on this day

Making her debut as a dancer in Badnami (1946), Geeta Bali went on to portray a wide variety of roles in her career. Today is her death anniversary.

Image source: The Quint

Very few filmmakers have mastered the art of speaking as much with silence as with words. Govindan Aravindan can count himself among those few. An enigmatic and incredibly influential voice, his films created a visual repertoire unlike any other. Today is his birth anniversary.

Image source: Scroll

Today we remember music director Ramchandra Pal who passed away this day, 21 January, in 1993. A multi-faceted musical talent, he scored music for 20 films, and also sang 15 songs in seven films. Born in 1909, he was actually a medical doctor, who entered the film industry in various capacities. As an actor he did three films – Manmohan (1936), Deccan Queen (1936) and Aazad (1940). He produced and directed a film, Raj Nandini (1962), made under his own banner – Pal Films. However, it was never released.
He started his music career with Tamil films, Bilwamangal (1932) and Sarangdhara (1935). Shifting to Calcutta, he scored music for Bangla films, Rajani (1936) and Indira (1936). A few years later, he worked in his first Hindi film, Prem Sagar (1939). He went on to work as music director for Bombay Talkies’ films Kangan (1939), Punarmilan (1940), Bandhan (1940), Aazad (1940) and Naya Sansar (1941). The last film he scored music for was Raj Nandini (1962). Interestingly, after he quit the film industry in 1962, he set up his private medical clinic in Shivaji Park, Dadar, Bombay, practicing till he passed away.

Music composer, classical musician and actor, Krishnarao Phulambrikar, better known as Master Krishnarao, was born in Alandi on this day in 1898. Credited with the creation of three Hindustani ragas and several bandishes, he was proficient in stage as well as classical music, besides being a composer for stage and film music, an actor, teacher and author. Trained by Bhaskarbua Bakhle in music school Bharat Gayan Samaj, he was employed by Bal Gandharva’s Gandharva Natak Mandali as male lead and composer. Along with Govindrao Tembe, he propagated Bal Gandharva’s versions of North Indian classical music. Soon after he was conferred the Sangeet Kalanidhi title, he was contracted by Prabhat Film Company, owned by V. Shantaram and partners, to compose for Shantaram’s Dharmatma (1935). He developed a reputation as an orthodox Sangeet Natak classicist. Phulambrikar composed original songs for Manoos/ Admi (1939) such as Ab kis liye kal ki baat, as well as for musicals from studios Bombay Talkies and New Theatres. He composed music for 15 films which included Shantaram’s Amar Jyoti (1936), and Padosi (1941). He also played the lead role of Sant Savata Mali in Bhakticha Mala (1944) released by Rajkamal Kalamandir. Krishnarao Phulambrikar, a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1971, for his contribution to music.

Image source: www.parrikar.org

Outspoken and unapologetic, Parveen Babi came to symbolise the progressive heroine of Hindi cinema. The iconic actress passed away on this day in 2005.

Credited with giving Sunil Dutt his first break and maker of acclaimed films like Shaheed (1948), Samadhi (1950), Shikast (1953), Railway Platform (1955), Phir Subah Hogi (1958), Shola Aur Sabnam (1961), Ramesh Saigal passed away on this day in 1980. Samadhi was a huge commercial success. It was in Railway Platform that he gave a young Sunil Dutt his break. Cinemaazi remembers him for his contributions. 

In image: Ramesh Saigal giving directions on the set of Sankalp (1975)

Cinemaazi wishes the Rebel Star Krishnam Raju a happy birthday! Born on this day in 1940, he made his debut with Chilaka Gorinka (1966). Playing a villain in the 1968 hit Nenante Nene was a significant career moment for him. He went on to have a hugely successful career, starring in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films. He won four Filmfare Awards for Best Actor and two Nandi Awards, including the inaugural one for Amara Deepam (1977). He later transitioned to a political career, winning a Lok Sabha seat in 1998. 

A memorable star of early Marathi and Hindi cinema, Master Vinayak was born on this day in 1906.

One of the forgotten pioneers of Indian cinema, Ramachandra Gopal Torney made the first story-film Pundalik in 1912, before the epoch-making Raja Harishchandra. Today is his death anniversary.

Today marks Soumitra Chatterjee's birth anniversary. In the course of four films with Soumitra Chatterjee, filmmaker Suman Ghosh cast the actor in some of his finest latter-day roles. 

Image source: www.upperstall.com

Today marks the day music composer Vasant Prabhu was born in 1924. Known for films such as the Hindi film Gharbaar (1953), Putra Havaa Aaisa (1961), Baycocha Bhavu (1962), Nandayela Jate (1969), as well as his Marathi bhaav-geet, he was also a choreographer, dancer and had also been a child artiste, featured as Master Vasant. Pursuing kathak, he was signed on by HMV for the film Ram Ram Paavhna for which he composed as well as choreographed a few songs. His compositions in Vaadal, which was produced by Lata Mangeshkar, also had her rendering the same. His first song with Lata Mangeshkar in Marathi Ganga Jamuna dolyat ubhya kar became quite popular. He worked extensively with the lyricist P Savlaram. Prabhu’s compositions were sung by different singers such as Pandit Firoz Dastur and Dashrath Pujari for the film Bhairavi, and Talat Mahmood for the film Putra Vhava Aisa; Mahmood’s first foray into Marathi playback. Vasant Prabhu passed away on 13 October, 1968. His biography, Manasicha Chitrakaar To, written by Madhu Potdar, was inspired by a song he had composed.