on this day

Cinemaazi expresses heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Buddhadeb Dasgupta who passed away early this morning at his residence in Kolkata. The multiple time National Award winning director was 77. May he rest in peace.

Remembering the great Girish Karnad on his second death anniversary. One of India's greatest playwrights, passed away on 10 June, 2019. He also directed and acted in several acclaimed Kannada and Hindi films in his career.

A versatile and prolific character actor, Jeevan could easily portray comic or villainous roles. He even played Narad in mythological films over 60 times. He passed away on 10 June 1987.

A talented singer and actress Miss Gulab was born on 10 June, 1908 in Kashmir. She gave praiseworthy performances in films like Poornima (1938), Zamana (1938), Midnight Mail (1939), Tatar Ka Chor (1940), Bharosa (1940), Bulbul e Baghdad (1941), Anjan (1941), Hamara Desh (1941), Ghar Ki Izzat (1948), Sansar (1951) and many more. She lent her voice to songs in Mere Sajan (1941), Ummeed (1941) and Raja (1943).

Remembering Hindi film producer-distributor Subhash Ramanand Sagar, who passed away this day, 10 June, 2009. Eldest son of filmmaker Ramanand Sagar, he started his career as an automobile industrialist and later became an executive member of the Maharashtra Motor Parts Association. Venturing into filmmaking, he started as a producer with the hit Hamrahi (1974). It was followed by Ram Bharose (1977) and Pyara Dushman (1980). He produced the Gujarati film Veer Mangda Valo (1975), which became a blockbuster. Post this mega success, he became vice president of the Gujarat Film Chamber of Commerce and served for 9 years. Entering the realm of film distribution, he started Sagar Film Distributors with offices across India. He ventured into television, and went on to produce several successful series including Ramayan, Shri Krishna and Alif Laila, as well as the mythological series Jai Ganga Maiya and the Gujarati film Mota Ghar Ni Laaj. Sagar also ran an acting school, Sagar Film Academy in Vadodara.

Image courtesy: Cinestaan

Cinemaazi remembers popular and prolific Hindi novelist and screenwriter, Ved Prakash Sharma who was born this day, 10 June in 1955. He was known for his detective novels, and unique titles such as Dahej Mein Revolver (Revolver as Dowry), Widhva Ka Pati (Husband of a Widow) and Dulhan Maange Dahej (Bride Asks For Dowry). Starting his writing career at the age of 14, ghost-writing novels for others, he got his big break with the 1993 novel, Vardi Wala Gunda (Goon in Uniform). Based on atrocities committed by a policeman, the book broke records and apparently sold more than eight crore copies. Sharma countered claims of his writing being ‘pulp fiction’, insisting that every book he wrote had a positive message for society. He penned more than 176 novels, and also founded Tulsi Comics. His novel Bahu Maange Insaaf was adapted for the film Bahu Ki Awaaz (1985), while the film Anaam (1992) was also based on his work. He wrote two entertainers in the Khiladi series, namely Sabse Bada Khiladi (1995) and International Khiladi (1999) starring Akshay Kumar. He also created the character in the teleserial Keshav Pandit. Ved Prakash Sharma passed away in 2017.

Famous for his beautifully rendered songs such as Sandese aate hain (Border, 1997), Tere liye (Veer-Zaara, 2004) and Tujh mein rab dikhta hai (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, 2008), today we send out birthday wishes to singer Roop Kumar Rathod. Born 10 June, 1973, son of Dhrupad maestro Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod, he went on to become a much sought-after tabla player by ghazal singers in the 1980s. Making his debut in playback singing with the Laxmikant Pyarelal-composed number Main tera aashiq hoon for Gumrah (1989), he became hugely popular with the song Sandese aate hai. Also rendering songs in Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Nepali, Bhojpuri and Kannada language films, he is also a popular draw at concerts across the world. His ghazal, sufi, and light classical renditions with wife Sunali Rathod are also very well-received. Collaborating in fusion concerts with artists such as Trilok Gurtu, Ranjit Barot and Abhijit Pohankar, Rathod has an album 'Beat of Love' with Trilok Gurtu, and a jazz based album, 'Broken Rhythms', to his credit.

Working equally in the sphere of B films as well as big budget fare, lyricist and poet Asad Bhopali left behind a memorable collection of songs. His big breakthrough was B R Chopra's Afsana (1951). He also delivered one of the biggest hits of career with the songs of Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). He passed away on 9 June, 1990.

Image source: www.veethi.com

M F Hussain, one of India's best known artists, passed away on 9 June, 2011. He grew up in Indore, and was taken with Brancusi's portraits of Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar and his wife. He embarked on his artistic journey after training in calligraphy and kufic khat. After moving to Mumbai in 1937, he apprenticed under a painter of cinema posters. The turning point in his career was the founding of the Progressive Artists' Group. Hussain adopted an experimental style in his work, blending western art styles with Indian classical forms. He had already become one of India's premiere artists by the 1950s. 
Hussain's first brush with cinema came when he made the short film Through The Eyes of a Painter (1967) which won him a National Film Award and a Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival. He later made the experimental film Gaja Gamini (2000) starring Madhuri Dixit, Shahrukh Khan and Naseeruddin Shah. His other film was Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004) starring Tabu. 
His last years were spent in self-exile after he was accused of hurting religious sentiments. He passed way in 2011 in London.

Maker of classic films like Barjatri (1951), Jagriti (1954), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Dosti (1964), Mere Lal (1966), and Raat Aur Din (1967), Satyen Bose passed away on 9 June, 1993. He proved himself as a versatile director, excelling in diverse genres such children's films to witty comedies.

Known for his heavily classical influenced compositions, Vasant Desai started working at only 17 years of age. He had initially made his debut as an actor in Khooni Khanjar (1930). He went on to do some of the best work of his career with V Shantaram. He was born on 9 June, 1912.

K S R Das also known asK S R Doss, was known for his talent as a hitmaker. He made several blockbusters with Krishna, NTR and Vishnuvardhan, including the iconic western Mosagallaku Mosagadu (1971). He passed away on 8 June, 2012.

A popular child artiste in the 60s, Baby Farida made her debut in the Ek do teen char aur panch song from Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) which in turn led to a prominent role in Sujata (1959). She was born on 8 June, 1952 in Mumbai.

Image: Beete Hue Din

Remembering the impeccable music arranger and music director Dattaram Wadkar who passed away on 8 June, 2007. Born in 1929 in Goa, he went on to assist music directors Shankar-Jaikishan for more than four decades. Raj Kapoor was impressed by Dattaram's tabla performances, and the latter went on to play the tabla in songs such as Mud mud ke na dekh and Ramayyaa vastaavayyaa (Shri 420, 1955) and Aaja sanam madhur chandni mein hum and Jahan main jati hoon wahi chale aate ho from Chori Chori (1956). In fact, as he was a master of thekka (beat), it became known as Dattu's thekka. Dattaram also played the duff in the songs Dil ka haal sune dilwala and Mera naam raju gharana. As arranger for Shankar-Jakishan, along with his other Goan colleague Sebastian, he used to arrange for percussion-based songs. Raj Kapoor also enabled Dattaram’s transition as an independent music director entrusting the music of Ab Dilli Door Nahi (1957) to him. Other films that Dattaram composed for include Qaidi No. 911 (1959), Shrimaan Satyavadi (1960), Kala Aadmi (1960), Zindagi Aur Khwaab (1961), and Jab Se Tumhe Dekha Hai (1963).

One of the most influential playwrights of Urdu and Hindi literature, Habib Tanvir passed away on 8 June, 2009. A Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Awardee, his style of Brechtian theatre and knowledge of various folk idioms and practices made him a unique literary personality. He is most famously known for the play Charandas Chor and his work with the Naya Theatre Group in Chattisgarh. Born as Habib Ahmed Khan, he moved to Mumbai in 1945 to work at All India Radio and became a member of the IPTA and PWA. But he wrote most of his major works after moving to Delhi in 1954. His first notable work was Agra Bazaar which involved folk artistes from Okhla in its production. He became influenced by Brecht during a stay in Europe. Upon his return he sought to incorporate Brechtian principles in his work in Naya Theatre which he founded in 1959 where he experimented with various folk performing traditions like Pandavani.

His most famous work Charandas Chor was adapted by Shyam Benegal. He also acted in several films like Gandhi (1982), Yeh Woh Manzil to Nahin (1987), Prahaar (1991) among others. He remains an immensely influential figure in modern Indian theatre and an inspiration for a generations of theatre artistes. 

Image courtesy: nayatheatre.com

Pandit Madhur not only wrote lyrics, screenplays and dialogues in cinema, but was also a renowned playwright in Parsi theatre. It was P C Barua who had convinced him to write the lyrics for Jawab (1940) which proved to be a big success. He passed away on 8 June, 1988.

Remembering the popular comic actor Rajendra Nath who was born on 8 June, 1931. The brother of yesteryear hero and villain Prem Nath, it was his role as Popatlal in Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961) that got him widespread fame. After that he became familiar face in Hindi cinema. 

Happy birthday to Dimple Kapadia! From the nation's heartthrob post the release of Bobby (1973) to becoming a mature performer known for her sensitive portrayals of emotionally complex characters, she has had a storied career.