Alhad Dharmadhikari

Actor Alhad Dharmadhikari, son of filmmaker Datta Dharmadhikari, was born on 20 March, 1947. Alhad—a name that means joy—became a child actor in Marathi and Hindi films; he also featured in all the films made by the production house his father set up in his name—Alhad Chitra. Among the films he went on to act in are Chimani Pakhre (1952), Sabse Bada Rupaiya (1955) and Maratha Tituka Melvava (1964). Chimani Pakhre, directed by Alhad’s father Datta Dharmadhikari, was a melodrama about a 12-year-old girl Shakuntala, who raises her three younger brothers when their father runs away after committing a crime and their mother dies of shock. The film was marked by several songs that intensified its sentimental approach, and stark realism. Bhagyawan (1953) saw him feature in the family drama as Master Alhad amidst a cast comprising Nirupa Roy, Raja Nene and others in the Datta Dharmadhikari-directorial. Alhad featured in the Bhalji Pendharkar-historical, Maratha Tituka Melavava, in which he was cast in the title role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, alongside a cast that comprised Kashinath Ghanekar, Chandrakant Gokhale, and Sulochana Latkar. The film was a simple and realistic depiction of the social and political life during the Maratha era.