on this day

A dedicated and humble actress, Shyama essayed both lead and character roles  with ease in her career. Married to Fali Mistry, she actually had to hide her marriage for ten years to escape the stigmatisation of married actresses in the industry. Cinemaazi remembers her on her death anniversary.

Beginning her career in the 40s, Veena defied her family's opposition to enter the world of films. She remained a popular face for four decades, putting together an array of memorable performances and acting in over 100 films. Today marks her death anniversary.

Many illustrious artists and dignitaries of other media fields such as literature, theatre, and painting have occasionally crossed paths with Indian cinema. Perhaps none have made such a mark on the popular imaginary as M R Acharekar did. A celebrated painter, especially of commemorative portraits and rural landscapes, Acharekar is primarily known to film lovers for his work with R K Studio films as well as for Guru Dutt’s classic Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959).

Today, on the death anniversary of Pandit Badri Prasad, we remember the multi-faceted film personality—actor, lyricist, singer, music director, producer, and director, who had passed away this day in 1988. Born on November 14, 1902 in Benaras, UP, he moved from acting in Ramlila performances to New Theatres in Calcutta, and eventually the studios of Bombay. He made his acting debut in Navchetan (1932), going on to assist composers, before he composed music independently with Baburao Patel’s Gandharva Cinetone-produced Baala Joban (1934), in which Prasad also acted. He acted in no less than 147 films, including Albela(1951), Bhagam Bhag (1954) and Hum Sab Chor Hain(1956). While he sang 11 songs in seven films including Ahinsa(1979), he also choreographed for no less than 22 films, fromNamoona (1949) right up to Shoor Veer (1988). His work as music director is seen in multiple films including Vishnu Bhakti (1934), Fashionable India (1935),Romantic India(1936), Zambo The Ape Man (1937), Swaraj Ke Sipahi (1937), Badhe Chalo (1937), Yangrilla (1938), Himalay Ki Beti (1938),Double Cross (1938), Zambo Ka Beta (1939), Jhuti Sharm (1940), Vanmala (1941), Madhusudan (1941) and Zevar (1942), which was his last film as a composer. An erudite man with a deep love for books, Pandit Badri Prasad was proficient in Hindi, Urdu, English and Sanskrit. In fact, his title Pandit was a result of his mastery over Sanskrit. He also wrote several plays for All India Radio. Not one to tom-tom his successes or court the limelight, his achievements thus remain largely unrecognised.

‘Lovely to look at and an instinctive actress, she is likeable as ever’—this description by film critic Khalid Mohammed is an example of the standard praise Juhi Chawla regularly won in the course of her career studded with commercial and critical successes. Admired for her ‘unfailing sense of humour’ and ‘comic timing which few can match’, and adored for her lively screen presence, Juhi Chawla was one of the most popular Hindi film actresses from the late 80s until the early 2000s.

Gyan Mukherjee, the eminent filmmaker of Hindi cinema had a completely different life as a science academic before he joined Bombay Talkies as a supervising technician. He finally arrived in the film world through a well-rounded script of Bandhan (1940) and collaborated withKhwaja Ahmed Abbas on the script of Naya Sansar (1941). Some of his notable films were Jhoola (1941), Kismet(1943),  Chal Chal Re Naujawan (1944), Sangram (1950), and Shtaranj (1956). He directed stars like Ashok Kumar in Kismet and Jhoola during his time in Bombay Talkies. Chal Chal Re Naujawan was the first production from Filmistan Studios. His filmmaking had a flare of naturalism and was reflective of much psychological complexity as seen in Kismet and Sangram. One of Hindi cinema’s most beloved films, Pyaasa by Guru Dutt was dedicated to him. He passed away on this day in 1956 in Calcutta. Cinemaazi remembers him on his death anniversary.

Image courtesy:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyan_Mukherjee

Known by the title ‘Gana Kokila’ or ‘Gana Saraswati’, today marks the birthday of P Susheela, one of the most prolific and mellifluous singers who has entertained listeners over more than six decades. Recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records for singing the highest number of songs in Indian languages, she has sung a whopping 17, 695 songs in 12 Indian languages. She has sung in languages including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Sanskrit, Tulu, Badaga and Sinhalese. She has been awarded the National film award five times, in addition to other esteemed awards from the governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008. Born on 13 November 1935, in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, P Susheela had early training in music and also completed her Diploma in Music from Andhra University. With her distinct, clear vocals she soon carved a niche for herself, from the time she was signed on for Petra Thai (1952) for a duet. With back to back hits in 1955 in the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada industries, her popularity rose quickly. The top vocalist in the 60s across the south Indian languages, she also sang Hindi songs with music directors like KV Mahadevan,Laxmikant Pyarelal, and S N Tripathi. She reigned till 1985, post which she became selective about film songs. Focusing on devotional music and light music, P. Susheela was heard as recently as last year in films like LKG (2019), Aadai (2019) and Gaddalakonda Ganesh (2019). We wish the legendary singer continued health and happiness. Here she sings Kaaveri Oram from Aadi Perukku (1962) which starred Gemini Ganesan and B Saroja Devi. 

Image courtesy: upperstall.com

Acting in Hindi films from 1929 to 1979, N A Suresh acted in over 55 films, such as Dulari (1949) in which the popular song Suhani raat dhal chuki rendered by Mohammed Rafi was picturised on him, Sohni Mahiwal (1946), Captain Kishore (1947), Jadoo (1951), Diwana (1952), Bahadur (1953),  Rishta (1954), Dost (1954), Qaidi (1957), Aji Bas Shukriya (1958), and Teen Ustad (1961). He also acted in two Pakistani films – Do Kinaray (1950) and Eid (1951). He was cast as a leading actor opposite top heroines such as Madhubala, Suraiya, Vyjayanthimala and Geeta Bali in the 50s, as well as Shyama, Ameeta, Nigar Sultana and Usha Kiran. He was a popular choice of filmmaker A R Kardar, who cast him in several films.

Nirad N Mohapatra was a veteran Odia filmmaker, director and producer. A multi-faced talent, he discontinued his post graduate studies in Political Science and joined Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (FTII) to pursue a direction course in 1968. Five years later, he joined the same institute - FTII as a lecturer. Mohapatra is best remembered for his first Odia feature film Maya Miriga (1984), which won international fame. Adjudged the second best national film at the Indian Panorama, it was also declared best third world film at Mannheim-Hiedelberg International Film Festival.

Image courtesy: http://odishanewsinsight.com

Born on 12 November, 1940 in Peshawar to veteran actor Jayant, little did anyone know that Amjad Khan would go on to become the face of true unadulterated evil in Hindi cinema. Such is the aura of his iconic performance as Gabbar Singh in Sholay (1975), that it often makes us forget the extremely talented actor and genuinely honest and unselfish human being underneath. 

Singer and music composer Dwijen Mukherjee (Dwijen Mukhopadhyay) carved a career that spanned more than six decades. A legendary artiste gifted with a resonant voice, he is revered as one of the greatest Rabindra Sangeet singers of all time. An accomplished singer of Bengali and Hindi film as well as traditional songs, he recorded more than 1500 songs of which approximately 800 are songs of Rabindranath Tagore. He also composed music for Bengali feature films and popular non-film Bengali songs. He was revered on both sides of Bengal — before and after Partition.

Image courtesy:  https://archive.dhakatribune.com/feature/2018/12/24/dwijen-mukhopadhyay-passed-away

Manohar Janardhan Dixit, famously known as Dixit gave up school after two attempts at matriculation examination. His interest in Marathi litterateur Mama Warerkar led into a job as an assistant cameraman in Navjivan Studio. The shift from behind the scenes to being in front of the camera happened when someone tried him out in the role of a Nawab. While that didn’t work out, he finally began his journey as an actor in 1930 in Sparkling Youth alongside Jairaj and Madhav Kale.

Image credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu-VOpNu25I  (40:39)