on this day

M F Hussain, one of India's best known artists, passed away on 9 June, 2011. He grew up in Indore, and was taken with Brancusi's portraits of Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar and his wife. He embarked on his artistic journey after training in calligraphy and kufic khat. After moving to Mumbai in 1937, he apprenticed under a painter of cinema posters. The turning point in his career was the founding of the Progressive Artists' Group. Hussain adopted an experimental style in his work, blending western art styles with Indian classical forms. He had already become one of India's premiere artists by the 1950s. 
Hussain's first brush with cinema came when he made the short film Through The Eyes of a Painter (1967) which won him a National Film Award and a Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival. He later made the experimental film Gaja Gamini (2000) starring Madhuri Dixit, Shahrukh Khan and Naseeruddin Shah. His other film was Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004) starring Tabu. 
His last years were spent in self-exile after he was accused of hurting religious sentiments. He passed way in 2011 in London.

Maker of classic films like Barjatri (1951), Jagriti (1954), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Dosti (1964), Mere Lal (1966), and Raat Aur Din (1967), Satyen Bose passed away on 9 June, 1993. He proved himself as a versatile director, excelling in diverse genres such children's films to witty comedies.

Working equally in the sphere of B films as well as big budget fare, lyricist and poet Asad Bhopali left behind a memorable collection of songs. His big breakthrough was B R Chopra's Afsana (1951). He also delivered one of the biggest hits of career with the songs of Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). He passed away on 9 June, 1990.

Image source: www.veethi.com

Known for his heavily classical influenced compositions, Vasant Desai started working at only 17 years of age. He had initially made his debut as an actor in Khooni Khanjar (1930). He went on to do some of the best work of his career with V Shantaram. He was born on 9 June, 1912.

Veteran film journalist and author of Screen, the weekly, Ali Peter John passed away on this day in 2022.

Image credit:  https://www.loksatta.com/

One of the most influential playwrights of Urdu and Hindi literature, Habib Tanvir passed away on 8 June, 2009. A Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Awardee, his style of Brechtian theatre and knowledge of various folk idioms and practices made him a unique literary personality. He is most famously known for the play Charandas Chor and his work with the Naya Theatre Group in Chattisgarh. Born as Habib Ahmed Khan, he moved to Mumbai in 1945 to work at All India Radio and became a member of the IPTA and PWA. But he wrote most of his major works after moving to Delhi in 1954. His first notable work was Agra Bazaar which involved folk artistes from Okhla in its production. He became influenced by Brecht during a stay in Europe. Upon his return he sought to incorporate Brechtian principles in his work in Naya Theatre which he founded in 1959 where he experimented with various folk performing traditions like Pandavani.

His most famous work Charandas Chor was adapted by Shyam Benegal. He also acted in several films like Gandhi (1982), Yeh Woh Manzil to Nahin (1987), Prahaar (1991) among others. He remains an immensely influential figure in modern Indian theatre and an inspiration for a generations of theatre artistes. 

Image courtesy: nayatheatre.com

Remembering the impeccable music arranger and music director Dattaram Wadkar who passed away on 8 June, 2007. Born in 1929 in Goa, he went on to assist music directors Shankar-Jaikishan for more than four decades. Raj Kapoor was impressed by Dattaram's tabla performances, and the latter went on to play the tabla in songs such as Mud mud ke na dekh and Ramayyaa vastaavayyaa (Shri 420, 1955) and Aaja sanam madhur chandni mein hum and Jahan main jati hoon wahi chale aate ho from Chori Chori (1956). In fact, as he was a master of thekka (beat), it became known as Dattu's thekka. Dattaram also played the duff in the songs Dil ka haal sune dilwala and Mera naam raju gharana. As arranger for Shankar-Jakishan, along with his other Goan colleague Sebastian, he used to arrange for percussion-based songs. Raj Kapoor also enabled Dattaram’s transition as an independent music director entrusting the music of Ab Dilli Door Nahi (1957) to him. Other films that Dattaram composed for include Qaidi No. 911 (1959), Shrimaan Satyavadi (1960), Kala Aadmi (1960), Zindagi Aur Khwaab (1961), and Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai (1963).

Pandit Madhur not only wrote lyrics, screenplays and dialogues in cinema, but was also a renowned playwright in Parsi theatre. It was P C Barua who had convinced him to write the lyrics for Jawab (1940) which proved to be a big success. He passed away on 8 June, 1988.

Happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia! From the nation's heartthrob post the release of Bobby (1973) to becoming a mature performer known for her sensitive portrayals of emotionally complex characters, she has had a storied career.

A popular child artiste in the 60s, Baby Farida made her debut in the Ek do teen char aur panch song from Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) which in turn led to a prominent role in Sujata (1959). She was born on 8 June, 1952 in Mumbai.

Image: Beete Hue Din

Remembering the popular comic actor Rajendra Nath who was born on 8 June, 1931. The brother of yesteryear hero and villain Prem Nath, it was his role as Popatlal in Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961) that got him widespread fame. After that he became familiar face in Hindi cinema. 

K S R Das also known as K S R Doss, was known for his talent as a hitmaker. He made several blockbusters with Krishna, NTR and Vishnuvardhan, including the iconic western Mosagallaku Mosagadu (1971). He passed away on 8 June, 2012.

Cinemaazi wishes the "Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai" man, gifted comedian Tiku Talsania a very Happy Birthday. Born this day, 7 June in 1954, his work as an actor in films and television as well as stage has been highly appreciated. Whether it was playing the highly strung boss in Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Raja Saheb in the satirical comedy series Yeh Duniya Ghazab Ki (1992-1993), the endearing bank manager Gaitonde in Ishq (1997), the hilarious police inspector in Andaz Apna Apna (1994), the chuckle-inspiring tenant Brij Mohan in the teleserial Ek Se Badh Kar Ek (1995), or Dhanwantrilal Dhyanchand Dholakia aka 3D, the man against love marriage in the sitcom Golmaal Hai Bhai Sab Golmaal Hai (2012), Talsania is always a delight to watch onscreen. Incidentally, "Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai" is a famous dialogue which he has delivered in most of his performances. Talsania made his debut in films with Rajeev Mehra's Pyaar Ke Do Pal (1986), and went on to play mainly comic roles in films such as Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Bol Radha Bol (1992), Jodi No.1 (2001), and Partner (2007). He has also featured in Devdas (2002), and Special 26 (2013).

Born Khursheed Akhtar in 1935 in Lahore, she started off in films as a child artist. She worked in minor roles in several films before she featured as a heroine in Shrimatiji (1952). She went on to enjoy a golden run with hits such as Aar Paar (1954) with Guru Dutt, the romantic musical Barsat Ki Rat (1960), and the Raj Kapoor-Meena Kumari starrer Sharada (1957) for which she received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress award.

Popularly known as the mother of the 90s superstar Govinda, Nirmala Devi was an accomplished singer and actor of Hindi cinema. 

Cinemaazi remembers the filmmaker K A Abbas on his birth anniversary. K.A. Abbas was born in Panipat on 7 June 1914. A member of the Indian People’s Theatre Association, he entered the world of cinema in earnest when he wrote the screenplay for Naya Sansar (1941) and sold it to Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani of New Theatres.