Tribute-Sabita Devi 1914-98

Born: 1914
Died: 31 December 1998, Beeston, United Kingdom
Counted as one of the top three female artistes of her time, in 1938 Sabita Devi was the third highest paid actress after Sulochana (Ruby Myers) and Gohar, drawing a salary of Rs. 3000 per month. "Classic writers like K. M. Munshi and Ramanlal Vasantlal" were commissioned to write stories for her films, with elaborate sets and "special rehearsals" provided along with an overwhelming "pre-release publicity".

Sabita Devi was born Iris Gasper into a Jew family in the year 1914.

Her first film Kamaner Aagun (Flames Of The Flesh) was produced by British Dominion Films Ltd., Calcutta, in 1930. It was directed By Dinesh Ranjan Das And co-starred Dhirendranath Ganguly, Debaki Bose, Ramola Devi and Radharani. The film was a semi-historical version of the Queen of Chittor, Rani Padmini, committing jauhar to evade the enemy forces.In 1931, Sabita acted in Aparadhi (The Culprit) a social, written and directed by Debaki Bose, starring P. C. Barua, Bhanu Bannerjee, Tincory Chakrabarty, Keshav Narayan Kale, Rampyari and Rose. It was a silent film made under the banner of Barua Film Unit, Calcutta. Her other silent films from this time include Takay Ki Na Hay (What Money Cannot Do) (1931) was directed by Dhirendranath Ganguly and produced by British Dominion Films Ltd., Calcutta. It starred Dhirendranath Ganguly, P. C. Barua and Radharani. Kanthahaar (Diamond Necklace) (1939) was directed by Kali Prasad Ghose for Indian Kinema Arts, Calcutta and starred Durgadas Bannerjee, Rajhans and Renubala. Maraner Pare (After The Death) (1931) directed by A. K. Roy for British Dominion Films Ltd., Calcutta and co-starred Dhirendranath Ganguly, Hem Gupta, Radharani and Kalidas. Bhagya Lakshmi (Wife's Destiny) (1932) directed by Kali Prasad Ghose with co-stars P. C. Barua, Durgadas Bannerjee, Khitish Roy Choudhary, Umasashi, Biren Ghosh and prduced by Indian Kinema Arts, Calcutta.

In 1933, she was cast in a religious film, Radha Krishna, directed by Priyanath N. Ganguly and Tulsi Lahiri. Her co-stars were Dhiraj Bhattacharya, Indubala, Amar Choudhary and Kamala Jharia. An East India Film Company production, it had music by Sunderdas Bhatia.Shaher Ka Jadoo in 1934 was a debut acting film for Motilal and was written and directed by Kali Prasad Ghose. The main stars in this social were Sabita, Kumar, Sitara Devi, K. C. Dey, Miss Gulzar and Tarabai. The film was produced by Sagar Movietone. She then acted in Ezra Mir's Farzande Hind also called Phantom of the Hills, an action drama film. The film starred Sabita with Jal Merchant, Yakub, Nyampally. Produced by Sagar the music was composed by S. P. Rane.Grihalakshmi (Educated Wife) (1934) was an early woman-centric film and was a remake of the earlier silent film Bhaneli Bhamini (1927). Directed by Sarvottam Badami, it was produced by Sagar and had music by S. P. Rane. Her co-stars were Jal Merchant, Yakub, K. C. Dey and Lalita Devulkar. Her last film in 1934 was Chandra Gupta directed by A. R. Kardar and starring Gul Hamid, Nazir, Mazhar Khan, Dhiraj Bhattacharya. Produced by East India Film Company, it had music by K. C. Dey.

From 1935-1943 she acted in over fifteen films, all directed by Sarvottam Badami, with the exception of Silver King cited as one of the best stunt films of its time. It was directed by C. M. Luhar and starred Motilal with music by Pransukh Nayak. Badami and Sabita left Sagar Movietone to form Sudama Pictures in association with Ranjit Pictures.

In 1935, Sabita acted in Badami's film, based on K. M. Munshi's story, Vengeance Is Mine (Ver Nu Vasulat). It co-starred Kumar, Yakub, Sitara Devi, and Mehboob Khan in a small role. Music director was S. P. Rane. In Dr. Madhurika she played an emancipated doctor opposite Motilal with music by Pransukh Nayak and Ashok Ghosh. Some of he other successful films in the 1930s include Grama Kanya (1936), Kokila (1937) written by Ramanlal Vasantlal Desai, Kulvadhu (1937), Teen Sau Din Ke Baad also called 300 Days & After (1939) a modrn romantic drama in which Sabita's acting received a positive critique from Baburao Patel as an "artiste of great calibre", in a "light-hearted a portrayal of her difficult role" and that "she easily takes away all the laurels for acting". Ladies Only was a 1939 comedy film directed by Badami and starred Bibbo, Prabha Devi and Sabita playing three girls from different states of India, all in love with the hero played by Surendra. This was the last comedy film Badami made for Sagar Movietone, before he left them after this film to form Sudama Pictures.

Sabita acted in the next comedy film directed by Badami, this time for Sudama pictures. Aap Ki Marzi (1939) was based on the MGM produced, Edward Buzzell directed film Paradise for Three (1938).The music direction was by Gyan Dutt and starred Motilal as the crossword puzzle winner who falls in love with Sabita's character.

Sajani (1940) was one of the first "socially relevant film(s)" that Badami made for Sudama pictures. It starred Sabita with Prithviraj Kapoor and Snehprabha Pradhan. Chingari (1940) a romantic melodrama from Sudama Productions with director Sarvottam Badami and co-starred Prithviraj Kapoor. The film was highly recommended by Baburao Patel editor of Filmindia as a contender for 1940 Award of the Film Journalists' Association Of India.

Bambai Ki Sair also called Holiday in Bombay (1941) was directed by Badami for Sudama Productions and co-starred Shobhana Samarth and Arun. The film was reportedly "creating new box-office records at the Imperial Cinema when it was released".

In 1947, she starred in Sarai Ke Bahar also known as Inquilab which is stated to be the only film directed by the famous Urdu writer Krishan Chander. It had lyrics by Niaz Haider and Vishwamitter Adil, with music by D. C. Dutt.

Died: 31 December 1998, Beeston, United Kingdom

Tribute-Mumtaz Shanti, famous movie star of 40's 1926-94

Mumtaz Shanti was a famous movie star of the Bollywood yesteryears, she was very popular in the 40's and early 50's with hit movies like Basant (1942), Kismet (1943), and Ghar Ki Izzat (1948) 

The movie Kismet in 1943 was the most significant of her illustrious career. The film starring Ashok Kumar as the hero, broke all previous box office records and, besides celebrating many jubilees all over India, ran for 3 years in a single theatre in Calcutta — a record that has been broken only by Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay in the seventies and later by Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Almost all the songs: (Dheerey Dheerey Aa Re Baadal / Ashok Kumar and Ameer Bai, Papiha Re / Parul Ghosh, Aaj Himalay Ki Choti Se / Amir Bai and Chorus, Ab Tere Siwa Kaun Mera / Ameer Bai, Ghar Ghar Mein Diwali Hai / Ameer Bai) became a rage throughout the country.

Mumtaz Shanti was married to Wali Mohammad Khan (Wali Saheb), a film director and writer in pre-partition Bollywood. They both moved to Pakistan in early 1950s. Wali Saheb died in 1977.

Mumtaz Shanti died unknown and unsung in Pakistan in 1989.

Ehsan Rizvi

Ehsan Rizvi
Known For
Do Ustad Writer(1959)
BaroodWriter(1976)
Jaal Writer(1967)
Victoria No. 203 Writer(1972)
1983 Nastik (dialogue)
1982 Gopichand Jasoos (dialogue)
1980 Aanchal (dialogue)
1978 Chor Ke Ghar Chor (dialogue)
1978 Azaad (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1976 Barood (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1976 Shankar Dada (dialogue - as Ehsan Razvi)
1975 Chori Mera Kaam (dialogue)
1974 Jurm Aur Sazaa (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1974 Paise Ki Gudiya (dialogue)
1974 Amir Garib (dialogue)
1973 Jugnu (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1972 Victoria No. 203 (dialogue)
1972 Roop Tera Mastana (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1972 Aankhon Aankhon Mein (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1971 Hulchul (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1970 Aan Milo Sajna (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1970 Abhinetri (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1969 Talash (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1967 Aag (dialogue - as Ehsan Razvi)
1967 Jaal (dialogue)
1966 Phool Aur Patthar (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1964 Woh Kaun Thi? (dialogue)
1963 Gehra Daag (dialogue)
1961 Pyaar Ka Saagar (additional dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1960 Mughal-E-Azam (dialogue)
1959 Do Ustad (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1956 Bhagam Bhag (dialogue - as Ahsan Razvi)
1955 Bara-Dari (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi) / (screenplay - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1951 Albela (dialogue - as Ahsan Rizvi)
1950 Beqasoor 

Remembering Hansa Wadkar 1923-71

Sourcewikipedia

Hansa Wadkar (1923–1971) was a Marathi and Hindi film and stage actress of Indian cinema. She started her acting career at the age of thirteen years, as a heroine in the bilingual film Vijaychi Lagne (1936). Wadkar went on to make a name for herself working in the reputable film companies like Bombay Talkies, Prabhat Film Company and National Studios. Her career defining role was in Vishnupant Damle's Sant Sakhu (1941) where she enacted the role of the female saint Sakhu. Her other memorable roles were in the Tamasha genre films like Lokshahir Ram Joshi (1947), termed as the "Classic Marathi Tamasha musical". Sangtye Aika (1959) was another of Marathi cinema's "best known Tamasha film" along with Ram Joshi. She thus acted in two of Marathi cinema's biggest hits Lokshahir Ramjoshi and Sangtye Aika. The title "Sangtye Aika" (You Ask, I Tell) was used by Wadkar for her autobiography compiled in 1971. The autobiography was initially serialised in the Marathi magazine Manoos helped by journalist Arun Sadhu.

She has been referred to as "one of the most sought after and bohemian actresses of her time".Wadkar underwent personal difficulties in her life, which included marital problems, addiction to alcohol, humiliation at several levels and rape at the hands of a magistrate, when seeking to get out of a troubled relationship. Her marriage ended in a separation and her daughter was kept away from her.

Bhumika (The Role) (1977) directed by Shyam Benegal, was based on Hansa Wadkar's autobiography and had actress Smita Patil playing Wadkar in the film. The film won two National Awards, Best Actress for Smita Patil and Best Screenplay for Satyadev Dubey, Shyam Benegal and Girish Karnad. The film also won the Best Film at the 25th Filmfare Awards.

Early life

Wadkar was born Ratan Bhalachander Salgaokar, on 24 January 1923 at Dr. Bhalerao Hospital in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. Her father, Bhalchander Salgaokar, was the son and grandson of "kalavantins, courtesans renowned for their musical accomplishments". Her mother, Saraswati, was the daughter of a Devdasi. Wadkar was the third of four children. The oldest sister and youngest brother died, leaving a second child, her brother Mohan and her. In her autobiography Wadkar mentions that her great grandmother, Baybai Salgaokar, called Jiji by the family, was a wealthy courtesan who was the influential figure in the family. Marriage in the courtesan community was a rarity and Wadkar's grandfather Raghunath Salgaokar (Jiji's son) was the first person in the family to marry.

Jiji divided the vast property she had and Wadkar's father was given the house in Sawantwadi. The mother, father, brother and young Wadkar shifted there and she joined a Marathi medium school where she studied till class IV. She also studied vocal music under Bhagwatbuwa but was not interested in singing. The family returned to Bombay and Hansa attended an English medium school for two years at Aryan Education Society School. However, she had to leave school when the family faced financial problems. The father had turned into an alcoholic and there was no money coming in the house. The mother insisted that Mohan being a boy should continue his studies, hence it was left on Wadkar to find work.

The influence of films was present from an early time. Wadkar's father had three sisters, Kesharbai, Indirabai and Sushilabai. Sushila was married to Master Vinayak, a renowned actor-director of the early era of Indian cinema. The elder sister as well as Indira Wadkar were acting in films and Indira was a classical singer as well. Indira acted in several films including Duniya Kya Hai (Resurrection) (1937) and in Vinayak's production company "Hans Films" like Devata (1939) in Marathi. Indira used the surname Wadkar to avoid using the family name Salgaokar, for fear of reprisal from society against women acting in films. Her older aunt, Kesharbai, was working in a film made by M.G. Rangnekar and suggested that Wadkar work in films to sustain her family.

Career

In 1936, Wadkar acted in her first role as a heroine in Bapubhai Pendharkar's Vijayche Lagane. A bilingual, made in Marathi and Hindi (Shadi Ka Maamla), it was directed by Mama Warerkar. The film was produced by Pendharkar's Lalit Kala Production, its "first and last" film, as Pendharkar died soon after. When her brother objected to the family name being used in films, her name was changed from Ratan to Hansa, and the surname Wadkar was borrowed from her actress aunt, Indira Wadkar. Her salary at that time was Rs. 250 per month. The film was a success at the box-office.

Wadkar worked in a few films after this for different companies, which remained incomplete. She then joined Golden Eagle Movietone and learned Hindi from a Hindi scholar appointed for her by the company. She became proficient in the language, working in several Hindi films at the time like Meena, Prem Patra, Zamana, and Raj Kumar with Chetan Anand.

Marrying in 1937, she had to return to films once again due to shortage of money. She acted in two stunt films in Bhagwan Palav, having joined Harishchandrarao's company. The films were Bahadur Kisan, and Criminal which was released in 1939. In 1938, she was cast in Zamana directed by Ram Daryani, starring Padma Devi who had earlier acted in India cinema's first indigenous colour film, Kisan Kanya. The other co-stars were Dar (Jeevan) Gulab, Ameena and Amirbai Karnataki.

Bombay Talkie

She joined Bombay Talkies, signing a contract for six years. She enjoyed the efficiency and camaraderie of Bombay Talkies. Her first film for them was Navjeevan, directed by Franz Osten and released in 1939. Filmindia April 1939 issue, commented on the absence of Devika Rani in the film, while mentioning Wadkar, "Bombay Talkies have given a beautiful story as usual, framed in a more beautiful technique. And once again we don't find Devika Rani in the cast. This time, however, a new girl has been introduced in Hansa Wadkar, new in the sense that for the first time she has been allowed to shoulder the heroine's role"

Her next two films were Durga (1939) directed again by Franz Osten, and Azad (1940) directed by N. R. Acharya. Following the death of Himanshu Rai in 1940, she asked Devika Rani to release her from her contract. Devika Rani tore up the contract, though she still had three more years.

Prabhat Film Company

Wadkar signed a temporary contract with Prabhat Film Company and later wrote that the years she spent at Prabhat "were the most memorable ones of my life".

Sant Sakhu (1941) was directed by Vishnupant Damle, Sheikh Fatelal and Raja Nene. It co-starred Gauri as Sakhu's cruel mother-in-law along with Shankar Kulkarni, Shanta Majumdar and Chhotu. The music was by Keshavrao Bhole. He was not happy with Wadkar's voice, so Vinodini Dixit's voice was used as a playback singer for her. Wadkar was emotionally affected by the role. "Sakhu's role has left lasting memories"; she immersed herself completely in the role that "I forgot my own existence".

Ram Shastri (1944) was a film from the Prabhat banner. A bilingual, made both in Marathi and Hindi, it was a historical biopic about 18th century Chief Justice Ram Shastri. The directors were Vishram Bedekar, Gajanan Jagirdar and Raja Nene. Master Vithal, Lalita Pawar, Keshavrao Bhole were the co-stars with Jagirdar playing the title role. As she did not know dancing, Wadkar had to undergo training for her role of a tamasha dancer.

National Studios

Apna Paraya 1942 was directed by Ramachandra Thakur and produced by National Studios. It co-starred Shahu Modak, Urmila and Sankatha Prasad with Wadkar. The story was by Khatib and music by Anil Biswas.

Her next film with National Studios was Mera Gaon (1942). Made under the Laxmi Production's banner it was directed by Prafulla Roy. The cast included P. Jairaj, Chhaya Devi, Agha and K. C. Dey who also composed the music. Wadkar was three months pregnant while shooting for the film. In one of the scenes a horse came charging at her while she lay prone on the ground. There were a few females standing watching the shooting, one of them was the actress, Miss Moti, they threw themselves on top of her bearing the brunt of the horse's hooves. She was eight months pregnant when the film's shooting ended. She went on to deliver a normal, healthy daughter, her "first living child" after several miscarriages.

Rajkamal Kalamandir

Lokshahir Ram Joshi (1947) made in Marathi and Hindi was co-directed by V. Shantaram and Baburao Painter for Rajkamal Kalamandir. Originally directed by Painter, Shantaram completed the shooting when Painter fell sick. The film starred Jayaram Shiledar as Ram Joshi and Hansa Wadkar as Baya. It had music by Vasant Desai, with lyrics by Ram Joshi and G. D. Madgulkar. Termed as the "Classic Marathi Tamasha musical", it was a biopic of the poet, kirtan, and lavani performer Ram Joshi (1758-1812) set in the Peshwa period. The "vibrant lavnis" and "sawaal-jawabs" (musical question and answers) became a "trend-setter", while the music and dances "enthralled" the audiences.

Later years

Pudhache Paool (The Next Step) (1950) directed by Raja Paranjpe for Manik Studios, Pune, was about a young man who runs away from his poverty-stricken family to find a better life for himself. He meets a Tamasha dancer who is only interested in money. The cast included Wadkar, Kusum Deshpande, Shakuntala Jadave and P. L. Deshpande. The music was composed by Sudhir Phadke.Wadkar acted in the film as her husband, Bandarkar, had signed the contract for her. She stated that from "an artistic point" her role as a tamasha dancer in this film was "superior to that of Baya in Ram Joshi".

Mee Tulas Tuzya Angani (I Am A Tulsi Plant In Your Courtyard) in 1955, was directed by Raja Thakur for Navchitra Films and had Wadkar in a vamp's role. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi and Best Director in 1956. Wadkar considered her role as a tamasha dancer in the film as the best.

Sangtye Aika (1959) was directed by Anant Mane and starred Hansa Wadkar and Jayshree Gadkar. One of Marathi cinema's most famous Tamasha films it was a "major hit". The film also gave Jayshree Gadkar one of her first big roles. The story was by G. G. Parthi with screenplay by Vyankatesh Madgulkar and songs by Ga. Di. Madgulkar, the film went on to have a hundred and thirty-one weeks run in Pune.

The four films Wadkar esteemed were Sant Sakhu (1941), Lokshahir Ram Joshi (1947) Pudhache Paool (1950) and Mee Tulas Tuzya Angani (1955) as they "marked four important stages" in her film career.

Personal life

Jagannath Bandarkar was one of the sons of the neighbour at Sawantwadi. His family was deemed of a "lower caste" than the Wadkars. Being ten years older than Wadkar, her brother and other family members did not approve of her closeness to him. However, her mother would ask her to call him over for lunch or odd jobs. When the Wadkar's shifted to Bombay, Bandarkar followed. Having failed at setting up a printing press, he started a theatre company called Dominic Union and got Wadkar to join it. When her mother accused her of having an affair with Bandarkar, it made her do what she was thought was an unfair accusation. She writes of assuming this defiant and oppositional attitude later on too, when wrongly accused. Soon she was three months pregnant at age fifteen and Bandarkar and Wadkar were married on 6 September 1937, at Kittebhandari Marriage Hall in Bombay. Though she had "dreamed of a family life", she had to resume work as Bandarkar's company was financially unstable. She also had a miscarriage at this time.

Rekha, their daughter was born following the completion of Wadkar's film Mera Gaon (1942). Over time when her husband physically abused her over some imagined wrong-doing, she would go out and do it. She started drinking and describes one drinking session in her autobiography where she was unconscious of what took place. She found herself in a village where Joshi, one of the men she had been drinking with brought her as his third wife. She stayed virtually imprisoned there for three years, till she was able to smuggle a letter out to her husband. He arrived with the police, and took her to the magistrate's office in the neighbouring town, where she had to testify. The magistrate sent Bandarkar to get a signature on a paper and then proceeded to rape Wadkar. Since she did not speak out about the incident, no action was taken.

She went on to perform several plays, where she met Rajan Jawale, an actor, with whom she formed a bond that lasted till her death. She maintained a good relationship with all the female workers. Some of them became good friends like Lalita Devulkar.

Hansa Wadkar died on 23 Aug 1971 in Bombay Maharashtra, India.

Autobiography and film

Wadkar's autobiography started off as a series of interviews conducted by journalist Arun Sadhu, for the Marathi magazine Manoos. The book form "Sangtye Aika" was published in 1970. On release, "it caused a sensation and became an instant best-seller". It received the State Government Award for Best Autobiography in 1971. The book was edited and translated into English as "You Ask, I Tell" by Jasbir Jain and Shobha Shinde.

Bhumika (1977) was Shyam Benegal's fourth film as a director. Based on "Sangtye Aika", the film shows her past in black and white, and her present in colour. This had more to do with financial issues regarding raw colour stock. "To portray the Marathi milieu" he had Girish Karnad to help out with the script and Satyadev Dubey's help for dialogues. The film shows her bound in a patriachal society, exploited by family, husband, director and Kale. The names used in the film were changed, Hansa was Usha, Bandarkar was Keshav Dalvi, Joshi as Kale, only Rajan her actor co-star from films and stage remains the same. The film went on to garner awards for Best actress, screenplay and Best film.

Bibliography

Sangtye Aika; by Hansa Wadkar; in Marathi. Rajhans Prakashan, 1970. ISBN 978-81-7434-154-9

You Ask, I Tell: an autobiography, by Hansa Wadkar. English translation by Jasbir Jain and Shobha Shinde. Zubaan Books, 2014. ISBN 978-93-83074-68-6

Filmography

Year Film Director Cast Composer Studio/Producer

1936 Vijayachi Lagne (Shaadi Ka Maamla in Hindi) Mama Warerkar Master Chhotu, Bapu Pendharkar M. Thakker

1937 Modern Youth (Jung-E-Jawani) D. T. Shivdasani, C. N. Lala Benjamin, Naveen Yagnik, S. Nazir Sundardas Bhatia

1938 Bahadur Kisan Chandrarao Kadam, Bhagwan Bhagwan, Indira Wadkar, Chandrarao, Vasantrao, P. Varne Mir Sahib Chandra Art

1938 Sneh Lagna (Love Marriage) Chandrarao Kadam Chandarrao, Shyam Sunder, Ansuya, Jeevan Mulraj Kapadia Chandra Art

1938 Zamana (The Times) Ram Daryani Padma Devi, Gulab, Amirbai Karnatki, Omkar Dar (Jeevan), Gope, Ameena Sunder Das Krishna Movies

1939 Navjeevan (New Life) Franz Osten Rama Shukul, V. H. Desai, Saroj Borkar, Mumtaz Ali, P. F. Pithawala, Lalita Devulkar Saraswati Devi Bombay Talkies

1939 Durga Franz Osten Devika Rani, Rama Shukul, Vishnupant Aundhkar, P. F. Pithawala, Mumtaz Ali, Nana Palsikar, V. H. Desai Saraswati Devi Bombay Talkies

1940 Azad N. R. Acharya Leela Chitnis, Ashok Kumar, Rama Shukul, Mumtaz Ali Saraswati Devi, Ramchandra Pal Bombay Talkies

1939 Criminal Bhagwan Bhagwan, Chandrarao, Sunetra, Vasantrao, Masood A. Hussain Chandra Art

1941 Sant Sakhu Vishnu Govind Damle, Sheikh Fatelal, Raja Nane Gouri, Shankar Kulkarni, Shanta Majumdar, Chhotu Keshavrao Bhole Prabhat Film Company

1942 Apna Paraya Ramachandra Thakur Shahu Modak, Sankatha Prasad, Pesi Patel, Agha, Kayamali, Dulari Anil Biswas National Studios

1942 Mera Gaon (My Village) Prafulla Roy Chhaya Devi, K. C. Dey, P. Jairaj, Agha, Jagdish Sethi, Amir Banu K. C. Dey Laxmi Productions

1942 Dillagi Balwant Bhatt Kumar, Anuradha, Gulab, Agha Pratap Mukherji Pragati Chitra

1944 Meena Phani Majumdar Vasanti, Wasti, Dixit, Ratan Piya, Gulab H. P. Das Bharat Productions

1944 Ram Shastri Gajanan Jagirdar, Raja Nene, Vishram Bedekar Gajanan Jagirdar, Master Vithal, Anant Marathe, Baby Shakuntala, Meenakshi, Lalita Pawar, Sudha Apte Keshavrao Bhole, G. Damle Prabhat Film Company

1945 Main Kya Karun Ninu Majumdar Pahari Sanyal, Suraiya, Shah Nawaz, Bikram Kapoor, E. Bilimoria Nino Majumdar Flora Films

1945 Aarti Ramachandra Thakur Vanmala, Surendra, Harish, Sheikh Mukhtar, Kanhaiyalal Ashok Ghosh, Ali Bux Screen Attractions Corp

1946 Behram Khan Gajanan Jagirdar Gajanan Jagirdar, Mehtab, Lalita Pawar, Suresh, David, Benjamin Ghulam Haider Standard Pictures

1947 Lokshahir Ram Joshi Baburao Painter, V. Shantaram Jayaram Shiledar, Shakuntala, Parashuram, G. D. Madgulkar, Sudha Apte Vasant Desai Rajkamal Kalamandir

1947 Gaurav K. J. Parmar Zeenat, Pratap Kumar, Damayanti, Ghanshyam Shanti Kumar Mukti Productions

1948 Mere Lal Bal Gajbar Chandrakant, Pratima Devi, Ram Upadhyay Purshottam Maharashtra Ch.

1948 Dhanyavad Gajanan Jagirdar Gajanan Jagirdar, Lalita Pawar, Sajjan, Leela Misra, Agha, Bikram Kapoor A. R. Qureshi Kalpana Pictures

1949 Pandharicha Patil Raja Pandit

1949 Sant Janabai Govind B. Ghanekar Shakuntala, Abhyankar, Gouri, Balakram, Javdekar Sudhir Phadke Prabhat Film Company

1949 Shilanganache Sone (Shilanga's Gold) Bhal G. Pendharkar Shanta Apte, Baburao Pendharkar, Suryakant, Master Vithal

1950 Pudhcha Paool Raja Paranjape P. L. Deshpande, G. D. Madgulkar, Kusum Deshpande, Vivek, Mohammad Hussain, Raja Paranjape, Shakuntala Jadhave Sudhir Phadke Manik Studio

1950 Sonyachi Lanka Shrikant Sutar

1950 Kalyan Khajina Balasaheb Pathak Durga Khote, Baburao Pendharkar

1950 Navara Baiko Bal Gajbar Hansa Wadkar

1950 Shri Krishna Darshan A. R. Sheik Durga Khote, Anant Marathe, Usha Kiran, Baby Shakuntala Sudhir Phadke Vijay Pictures

1951 Sri Krishna Satya Bhama Raja Paranjape Shahu Modak, Poornima, Anant Marathe, Sulochana Keshavrao Bhole Manik Studio

1951 Maya Machhindra Aspi Nirupa Roy, Trilok Kapoor, Surendra, Usha Kiran, Amirbai Karnatki Premnath Super Pictures

1951 Hee Mazhi Laxmi Pralhad Keshav Atre Shahu Modak

1951 Patlache Por (The Headman's Daughter) Dinkar Patil

1954 Khel Chalala Nashibacha Shrikant Sutar Durga Khote

1955 Mee Tulas Tujhya Aangani Raja Thakur Shahu Modak

1957 Naikinicha Sazza (The Courtesan’s Verandah) Bhalji Pendharkar Baburao Pendharkar, Master Vithal

1959 Sangtye Aika Anant Mane Sulochana, Jayshree Gadkar, Ratnamala, Neelam, Chandrakant, Suryakant Vasant Pawar Chetana Chitra

1961 Manini (A Woman With Pride) Anant Mane Jayshree Gadkar, Chandrakant Gokhale, Dada Salvi, Vasant Shinde Vasant Pawar Kala Chitra

1961 Rangapanchami (Festival Of Colours) Anant Mane Jayshree Gadkar, Suryakant

1963 Naar Nirmite Nara (Woman Creates Man) Anant Mane

1966 Hi Naar Rupasundari Prabhakar Nayak Jayshree Gadkar, Suryakant

1967 Shrimant Mehuna Pahije A. Shamsheer Jayshree Gadkar, Damuanna Malvankar M. Shafi H. S. Films

1968 Dharma Kanya Madhav Shinde Anupama, Ratnamala, Vasant Shinde, Chandrakant, Rajshekhar, Vasant Latkar Hridyanath Mangeshkar Rajlaxmi Chitra

Reshma Pathan-Indias first stunt woman

Reshma Pathan is the first stunt woman of the Indian film industry. She is also known as the Sholay Girl, as she played Hema Malini’s stunt double in Sholay. The film, The Sholay Girl, is a biopic about her life. She is also the first female to become a member of the Movie Stunt Artists Association. She has performed thousands of dangerous stunts in almost 400 films.

Career

Reshma began working as a stunt double when she was 14 when the Fight Director S. Azim offered her to join the film industry. She began her career by playing Laxmi Chaya’s double in the film Ek Khiladi Bawan Patte (1972). Reshma describes, "I started with 175 rupees per day. I got 100 rupees in hand. I was swindled of the transport money. But I was happy. I wouldn’t have been able to make this amount even if I was a graduate. Fulfilling the needs of my family was my priority" Reshma has played the stunt double for Waheeda Rehman, Rekha, Hema Malini, Sridevi, Dimple Kapadia, and Meenakshi Sheshadri, among Bollywood actress. She has also done stunts in many Bhojpuri and South Indian films and bilingual films like Gandhi, Mangal Pandey and The Warrior. She was the stunt woman for almost all film actresses through the 1970s and 80s in Hindi film industry.

Personal life

Reshma took to doing stunts in films in order to financially support her family. Fight Director S. Azim offered her to join the film industry. “I was a tomboy. Fight director S. Azim uncle had seen my antics in the area. Area ki behen banne ka bahut shauk tha. He suggested I do stunts,” she recalls. However, her father was against her performing stunts. He believed that the huge risk involved while performing a stunt could not be covered by any given amount of money. Eventually, she managed to convince her family.

In 1980s, she married stunt director Shakoor Pathan. She and her husband faced great financial challenges when a law banning stunts in films was passed in 1984. “One day I had no money for our next meal. I had the habit of leaving coins and rupees in nook and corners of the house. I frantically searched cups, boxes, containers… hoping to find some money. I found some 1600 rupees and cried with relief,” she recalls. She believes that stunt-masters have an uncertain future and ensured that her sister's sons (whom she raised) and her own complete their education and got stable jobs. “One is an engineer, the second a manager in a car company, while my son is a doctor.”

She has actively spoken out against the sexism in the Indian film industry. She received many indecent proposals from men in her career and retorted harshly. "If you remain quiet the first time someone misbehaves, they’re encouraged. I tactfully used my tongue, though I could have used my fists to defend myself," she told Filmfare.

Awards

Extraordinary Achievement Award at the Critics Choice Film Awards (CCFA)

Tribute-Master Yakub 1904-58

Yakub, Prithviraj Kapoor and Chandra Mohan were in the highest pay bracket of their times.

Master Yakub commenced his career as an extra but soon did roles as a hero and later as a villain. He became one of the most renowned screen villains, while achieving equal success in comedy and character roles. Yakub appeared in over 300 films.

Yakub Khan Mehboob Khan, known as Yakub, was born into a Pathan family in 1904 in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Yakub ran away from home at an early age doing odd jobs like motor mechanics and waiting tables before joining the ship ‘S. S. Madura’ as a kitchen worker. He left the ship after travelling to various places like London, Brussels and Paris then returned to Calcutta where he worked as a tourist guide among other jobs. He finally came to Bombay now Mumbai, around 1924 and joined the Sharda Film Company. During his travels, Yakub watched the films of Hollywood actors and became greatly influenced by Eddie Polo, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Wallace Beery and later by Humphrey Bogart. Yakub's first film was Bhalji Pendharkar's silent Bajirao Mastani (1925) which also starred Master Vithal. It was produced by the Sharda Film Company. His first talkie was Meri Jaan (1931) with Sagar Movietone and directed by Prafulla Ghosh, where he played the title role of the Prince. This film has also been credited as Romantic Prince. The film had Master Vithal, Mehboob Khan and Zubeida co-starring in it. His enactment of the role of an angry resentful son in Mehboob Khan's Aurat (1940) made him popular to the extent that his acting in this film is considered as one of the finest performances in the Indian Cinema. The role was later performed by Sunil Dutt in Mehboob Khan's famous remake of his own film with the new title Mother India (1957). Yakub's popularity in those days can be gauged by the credit roll of films like the S K Ojha directed Hulchul (1951), which had a star cast of Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Sitara Devi and where his name was preceded by '…and your favourite Yakub'.

Yakub was an 'acknowledged master(s) of comedy' along with other actors like Johnny Walker, Gope and Agha  and his comic pairing with Gope and Agha was well-liked by the audiences and this had the film makers use their combination in several films. Prominent of which were Sagai (1951), Patanga (1949) and Beqasoor (1950) with Yakub and Gope . Yakub, Prithviraj Kapoor and Chandra Mohan were in the highest pay bracket of their times. The triumvirate of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor, who held reign in the Indian film industry from the late 1940s to the end of 1970s, has been compared to Chandra Mohan, Yakub and Shyam, who were at the top of the acting roster from 1930 to early 1950.
Yakub directed three films, Sagar Ka Sher, and Uski Tamanna in the 1930s, and Aiye in 1949. Sagar Ka Sher or Lion of Sagar, was the first film he directed as early as 1937 under the Sagar Movietone banner. Uski Tamanna also known as Her Last Desire was made in 1939 under Sagar and directed by Yakub. He directed his third and last movie Aiye in 1949 under the Indian Production banner. It had Sulochana Chatterjee, Masud, Jankidas, Sheela Naik, Ashraf Khan along with Yakub. The music in this film was composed by Nashad (Shaukat Dehlvi) and was Mubarak Begum's first film as a playback singer.
He died in 1958 after a career spanning thirty years in the film industry. He is best known for his comedic villainous roles.

Remembering legendary singer Rajkumari Dubey 1924-2000

Rajkumari Dubey (1924–2000), better known by her first name, Rajkumari, was an Indian playback singer who worked in Hindi cinema of 1930s and 1940s. Best known for her songs, "Sun Bairi Baalam Sach Bol Re" in Bawre Nain (1950), "Ghabaraa Ke Jo Hum Sar Ko Takraayan" in Mahal (1949) and "Najariya Ki Maari" in Pakeezah (1972).

Born in Benaras (Varanasi), she joined the Hindi cinema at age 11, as a child actor in Radhe Shyam aur Zulmi Hans (1932), thereafter she worked in theatre for few years, before returning to films, joining Prakash Pictures as actor and singer. She had much higher voice than the leading singers of time, Zohrabai Ambalewali, Amirbai Karnataki and Shamshad Begum. In the next two decades she sang for 100 films, till the early 1950s, when Lata Mangeshkar changed the scene.

Biography
Early life
Rajkumari was born in 1924. She never really had the opportunity to learn to sing, but was always supported by her family.

Career
She was just 10 years old when she recorded her first song for HMV in 1934 and she started her career as a stage artiste. Vijay Bhatt and Shankar Bhatt of Prakash Pictures spotted her during one of her shows. They liked her voice and persuaded her to discontinue acting on stage as it would spoil her voice (In those days, there were no mikes and you had to shout to be heard). So she quit theatre, and became an employee of Prakash Pictures as an actress and singer.

Rajkumari's first film with them was a Hindi-Gujarati bilingual called Sansar Leela Nayi Duniya. She got important roles in films like Aankh Ka Tara and Turki Sher (1933). She was the heroine in Bhakt Ke Bhagwan and Insaaf Ki Topi (1934). In those days she often acted opposite Zakaria Khan (late actor Amjad Khan's father, whose screen name was Jayant). She also used to sing for popular music director Lallubhai. He gave music to films starring Rajkumari ji like Nai Duniya, alias Sacred Scandal (1934) (Sansaar Leela in Gujarati version), Laal Chitthi, alias Red Letter (1935), Bombay Mail (1935), Bambai Ki Sethaani (1935) and Shamsheer-e-Arab (1935). She began getting fed up with having to watch on her figure and decided to stick to just singing as a career. After she quit Prakash Pictures, she began playback singing for actresses like Ratnamala, Shobhana Samarth, etc. and soon she became the first female playback singer of Indian cinema.

She sang many Gujarati and Punjabi songs. Even though she was not formally trained to sing, she was very good at picking up what her composers taught her. They thought she was a trained singer! She was able to also establish herself as a classical singer and excelled in singing and voice production within the framework of classical forms of thumri and dadra. Among her peers were Shamshad Begum, Zohrabai Ambalewali, Juthika Roy, Zeenat Begum, etc. Both Shamshad and Zohrabai had resounding voices with a high range, while Rajkumari had a soft and very sweet voice with a small range. She sang quite a few songs with Mukesh. She did not get much opportunity to sing with Mohammed Rafi – mainly because Lata Mangeshkar was a fast upcoming singer at the time. She sang with Noor Jehan in Naukar (1943). She never sang with K. C. Dey, but she did sing songs composed by him, as well as his nephew, Manna Dey.

Later life
Rajkumari was married very late in life. Her husband was V.K. Dubey who was from Benares (Uttar Pradesh) where he spent a lot of his time (because he owned a shop there), while she settled in Bombay. He later joined her in Bombay.

Later, she would go on to sing songs for Neel Kamal, a Raj Kapoor and Madhubala starrer, and Hulchul (1951); but her two most famous films would be Bawre Nain (1950), where she sang for Geeta Bali "Sun Bairi Baalam Sach Bol Re" [3] and Mahal (1949), where she sang "Ghabrekar Ke Jo Hum Sir Ko Takraayan" and "Chun Chun Gunguruva Baje Jhumba", a duet with Zohrabai Ambalawali [4] for the Indian actress Madhubala, Rajkumari actually sang for Vijayalaxmi, Lata sang for Madhubala). By this time, however, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle had shot to fame, relegating most other female singers in the industry to the sidelines.

She sang her only song for O. P. Nayyar in the 1952 movie Aasmaan, which was his debut movie; "Jab Se Pee Piya Aan Base". The story goes that he was considering Lata Mangeshkar for the song. (Rest of the songs of the movie are sung by Geeta Dutt and C. H. Atma). When somebody told this to Lata, she said something about him which led to a misunderstanding. Angered, O. P. Nayyar made Rajkumari sing this song and never repeated her. He never used Lata to sing for him as well.

Rajkumari endured a long dry spell until music director Naushad spotted her singing in the chorus for his background score for Pakeezah (1972). Naushad was much taken aback by this, having greatly respected her in her heyday, and heartbroken to hear that she was reduced to singing in the chorus to make ends meet. As a result, he gave her an entire song to herself in Pakeezah, Najariya ki Mari. Her last film song was recorded for R. D. Burman in the film Kitaab; "Har Din Jo Beeta". Rajkumari also appeared in a British TV programme called Mahfil on Channel 4, a Samandar Films prouduction, produced by Firdous Ali and Mahmood Jamal. In this programme, she sang a set of her famous film songs and ghazals; the caption on one of the songs, "Yeh raat phir na aayge", from the film Mahal, cites that the song was pictured on Zohra (and not Madhubala or Vijayalaxmi). The programme was aired on 24 March 1991. Rajkumari died in poverty in early 2000.

Filmography
Bombay Mail (1938)
Gorakh Aya (1938)
Naukar (1943)
Neel Kamal (1947)
Mahal (1949)
Bawre Nain (1950)
Hulchul (1951)
Aasmaan (1952)
Pakeezah (1972)
Yaba Hay Tera Liya (1978)
Songs with G. M. Durrani
"Jhuum rahi baagon men bhigi" - Yateem (1945)
"Barasan Laagi Badariya" - Nai Duniya (1942)
"Dil Loot Liya Ji" - Nai Duniya (1942)
"Prem Ne Mann Mein Aag Lagayi" - Nai Duniya (1942)
"O Tujhko Nainon" - Meharbani (1950)
"Udd Jaau Main Sajan Re" - Kavita (1944)
"Baras Gayi Raam Badariya Kaari" - Station Master (Naushad)
"Dheere-Dheere Bol Mere Raja" - Ishara (1943) (Khurshid Anwar) (Lyricist-D. N. Madhok)
"Gote Da Haar Ve" - Kurmai (Punjabi) (1941) (with Iqbal Begum)

https://web.archive.org/web/20101121071558/http://cineplot.com/music/rajkumari-interview/

https://bolywoodfiles.blogspot.com/2020/03/rajkumari-great-singer-of-40s.html

Tribute-Kamlabai Gokhle-daughter of Durgabai Kamat, who was the first female actress of Indian cinema

She was the daughter of Durgabai Kamat, who was the first female actress of Indian cinema and Anand Nanoskar, a professor of history at the J.J. School of Art . She married Raghunathrao Gokhale and had three children, Chandrakant Gokhale, Lalji Gokhale and Suryakant Gokhale. Chandrakant Gokhale is one of them, who is the father of Vikram Gokhale (occasionally credited as Vikram Gokhle) is well known Indian film, television and stage actor. Lalji Gokhale and Suryakant Gokhale were acclaimed Tabala maestros. Kamlabai was 25 when she became a widow, pregnant with her third child. 

Her first stage appearance was at the age of four. Around 1912-1913 Dadasaheb Phalke, the pioneering film-maker of India, was casting for his film Mohini Bhasmasur and he choose Kamlabai for the lead. Durgabai was Parvati. Phalke had been forced to use a young male cook, Salunke, to play the female lead in his earlier film, Raja Harishchandra, for lack of an actress. By the time she was 15, Kamlabai had become a celebrity. 

The following year she married Raghunathrao Gokhale. He had been with the Kirloskar Natak Company where he usually performed female roles. But his voice was breaking and so he moved to his brother’s company, which was the same one where Kamlabai and her mother were employed. The young couple was cast as the new lead pair of the company. In the 1930s, Kamlabai worked under Veer Savarkar in the play Ushaap, which focussed on the plight of Harijans.

Kamalabai worked in around 35 movies. Her last film was Gehrayee (1980).

Courtesy:http://www.indiaprofile.com/people/kamlabaigokhale.htm

This is the story of the first lady of the Indian silver screen and one of the first actresses of the Indian stage…


Durgabai Kamat was a young woman when she separated from her husband, Anand Nanoskar, a professor of history at the J.J. School of Art, in 1903. Alone, with a daughter to support, Durgabai had three options before her-to work as a domestic servant, to prostitute herself or to become an actress. Socially, they were equally reprehensible. Durgabai decided to join a travelling theatre company. The outraged Maharashtrian Brahmin community immediate ostracized her and thus the little Kamlabai was raised, surrounded by controversy in a world of glitter and artifice.


“My mother was not only beautiful but very talented as well. She could paint and sing and was proficient at instruments like the been, dilruba, kartal and sitar. She had been educated upto final which was the seventh standard in those days… I never went to school since we were always on the move so my mother taught me at home.”


Despite her mother’s legendary beauty, the obstacles to her career were many. Kamlabai recounts, “In those days, men played the female roles. So the fiercest opposition to my mother and me came from these men-we were their first natural enemies. Some companies just would not hire women as a rule…”


“My first stage appearance was at the age of four… during the performance I would often doze off in some backstage corner, and then be woken up by a hard tap on the head each time I had to make an entry. However, my voice was real drawback. As a child I had a thin voice which cracked with the high notes. So I was made a prompter which proved to be a blessing in disguise because I improved on my ability to read and memorize as I said I never went to school…” For a while the young Kamlabai was content to watch and learn. A decade later, she was to become one of the most popular artistes of her time.

Around 1912-1913 Dadasaheb Phalke, the pioneering film-maker of India, was casting for his film “Mohini Bhasmasur” and he chose Kamlabai for the lead role. Durgabai was Parvati. This was something of a momentous event. Phalke had been forced to use a young male cook, Salunke, to play the female lead in his earlier film “Raja Harishchandra” for lack of an actress.

And so it was that by the time she was not yet 15, Kamlabai had become a celebrity. Her memories of the shoot are still vivid-“All his equipment had come from England… we stayed at his house in Nasik, and would wake up at 4 a.m. to travel to Trimbakeshwar, three hours away, by bullock cart. From dawn till dusk we would be shooting. We had no artificial lights like the ones used today… all the shooting would have to be done in available light with reflectors. Dadasaheb was very patient and understanding and would explain in great detail all that he wanted us to do. Once the rehearsals were done to his satisfaction, he proceeded for a ‘take’. Though there was no sound, we used to mouth the words of the dialogue. The unit lived and worked together like one big family. There was a five-fold salary structure, the highest being Rs. 50/-, with free lodging and boarding… When Dada returned from England after showing the film abroad he had to undergo a purification ritual because he had dared to cross the seas. Such were the times…”

The following year she married Raghunathrao Gokhale. He had been with the Kirloskar Natak Company where he usually performed female roles. But his voice was breaking and so he moved to his brother’s company which was the same one where Kamlabai and her mother were employed. The young couple was cast as the new lead pair of the company.

The most popular plays of the time were based on historic and mythological themes. Adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays were also widely performed-“Hamlet”, “Romeo and Juliet”, and “Othello” were staged in town and villages all over Maharashtra. By 1918 the couple had carved a niche for themselves, drawing packed houses wherever they went.

Commenting on the difference between theatre and film Kamlabai says, “Theatre acting is done within norms of restraint. It is symbolic, particularly in love scenes. On the stage you can keep your distance, decided your limit and say, I will go no further. But for a love scene in a film you embrace, you really embrace, otherwise it would make no sense.”

Her memories of those days are vivid. Eighty bullock carts carrying a hundred and twenty five people travelled the length and breadth of the region. They had their own tailors, goldsmiths and ironsmiths accompanying them.” …We used to advertise through handbills. Damuanne Mavlankar used to distribute them himself on a motorbike. Sometimes may husband or I used to accompany him in the sidecar. Our dog, Jehangir, used to have a brass ring around his neck under which we would place the folded handbills. When the motorbike started the handbills used to fly away.”

Kamlabai was not yet 25 when she became a widow, pregnant with her third child. “I had to work with men keeping a strict control over my senses. It was a matter of just one slip. I had my family-my mother and children-to take care of. As for women, they had always maintained a distance from me. I was not considered respectable enough though I was just like them, a mother with children. The only advantage they could think of was getting free passes for a show...”

Her son, Chandrakant, who is visiting her says, “love for theatre, loyalty to the state-words we often use-she demonstrated these to us during those years of struggle. When my father was dying, she was determined that the shows should not get cancelled and took his place as the male lead. The times were such that it was impossible for a woman to move about freely. Even educated women did not move out of the house after 6 p.m. ….Buts after the death of our father the responsibility of looking after us fell on my mother. About 60-65 years ago, my mother’s salary was Rs. 225/-; all other expenses were paid for by the company… She worked with various companies-the “Manohar Stree Sangeet Natak Mandal”, in Sohrab Modi’s theatre unit, with Govind Lele and Ganpat Lele of “Natya Kala Prasarak” … She even acted in a Kannada play, “Lanka Dahan” although she was not conversant with the language. Within a week she had learnt the lines by heart and the play was staged to packed houses…”

He eldest son, Lalji, recalls, “we-that is, Chandrakant, myself and the other children of the company-were given song books to sell. The cost of each of these was one rupee and four annas, our commission being two annas. Besides we got the opportunity of seeing the play free. I remember her in “Dharmasinhasan,” in the male leads in both “Janta Janardhan” and “Manapman”…as Anadibai she performed the role so effectively that people used to wait outside Vijayanand Theatre in Pune with stones in their hands and she had to be escorted back to our house in a tonga…”

In the 30s Kamlabai worked under Veer Savarkar in the play “Ushaap” which focussed on the plight of Harijans. “Working with him was completely different from anything I had done before. Savarkar was living under house arrest in those days and would come to rehearsals under police escort. A translated copy of the play would have to be approved by the local British officer wherever we performed to ensure that nothing subversive was being enacted…”

The real disaster for the family came in 1934-35 after Ardeshir Irani, an intrepid Parsi, pushed the Indian cinema out of the silent ear with the first talkie “Alam Ara”. The multitude of roving drama companies in Maharashtra, the only other state to have them apart from Bengal, reeled under the impact. For the first time the family settled down. “For a while I did “kirtans,” but the day I got 7 paise in my “thali” I quit-so humiliated was by the experience.”

The evocation is not simply nostalgic, but a strong testimony of history and change- of the history of Indian cinema and stage as defined by a woman’s struggle against the social current of her times. Looking back she says, “all this has been tough, but then anything worthwhile is always tough…”

Remembering actress/singer Manju

Dewan married actress-singer Manju, who had earlier worked in Aadmi and its (original) Marathi version Manoos in 1939, in a character role. She worked for six years in films, and after acting in Dewan's most famous film Rattan, the two got married and she stopped working.

http://beetehuedin.blogspot.com/2012/06/jhoothe-hain-sab-sapne-suhaane-manju.html

Aadmi
1939
India
Shanta Hublikar, Ram Mhatre, Chhotu, Baba Saheb, Manju, Shahu Modak
V. Shantaram
Master Krishna Rao
Sant Dnyaneshwar
1940
India
Yashwant, Datta Dharmadhikari, Madhuker, Pandit, Sumitra, Malti, Bhagwat, Ulhas, Vasant Desai, Ganpatrao, Sumati Gupte, Shahu Modak, Manju
Damle, Fatehlal
K. Bhole
1941
India
Manju, Ragini, Zahur Shah, Manorama, Radha
R. K. Shorey
Gobindram
Rattan
1944
India
Karan Dewan, Swarnalata, Gulab, Azurie, Wasti, Chandabai, Manju, Amir Banu, Rajkumari Shukal, Badri Prasad
M. Sadiq
Naushad
Champa
1945
India
Hari Shivdasani, Zahur Shah, Manju, Manorama, Asha Posle, Salma
Barkat Mehra
Anupam Ghatak
Jogan
1950
India
Pratima Devi, Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Purnima, Tabassum, Ramesh Thakur, Darpan, Rajendra Kumar, Manju, Anwari, Pesi Patel
Kidar Sharma
Bulo C. Rani
Madhubala
1950
India
Madhubala, Jeevan, Randhir, Ramesh Talwar, Ram Avtaar, Banke Bihari, Manju, Dev Anand
Pralhad Dutt
Lachhiram
Andolan
1951
India
Sushma, Pushpa, Manju, Krishnakant, Kishore Kumar, Shivraj, Parsuram
Phani Majumdar
Pannalal Ghosh
Bedardi
1951
India
Cuckoo, Jaswant, Amirbai Karnataki, Nazira, Manju, Geeta Bali, Nimmi, Rashid Khan
Kidar Sharma
Roshan Lal
Maa
1952
India
Bhupen Kapoor, Kusum Deshpande, Shyama, N. Hussain, Paul Mahendra, Achla Sachdev, B. M. Vyas, Kumud, Bharat Vyas, Bikram Kapoor, Asit Sen, Leela Chitnis, Bharat Bhushan, Manju
Bimal Roy
S. K. Pal
Mordhawj
1952
India
Raj Adib, Prem Adeeb, Shashi Kapoor, Ramsingh, Babu Raje, Leela Misra, Nand Kishore, Tiwari, Manju, Durga Khote, Niroo
Balwant Bhatt
Narayan Dutt
Tarang
1952
India
Ajit, Bhagwan, Manju, Munawwar Sultana, Jeevan, Manorama, Lalita, Niranjan Sharma
I. C. Kapoor
Chitragupta
Zalzala
1952
India
Krishnakant, Misra, Shakoor, Raji, Sunalini Devi, Sita Bose, Michael, Manju, Geeta Bali, Dev Anand, Kishore Sahu, Jagdev
Paul Zills
Pankaj Mullick
Ek Do Teen
1953
India
Motilal, Meena, Yashodhara Katju, Kaushalya, Satish, Shamlal, Indira Bansal, Uma Dutt, Manju, Iftekhar
Roop K. Shorey
Vinod

Sujata Mehta of 'Pratighat' fame, also known as The Queen of Gujarati Theater

Sujata Mehta is a versatile actress, be it films, television or theater. She is a celebrated name in Gujarati theater and is appropriately bestowed the title of ‘The Queen of Gujarati Theater’ as she leaves no stone unturned in exploring innumerable variations of each of the nine rasas and carve out minute perfections in all her characters and roles.
The first projection of this giant talent happened early with her debut as a child artist at the tender age of 11. Since then there is no looking back. She has done it all – stage plays, ad films, modeling, television series and movies.
With marvelous 800 shows, her Gujarati drama ‘Chitkaar’ reached the zenith of success and became an epitome for all others. Even now, it is one of the few Gujarati dramas that traveled US twice and has been awarded a certificate by the Los Angeles Doctor’s Association for authentic and real script, direction and performance of the central character of paranoid schizophrenia patient (played by Sujata herself). Sujata's performance was applauded tremendously and people went to the extent of buying tickets in black at a ten-fold higher price to watch her.
Besides, her performance as a cancer patient in ‘Ame Barafna Pankhi’ which inspired reputed director Hrishikesh Mukherjee to turn it into a film called ‘Mili’. This drama marked the beginning of her stardom. Apart from these her wagon of superhits include landmark dramas like ‘Mrugjal Seenchine Ame uccheri veil’ (theme of surrogate mother, where Sujata played the role of a hired prostitute who sacrifices her baby) Taare mann hoon, Maare mann tu (played role of foreign returned daughter-in-law who transformed her mother-in-law.)  A thriller Resham Dankh with Homi Wadia,  ‘Salge Liluda Vansvan’ (played a role of a rebel orphan girl) ‘Jujve Roop Anant Bhase’ – adaptation of classic Japanese film Roshomon, " Mansi " , a play adapted from english classic drama ' Veronica's room '

She has been the leading lady in all the dramas and given complete justice to all the vital roles with her outstanding performances.
This is not all. Her debut Hindi film ‘Pratighat’ celebrated silver jubilee and was released in 150 theatres which was a rare and unusual phenomenon at that time. This multi-talented actress has added colors to amazing roles in many other movies like Yateem, where she played negative role of a bitch, Dhartiputra (played a tavaif mujrewaliye-hai sanamkhana ) Pratigyabadh by B.R.Chopra opposite mithun chakraborty, Hum Sab Chor Hai,Gunah – Gunehgar Kaun, Gunahon ka Devta, Jung with Aditya Pancholi, Kanwarlal with Raj Babbar and Jitendra, Meri mohobat mera Naseeba ( played a role of a bar girl ,  bottle main band hai ) and many others.

Pratighat

Dharatiputra

She has modeled for many top-notch photographers, ad-filmmakers and ad-agencies featuring in hair and beauty products, fashion and saris.
Her soap opera performances include  DD channel’s –Classic of Sharad Chandra’s ‘Srikant’ with Farooq Shaikh,  First soap opera – ‘khandan’ (character of Pratibha Premchand) Himesh Reshammiya’s ‘Andaaz’,         Balaji’s Kya Hoga Nimoh Ka

Tribute-Seeta Devi (born Renee Smith) 1912-83

Seeta (or Sita) Devi (1912–1983), born Renee Smith, was one of the early stars of silent films in the Indian film industry. Himanshu Rai cast Smith, an Anglo-Indian, in Prem Sanyas, the movie which is better known by its English title: The Light of Asia. This was her debut film as Seeta Devi, and it made her a star immediately. Later she acted under the banner of Madan Theatres as well.

Three of her most successful films were: The Light of Asia, Shiraz, and Prapancha Pash. All three of these films were made through the collaboration of German film director Franz Osten and Indian actor-producer Himanshu Rai along with Bavarian company Emelka. This unique trilogy were connected to three different religions and based on three different stories of Indian history/mythology: The Light of Asia was based on the life of Buddha, Shiraz was based on construction of the Taj Mahal and Prapancha Pash, better known by its English title A Throw of Dice, was based on a story from the Mahabharata. Seeta Devi was the leading actress in all these three films, though the role in Shiraz was that of 'the other woman'.

Three of her other successful films, Durgesh Nandini, Kapal Kundala and Krishnakanter Will were based on popular novels of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

The Light of Asia, 1925

The film was an Indo-European co-production, with German technicians and Indian actors, and it managed to steer clear of the usual exotic depiction of Indian culture favored by western filmmakers up until then. It was made with the cooperation of the Maharajah of Jaipur and contained a cast of thousands. Shooting took place in Lahore, in what is now Pakistan, where the set decoration was created by Devika Rani, the wife of actor/director Himanshu Rai and a noted actress herself. The film was released in the USA by the Film Arts Guild on 11 May 1928. A tale from India about the origin of the Buddha, Prem Sanyas depicts the story of Prince Siddhartha Gautama (portrayed by director Himansu Rai), the man who became the Buddha, as he journeys from privilege and seclusion to awareness of the inevitability of life's suffering, finally renouncing his kingdom to seek enlightenment. The film was restored by Arte, and released in 2001.

Shiraz, 1929

Shiraz is a multilayered fairy tale that tells the story of the humble architect Shiraz, who devotes his life to the adoration of Selima, a woman fated for royalty. The central character, named for the city of Shiraz in Iran where many famous Persian poets are buried, is a wholly fictitious creation. Several historical facts pertaining to the origin of the Taj Mahal have been altered for the screen version, such as the name of the princess for whom it was built (known in the film as Selima, her real name was Arjunand Banu). While Shah Jahan, the fifth Moghul emperor, did indeed build the Taj Mahal as an expression of his eternal devotion to his queen, the film depends on the fictional character of Shiraz to tell its story of unrequited love and ultimate transcendence.  Upon its release Shiraz received great critical acclaim.

A Throw of Dice, 1929

The movie is about two kings vying for the love of a hermit's daughter, the beautiful Sunita. The two kings, Ranjit and Sohan, share a passion for gambling and decide to play a game of craps to determine who will marry her. Sunita wishes to marry Ranjit. Ranjit loses the game to the nefarious Sohan and as a forfeit becomes his slave. Sunita soon uncovers the truth about Sohan's evil deeds and to escape punishment he hurls himself off a cliff into the rapids below. Ranjit and Sunita are reunited and married. This movie is also known for first lip-lock kisses, and passionate love scenes between Sunita and Ranjit (Charu Roy).

A Throw of Dice has been in the British Film Institute (BFI)’s archives since 1945, though rarely seen. In 2006, in honor of the 60th anniversary of Indian independence, the film was digitally restored, then re-released at the Luminato Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on 13 June 2008, with a new orchestral score by British Indian composer Nitin Sawhney. The United States release occurred on 30 July 2008 during the Grant Park Music Festival at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.