, the actor is one of the finest talents we have in the film industry. With an impeccable comic timing and inimitable facial expressions, Johnny never fails to make us laugh in every film of his. A look back at his life which has been quite inspiring.

Johnny Lever's real name is John Rao. While working at Hindustan Lever, his stand-up comedy and mimicry became such a sensation there that the union leader christened him 'Johnny Lever'.

The actor had to drop out of school when he was in the seventh standard because of some financial problems. Later, he started working odd jobs, such as selling pens on the streets of Mumbai by imitating Bollywood actors and dancing to their songs.

Johnny Lever used to perform in musical shows (orchestras) for Tabassum Parade and later for Kalyanji-Anandji. He did a lot of world tours with them; one of his first big tours being with Amitabh Bachchan in 1982. During these tours, he caught the eye of Sunil Dutt who gave him his first break in Bollywood with Dard Ka Rishta.

He tasted major success with Shahrukh Khan starrer Baazigar where he played the role of an absent-minded servant named Babulal. Johnny went on to give memorable performances in films like 'Khiladi', 'Judaai', 'Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega' amongst others.

His daughter Jamie, who is also a popular stand-up comedian as well, had once revealed in an interview, "In real life, my dad is nothing like his goofy on-screen characters. He is a strict, conservative South Indian dad. Growing up, our mother kept us away from the film world he worked in. He wanted me to not only complete my graduation but do a post-graduation, get a good job, and settle down."