on this day

Legendary Nazrul singer Feroza Begum was also a highly versatile artiste and could perform various genres of modern music as well as Rabindra Sangeet, Adhunik Bangla songs, ghazal, qawali and bhajan.

Cinemaazi remembers the singer on her death anniversary
 

Cinemaazi remembers composer Ninu Majumdar on his birth anniversary. He was born on 9-9-1915 in a Gujarati Nagar Brahmin family of Baroda (Vadodara). Ninu was a pet name that he became famous but his real name was Niranjan, which he later used as a pen name in his Ghazals. He composed music for Jail Yatra (1947) and Gopinath (1948), two of the earliest Raj Kapoor films. It is well documented by now that the Yashomati Maiyase Poochhe Nandlala, a song in RK movie Satyam Shivam Sundaram is a direct lift from Mazumdar’s Aai Gori Radhika in Gopinath.

Leela Chitnis, the revered actress was one of the earliest educated actresses to join the film industry. After the death of her husband, she worked as a teacher which paved the way for her interest in theatre and eventually she joined the film industry. Chitnis performed as an extra and in minor roles until she joined Bombay Talkies which gave her the opportunity that elevated her to stardom. She made a successful and beloved pair with Ashok Kumar in films suh as Kangan (1939), Azad(1940), Bandhan (1940) and Jhoola (1941). Chitnis was also a trailblazer as she was the first Indian actress to endorse Lux- the brand of soaps. Cinemaazi celebrates the fierce and beautiful actress on her birth anniversary.

Famous for Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023) and the in-development animation series The Chola Chronicles, inspired by his hugely popular novels, Kalki Krishnamurthy—born Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy—is an iconic writer and pioneer of modem Tamil literature and journalism.

Cinemaazi remembers him on his birth anniversary.
 

Aiding his famous father, Satyajit Ray in various capacities including still photographer on set, he began his professional career in film at the age of 24, serving as assistant director on the sets of his father's film Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977).

Cinemaazi sends good wishes him on his birthday.

Cinemaazi wishes living legend Asha Bhosle a happy birthday

Cinemaazi remembers Bhupen Hazarika, a singer-musician-lyricist-music director and filmmaker, on his birth anniversary (8 September 1926). 
A bundle of talent, knowledge, wisdom, sophistication and stylized persona, Hazarika started his professional career as a teacher. Having done a Masters in Political Science from BHU, he went to the US and earned a doctorate in mass communication from Columbia University. On return, he joined Gauhati University. After two years, quit to lead the life as a singer-musician full of struggle. 
In 50s, he turned to making feature films in Assamese. from 1956, till 1977, he made 11 feature films of which five fetched him the President’s Silver Medal. 
In late 70s, he switched over completely to the world of music and continued his run relentlessly till his death. 

Popular playback singer in Hindi films in the 1940s and 1950s, Ghulam Mustafa Durrani, or G M Durrani, as he was widely known, was a multifaceted talent.

Cinemaazi remembers him on his birth anniversary.

Mukul Anand made classic films like Insaaf (1987), Agneepath (1990) and Khuda Gawah (1992). Cinemaazi remembers him for his contributions on his death anniversary

After working as an assistant director, Ram Daryani independently directed Baal Hatya aka Khoon E Nahak (1935). He went to make many popular films till his last film Chand Mere Aaja (1960) under his banner Daryani Productions. He died on this day in 1993. 

Daryani was born on 6 December 1915 in Hyderabad, Sindh Province (now in Pakistan). His early education was in Sindh. For higher college, he left for Karachi but quit studies and joined Eastern Art Production and started assisting Moti Gidwani.

Cinemaazi remembers Jennifer Kendal Kapoor on her death anniversary (7 September 1984). Born in England to Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Liddell on 27 February 1934, Jennifer grew up in India. 

Her father was the head of the famous touring company, Shakespeareana, which would go across the country putting up Shakespeare plays in the 1940s and 1950s. The management company of Empire House ended up giving the same date to both Shakespearana and Prithvi, the theatre companies. The two companies finally reached a truce: they will perform on alternate days. It was here that Shashi first saw Jennifer. Shashi Kapoor went on to talk to Jennifer and then took her backstage. By the next afternoon, they had fallen in love.

Jennifer finally left father’s theatre company. She, along with Shashi, was on their own. The two acted in many famed Merchant Ivory films: Shakespeare Wallah (which was partly based on Geoffrey’s company and work), Bombay Talkie (1970), Heat and Dust and more, though was uncredited in most of them.
In 1978, Jennifer and Shashi decided to open Prithvi Theatre in Juhu, as a tribute to Prithviraj Kapoor. By that time, the couple had had three children — Kunal, Karan and Sanjana — who would grow up loving the theatre and Prithvi as much as their parents did. 

Once she got involved in Prithvi, she even gave up acting, for the most part, save a few roles in parallel films in the 1980s, like 36 Chowringhee Lane, The Far Pavilions, and Bengali film Ghare Baire. In 1982 Jennifer was diagnosed with colon cancer and she passed away in 1984. 

Cinemaazi remembers film director and lyricist, P. L. Santoshi, born as Pyarelal Srivastava, on his death anniversary (7 September 1978).

A prolific director and writer, renowned Indian filmmaker B R Ishara was born on this day, 7th September in 1934. Perhaps one of the many sensational visionaries of the Indian film industry, his film Zaroorat (1972) had such bold content, that it remained with the censorship board for a while before it was released, with edits towards a tamer version.

 

Beginning his career as a child actor, Shashi Chand Kapoor, acted in around 21 films in his decade-long career. His best performances include Bachpan (1945), Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Samadhi (1950) and Daana Paani (1953). Cinemaazi remembers him on his birth anniversary; he was born on this day 7 September 1934.

Singer-composer Meena Mangeshkar Khadilkar is known for rendering playback for films such as Arpan (1957), Mother India (1957), Gateway Of India (1957), Patrani (1956), Chandni Chowk (1954). Some of her songs include Hai mausam yeh mastana muskurana dil, Aap ne chheen liya dil, Khushiyon ke zamane aaye, Lo aaye jhoom ke pilpili, and Ae logan o bhaiyya ae behana.