BOLLYWOOD
On his 113th birth anniversary, here's a look at the journey of India's first superstar Ashok Kumar.
From 1936 to 1996, there was no year when a Hindi film with this legendary actor as the hero or a key supporting character or even a cunning villain did not hit the big screen. In his over six-decade-long career, he appeared in 340-odd films and TV serials. The actor being talked about is none other than Ashok Kumar. Born on this day, October 13, in 1911 as Kumudlal Ganguly, Ashok Kumar's journey to becoming an enduring Indian actor was nothing short of a film story itself.
Born in a family of prominent lawyers with his father having been a hostel roommate of future President Rajendra Prasad, he was expected to take up the same profession but instead, he chose to join the fledgling Hindi film industry - though behind the scenes. Throwing up his law course, he had come to Bombay in 1934, seeking Bombay Talkies owner Himanshu Rai's endorsement to go to Germany's famed UFA studios. However, Rai convinced him to stay at a studio where his brother-in-law Sasadhar Mukherjee was a sound technician.
All changed when Najm-ul-Hassan, Jeevan Naiya's male lead eloped with Rai's wife and his film co-star Devika Rani. While she was coaxed back, the male hero was dismissed. A distraught Rai saw him, then a lab technician and film editor, smoking outside, something clicked, and he ordered him to take over as the hero. The film's German director Franz Osten was not happy to take him on but Rai overruled him and rechristened him Ashok Kumar. From this rather unpromising start, Ashok Kumar rivalled Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, and Dilip Kumar, and went on to establish himself as India's first superstar.
Ashok Kumar was, however, not always a positive presence - onscreen, that is. In 1950, he became the first star to portray an anti-hero in Sangram. After the film ran for sixteen weeks in packed houses, the then Bombay Home Minister and later Prime Minister Morarji Desai objected to it. Kumar's late daughter Bharati Jaffrey recalled wrote in the book Dadamoni: The Life and Times of Ashok Kumar, "In the sixteenth week, the police commissioner came home to say that Home Minister Morarji Desai had decided to ban the film. Why? Because of the impact of your performance. This film was about a boy spoiled by his indulgent father who gets into nefarious activities: he gambles and kidnaps the girl he loves. You tried to explain to the police commissioner that the film has a moral, that ‘the hero gets his punishment.’ But he said, 'Dadamoni, the problem is that you are on the other side of the law. In the gunfight when you shoot and the police get injured, the audience was cheering for you! The law cannot permit this. You are a role model, Dadamoni; people want to follow you and will end up against the law. We cannot let you do that.'" Sangram was subsequently banned in the state.
Kumar is also credited with introducing rap to India, with the song Rail Gaadi in the 1968 film Aashirwad. At the appropriate time, he moved on to playing supporting roles in line with his age - without ever getting typecast. He was also seen frequently on the small screen every week in the mid-1980s as the wise patriarch, summarising every episode of Indian TV's first soap opera Hum Log, often. The legendary actor died at the age of 90 on December 10, 2001 due to heart attack at his residence in Chembur, Mumbai.
The DNA app is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Please download the app and share your feedback with us.
Khel Khel Mein OTT review: Don't miss this Akshay Kumar laugh riot just because you watched Stree 2
Shraddha Kapoor shines as showstopper in Kalki's silver-embellished lehenga at Lakme Fashion Week
Meet woman who designed bar lounge of Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani's Rs 15000 crore Antilia, she is...
Baba Siddiqui Murder case: Fourth accused arrested, main shooter still...
Consumer watchdog CCPA directs Ola Cabs to offer refund choices, provide auto ride receipts
Nikhil Kumaraswamy: Targeted by ADGP, haunted by legacy
Mahela Jayawardene returns as Mumbai Indians head coach ahead of IPL 2025 retentions
Salman Khan's security tightened after Baba Siddique's assassination
Ratan Tata's influence continues, as this Tata company is set to create new records
Weather update: Delhi temperature drops below 20°C as festive season brings winter chill
What is Y category security cover? Know key details of this protection given to Baba Siddique
Bigg Boss Tamil's Oyiva's private video leaks online, actress says 'next time...'
Pakistan to use same 'bowlers' graveyards' pitch in Multan for second Test against England
Accused in Baba Siddique firing case sent to police custody till Oct 21
Nikhil and Nithin Kamath reveal what's next for Zerodha: 'We really want to be a bank, but...'
Mukesh Ambani gives himself THIS luxury gift for Rs 12620602500, buys India's most expensive...
Amitabh Bachchan buys a brand new BMW i7 luxury electric car, it costs Rs…
'Ratan Tata and his...': Anushka Sharma's cryptic Instagram post leaves netizens guessing
Bigg Boss 18: Mallika Sherawat flirts with Salman Khan, calls him 'India's most eligible bachelor'
Virat Kohli looks dashing as he flaunts his OOTD Mumbai Airport
Jeweller pays tribute to Ratan Tata with a portrait made of 11000 diamonds, video goes viral
'Over the last 3 days...'Ratan Tata's closest aide Shantanu Naidu new post goes viral, check here
Salman Khan struggles to sleep after Baba Siddique shot dead, cancels all meetings
JD Vance ‘feels terrible’ for taking his Hindu wife Usha to church: 'She didn’t sign up for...'
Price of Ratan Tata's watch will leave you shocked, it costs Rs...
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance JioBook becomes cheaper before Diwali, new price is just Rs...
Driverless burning car speeds through Jaipur streets, causes panic, video goes viral
Baba Siddiqui's last Instagram post before he was shot dead was about Ratan Tata, he said...
Mumbai police identifies third shooter involved in Baba Siddique's murder, probe underway
Pumpkin seller hits jackpot, wins Rs 1.2 crore lottery, here's how
Baba Siddique's last rites to be performed with full state honours in Mumbai
Sudha Murty wanted these TWO gifts from Ratan Tata, he gave it to her, they are now kept in...
Elderly man's dangerous train stunt shocks internet, watch viral video
Baba Siddique shot dead: Is Lawrence Bishnoi gang behind NCP leader's murder? Police say...
When Neeraj Chopra met 'a true visionary' Ratan Tata and said...
World's richest man Elon Musk's net worth falls by Rs 124500 crore due to his latest...
'A champion of friendship between...': Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu condoles Ratan Tata's demise
Mukesh Ambani's superhit new Jio annual plan with unlimited 5G data for just Rs...
MBA jobs: 6 career paths to pursue after an MBA degree
Mumbai Police comfort Shantanu Naidu with heartfelt hugs as he grieves Ratan Tata's death, WATCH
Who are largest stakeholders in Tata Sons? Not Ratan Tata, Noel Tata, it is...
Delhi NCR: Ganga water supply to be shut in Noida, Ghaziabad from today for 20 days due to…
iPhone 15 available at just Rs 27,000 on Flipkart's Big Shopping Utsav Sale: How to grab this deal?
Viral video: Crocodile spotted in drain, rescued by forest department in Kanpur, watch
Who was GN Saibaba, ex-DU professor who died months after acquittal in alleged Maoist links case?
Gautam Adani on Ratan Tata's death news: 'Legends like him never fade away...'
Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai, his last social media post goes viral, it was...
Former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba passes away
IND vs BAN, 3rd T20I: India beat Bangladesh by 133 runs, complete 3-0 clean sweep in Hyderabad