Remembering Lalita Pawar ji

Lalita Pawar (18 April 1916 – 24 February 1998) was a prolific Indian actress, who later became famous as a character actress, appearing in over 700 films in Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati cinema, where she gave hits such as Netaji Palkar (1938), made by Bhalji Pendharkar, New Hana Pictures’ Sant Damaji, Navyug Chitrapat’s Amrit, written by VS Khandekar, and Chhaya Films’ Gora Kumbhar. Her other memorable roles were in the films Anari (1959), Shri 420 and Mr & Mrs 55, and the role of Manthara, in Ramanand Sagar's television epic serial Ramayan.

She was born Amba Laxman Rao Sagun on 18 April 1916, into an orthodox family in Yeola in Nashik. Her father Laxman Rao Shagun was a rich silk and cotton piecegoods merchant. She started her acting career at age nine in the film Raja Harishchandra (1928), and later went on to play lead roles in the silent era and 1940's films, in a career that lasted until the end of her life, spanning seven decades.

She co-produced and acted in a silent film Kailash (1932), and later produced another film Duniya Kya Hai in 1938, a talkie.

In 1942, as a part of a scene in the movie Jung-E-Azadi, actor Master Bhagwan was to slap her hard. Being a new actor, he accidentally slapped her very hard, which resulted in facial paralysis and a burst left eye vein. Three years of treatment later, she was left with a defective left eye; thus she had to abandon lead roles, and switch to character roles, which won her much of her fame later in life.

She was known particularly for playing maternal figures, especially wicked matriarchs or mothers-in-law. She also notably played the role of the strict but kind Mrs. L. D'Sa in Anari (1959) with Raj Kapoor. Under Hrishikesh Mukherjee's direction, she gave the performance of a lifetime, for which she received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. And as the tough matriarch who falls in love in Professor (1962), and the devious hunchback Manthara in Ramanand Sagar's television series Ramayan. She was honored by the Government of India as the first lady of Indian cinema in 1961.

Her first marriage was to Ganpatrao Pawar, which went sour after his affair with her younger sister. She later married film producer Rajprakash Gupta, of Ambika studios, Bombay. She died on 24 February 1998 in Aundh, Pune, where she had been staying for a while. She was survived by her husband, a son and daughter-in-law. Her death went unnoticed for two days when her family was in Mumbai for her husband's throat surgery.

Selected filmography

Year Film Character

1944 Ram Shastri Anandi Bai (wife of Peshava Raghoba Dada)

1950 Dahej Mrs. Biharilal (Suraj's mother)

1951 The Immortal Song

1952 Daag (1952 film) Shankar(Dilip Kumar)'s Mother

1952 Parchhain Badi Rani

1955 Shri 420 Ganga Mai

1955 Mr & Mrs 55 Seeta Devi, Anita's Aunt

1957 Nau Do Gyarah

1959 Anari Mrs. L. D'Sa

1959 Sujata Giribala, Buaji/aunt

1961 Junglee (1961 Film By Subodh Mukherjee) Shekhar's mother

1961 Hum Dono Major's Mother

1961 Sampoorna Ramayana Manthara

1962 Professor Sita Devi Verma

1963 Sehra Angara's mother

1963 Grahasti Harish Khanna's sister

1963 Ghar Basake Dekho Mrs. Shanta Mehra

1966 Khandan Fufi

1967 Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti Shefali's mother

1968 Aabroo Mrs. Verma

1970 Anand Matron

1970 Pushpanjali Rani Sahiba

1970 Gopi Lilawati devi

1974 Doosri Sita

1976 Aaj Ka Ye Ghar Mrs. Shanti Dinanath

1976 Tapasya Mrs. Varma

1977 Aaina Janki

1980 Yaarana mother

1980 Kali Ghata Ambu, House keeper

1980 Phir Wohi Raat Hostel Warden

1981 Naseeb (1981 film) Mrs. Gomes

1980 Sau Din Saas Ke

1997 Bhai

1989 Bahurani

1988 Pyaasi Atma

1988 Zalzala Shila's mom

1987 Uttar Dakshin

Awards

1959: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in Anari (1959)

1961: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - Acting