Cinemaazi remembers Leela Chandragiri on her birth anniversary

Today is the birth anniversary of Leela Chandragiri, who was born on this day, October 24 in the year 1910. Known for her films like Bhakt Damaji (1942), Maya Machhindra (1932), Maharathi Karna (1944) and Chhatrapati Shivaji (1952), she was born into a family of singers at Chikodi near Kolhapur, and thus learnt singing from a young age. Catching the attention of the Prabhat film company, Leela made her debut in V Shantaram’s silent film Uday Kaal (1930). Fittingly, the tall and beautiful Leela played goddess Bhawani Devi on screen. Acting in Prabhat’s Chandrasena (1931), a grand silent film, brought her greater fame. Her first talkie, Jalti Nishani 1932), a Marathi-Hindi bilingual starring Master Vinayak, saw Leela fluently delivering dialogues in both languages. Combined with her singing talent, she quickly became a favourite of audiences, going on to feature in Maya Machhindra, Sinhgad, and Prabhat’s first coloured film Sairandhri (1933) in which she played the main role. Declining the opportunity to move to Poona with Prabhat Films, she chose to stay back in Kolhapur and work with noted film personality, Bhalji Pendharkar. The two went on to marry and, in time, built their own studio. It was named Jayprabha—a combination of the names of Leela’s son from a previous marriage, Jaysingh, and Pendharkar’s son from his previous marriage, Prabhakar. Pendharkar had adopted both Leela’s children, Jaysingh and Madhavi. Leela Chandragiri, who was also called Leela or Miss Leela, remains memorable as a singing star of the early talkie era.