10 Greatest Actors of India - Vintage
They defined Acting in Indian Cinema and they left us with Great Acting inspiring every Actor Today.
As it is restricted to Best 10 some like Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, N.T.R, M.V. Vasudeva Rao, P.J. Anthony, Bharat Gopy, Sadhu Meher and Vishnu Vardhan could not be included.
As it is restricted to Best 10 some like Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, N.T.R, M.V. Vasudeva Rao, P.J. Anthony, Bharat Gopy, Sadhu Meher and Vishnu Vardhan could not be included.
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Balraj Sahni, born in Rawalpindi, British India (present-day Pakistan), was an acclaimed Indian film and stage actor. Known for his powerful and impactful performances, Balraj Sahni became a prominent figure in the golden era of Indian cinema.
Balraj Sahni initially pursued a career in the civil service but eventually found his true calling in acting. He became associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), a leftist cultural organization, where he honed his skills and passion for acting. His association with IPTA marked the beginning of his journey in theater.
Balraj Sahni made his film debut in 1946 with the film "Insaaf," but he gained widespread recognition and acclaim for his role in the film "Do Bigha Zamin" (1953), directed by Bimal Roy. His portrayal of Shambhu Mahato, a poor farmer struggling to save his land, showcased his acting prowess and earned him accolades. The film won the International Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1954.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Balraj Sahni delivered memorable performances in films such as "Kabuliwala" (1961), "Waqt" (1965), and "Neel Kamal" (1968). He often played roles that reflected the socio-economic realities of the time, and his ability to bring depth and authenticity to his characters set him apart as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema.
Balraj Sahni's filmography includes a diverse range of roles, from intense and dramatic characters to light-hearted and comedic ones. He collaborated with renowned filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt, and Yash Chopra, leaving an indelible mark on Indian cinema.
Apart from his acting career, Balraj Sahni was also a noted writer and penned several books, including his autobiography "Meri Filmi Aatmakatha" (My Filmy Autobiography).
Balraj Sahni's contribution to Indian cinema was not only recognized within the industry but also by the government. He received the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards in India, in 1969. Unfortunately, Balraj Sahni's life was cut short, and he passed away on April 13, 1973, leaving behind a legacy of remarkable performances and a lasting impact on Indian cinema.His acting in Do Bigha Zameen and Garam Hawa were the highlights of his career. He believed in what is known as Neo-Realistic cinema.
Do Bigha Zamin was awarded the All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film, it became the first film to win the Filmfare Best Movie Award and the first Indian film to win the International Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, after Neecha Nagar (1946), which won the Palme d'Or (Grand Prize).
It was also winner of the Social Progress Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
In 2005, Indiatimes Movies ranked the movie amongst the Top 25 Must See Bollywood Films. The film was also released in China and in USSR.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Tamil superstar from a poor family in Tamil Nadu, India. His father worked on the railways.
On the day of his birth his father, Chiniah Pillai, follower of Mahatma Gandhi, was jailed for participating in the Independence movement in Nellikuppam (Tamil Nadu, India). He was frequently in and out of jail, and was raised by his mother, Rajamani Ammal.
He joined theatre groups when he was young. He earned his screen name 'Sivaji' after acting in C.N. Annadurai's play 'Sivaji Kanda Indhu Rajyam', a historical play on the Maratha Emperor Shivaji.
He made his film debut in Parasakthi (1952) as Gunasekharan. He became an icon of the DMK party who made DMK films (founded by C.M. Annadurai).
He entered politics in the mid-50s where he joined the Congress party and then defected to support the opposition Janata Dal.
He is most well know for his mythological and patriotic portrayals, like in his most famous films like Karnan(mythological) and Veerapandiya Kattabomman (patriotic).
His main rival was MGR (M.G. Ramachandran) and together they dominated the Tamil film industry in the 1960s and 70s.Ganesan was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour for films in India.
He was also the first Indian actor to be made a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Ganesan is remembered as an iconic figure of Tamil cinema. Upon his death, The Los Angeles Times described him as "the Marlon Brando of south India's film industry".- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Dilip Kumar (1922-2021) is widely considered the greatest acting exponent India ever produced. Born Muhammad Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, in Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Peshawar, British India (present-day Pakistan), he is better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar given to him by actress and owner of Bombay Talkies, Devika Rani. Credited with pioneering method acting in Indian cinema in mid-1940s, before Marlon Brando introduced it to Hollywood in 1950s, he has been often called as "Abhinay Samrat" (Hindi for "Emperor of Acting") by the audience. He was the biggest Indian star since Post-Independence period throughout 1960s, starring in some of the biggest commercial and critical successes of Indian cinema. It is to be noted that according to major trade analysts, many of his big commercial successes were films with apparently no commercial/entertainment value, which relied heavily on his histrionics to succeed, an extremely rare feat in the annals of cinema worldwide. Box Office India quoted that any such an instance has never happened with any other star, as their films had to be backed by at least few commercial elements/genres to succeed. Irrfan Khan, while saying that Kumar is the only one who should be called "legend", justifiably quoted the reason as, "the combination of artiste and star that he brought, started and ended with him."
Born to a fruit merchant, Lala Ghulam Sarvar Khan and his wife Ayesha Begum, Yousuf Khan and his family would migrate to Bombay Province, to expand their family business in 1930s which had come to a halt due to the complications of WWII. He had his schooling in Deolali and graduation in Mumbai. He started with managing a shop and selling fruits in an army canteen in Pune. Upon a rebellion in the canteen during Indian National Movement, he gave a speech justifying India's struggle for Independence, which resulted in his eviction from the canteen. A chance encounter with Devika Rani, got him opportunity to work for Bombay Talkies, at remuneration of Rs 1250/- per month. Having no clear intention of working there, he still accepted the job because of the high salary. Kumar later accepted that by the age of 14, he hadn't watched a film, and later in his teenage, watched few English films. Devika Rani selected Dilip Kumar as his stage name (a common tradition back then) from the 3 names suggested by Pandit Bhagvati Charan Verma, which also included Vasudev and Jehangir. Kumar in 1970, in an interview told that, one of the main reason, he agreed to adopt a stage name was out of fear of his father, who was strictly against films due to their poor reputation among the masses at the time. He further said that on being offered to choose among the three names, he expressed that he was okay with any of them. Later, he got to know his stage name, when it was first published in a newspaper.
Kumar's first film as an actor was Jwara Bhata (1944), which was the 6th highest grossing Hindi film of the year, according to some sources, though not really profitable. His performance was severely criticized by the major critic of the time, Baburao Patel of FilmIndia. Similarly the next venture, Pratima (1945) was also flop and his work again criticized. The next venture, Milan (1946), directed by Nitin Bose, proved to be fruitful for Kumar, not only because it was successful commercially, but his acting sensibilities greatly improved during the period of its filming. However his performance was still criticized by FilmIndia. The success of the next film Jugnu (1947), which was the highest grossing Indian film of the year, established him as the first star of Post-Independence India and arguably, the biggest star of the country at that moment. His performance was appreciated by Baburao Patel for the first time. However, he severely criticized the film, writing a letter to the then Home Minister (who later went on to become Prime Minister under Janata Dal in 1977), Moraji Desai, asking him to ban the film. It was banned for a few months, after which the ban was uplifted. The film, already a roaring success, became an even bigger hit, after it was re-released. The period starting from here till at least 1961, was a period of raging success in Kumar's career, both critically and commercially, which cemented his legacy notch above his contemporaries. Post 1961, the workload slowed, with fewer releases thereafter and also slowed their commercial success, although his earlier films still doing great in re-releases, many times higher than many of his contemporaries' fresh releases. During this period, his two main contemporaries were Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. The three of them were sometimes referred collectively as "the golden trio" of this period, with camaraderie between the three contemporary actors famous and each renowned for their own style.
Shaheed (1948) is cited by many to be the first true Dilip Kumar film, in the sense his legacy was to be built on performances like this in the years to come. It was a roaring success, highest grossing Hindi film of the year. Andaz (1949), a record grosser at the time, starring Nargis and Raj Kapoor along with Kumar, popularized the theme of love triangles in Indian cinema. His performance in the film was superlatively appreciated by masses and critics alike. Baburao Patel's review headline read "Dilip Kumar draws crowd to cinemas". His dramatic performances in the next films till early 1950s, brought him the title of "Tragedy King". These intense performances, in which he immersed himself, had an adverse affect on his psyche. He consulted psychiatrists in London, who advised him to take up lighter roles. Interestingly, almost all of his lighter roles starting from Aan (1952) and Aazad (1955) were huge commercial successes. His performance in these roles were appreciated by masses and critics alike. Aan (1952) was the highest grossing Indian film ever at the time both in India and overseas. Post Aan, Kumar's popularity again took a big leap, establishing him as undisputedly the biggest star of the country. Devdas released on 30 December, 1955 is considered one of the most iconic performance of his career. Although a moderate success when initially released, the film found greater success in subsequent years though re-releases, making it amongst the most popular role essayed by Kumar. All three Andaz (1949), Aan (1952) and Naya Daur (1957) briefly became the highest grossing Indian film upto that point, a feat later achieved by Kumar's Mughal-e-Azam (1960) in which he essayed the role of Prince Saleem (amongst his most popular roles), a record it held for 15 years. By adjusting for inflation, it is still the Highest-grossing Indian film of all time, as of 2022.
The decade 1950s was the most prolific decade of Kumar's career, with 21 releases of which only 1 film, namely Hulchul (1951) failed commercially. 5 (or even 6) of his films were placed in top 10 highest grossers of the decade by Box Office India. Similarly 9 (or even 10) of his 21 releases were placed among the top 30 highest grossers of the decade. The period from late 1940s to early 1960s is often referred to as the "Golden Age of Hindi cinema and music". The 1950s decade is also important in terms of popularising cinema and filmi music in India and establishing it as a part of popular culture. The decade also saw the rise of stars (in true sense), commercialisation of industry as well as rise in the number of theatres. Kumar was the representative of this period, holding the status of a matinée idol and the country's highest paid actor.
Gunga Jumna released on 6 Jan, 1961, few months after the release of Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Kohinoor (1960), represents the peak of Kumar's career both as an actor and star. His performance as robust and defiant Gunga is considered by many to be the greatest acting performance in the history of Indian cinema. It won him international laurels. His performance was profoundly appreciated by actors in the West. The film set the template for the "Angry Young Man" films starring Bachchan in 1970s and the theme of brothers on the opposite side of the law. After Gunga Jumna (1961), Kumar's workload slowed significantly, his next venture Leader (1964), failed to be a big commercial success. It did mediocre business. Next film Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966) is the first flop film of Kumar in over 15 years. Ram aur Shyam (1967) is the last big hit of Kumar's first innings (as an actor) in Hindi cinema. It was his first double role film and popularized "double role" and "lost and found" films in mainstream Indian cinema. 1970s saw Kumar's career as a lead actor take a downturn. Age was becoming a factor, and the onset of new stars further convinced Kumar to take a hiatus. Out of his 4 Hindi films released in 1970s, Gopi (1970) was the only clean box office hit. As per the new reports of Box Office India, Bairaag (1976), is either "Hit" or "Semi-Hit". In 1970, he acted in his only Bengali film, Sagina Mahato (which also has a Hindi version, Sagina released in 1974, starring Kumar). The film was reportedly a huge success in Bengal. He won BFJA (Bengal Film Journalist Associations) award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. In 1976, he took a five-year hiatus aligning on the above mentioned reasons.
He returned to the big screen playing the title role of Kranti (1981), the highest grossing Indian film of the decade, when adjusted for inflation. In this phase of his career, he played senior, mature roles who were the main characters of the films. Films were specifically written for him which also starred other actors playing young roles. Films like Kranti (1981), Vidhaata (1982), Karma (1986), and Saudagar (1991) were among the biggest hits of the time and all driven by him despite playing senior roles, a feat that had remained unprecedented even after him as per trade analysts. Some other films also found average success, including Shakti (1982), which starred Kumar along with Amitabh Bachchan in the lead roles. The film won him his last Filmfare Award for Best Actor. His next venture after Saudagar (1991) was the commercially unsuccessful Qila (1998), which also turned out to be his last. He retired from film industry in 1999.
Kumar had been involved in many relationships including Kamini Kaushal, with whom he fell in love on the sets of Shaheed (1948). Their relationship fell apart as Kaushal was married to her brother-in-law after her sister-in-law died in a car accident. Reportedly she married on the insistence of her family to look after the little children of her sister-in-law. His next relationship was with Madhubala, which started on the sets of Tarana (1951). It was a seven year long relationship that ended after the Naya Daur court case in which Kumar sided with the producer B.R. Chopra and testified against Madhubala's father, Ataullah Khan as he declined her to travel to the planned shooting locations at the last moment. However Kumar in his autobiography cites another reason that played an important role in the fallout; Madhubala's father insisted him to act only under his own banner after their marriage. In 1966, he married actress Saira Banu in a private ceremony. Their marriage survived for over 50 years until Kumar's death in 2021-despite undergoing an upheaval-Kumar's alleged second marriage with Asma Rehman in 1981, whom he met at a cricket match in Hyderabad, where she lived. He soon divorced her in 1983, describing this incident as a "grave mistake taken in pressure" in his autobiography.
Kumar died on 7 July 2021, due to kidney complications and other age related issues. He had no children through his marriage. At the time of his death he was survived by his wife Saira Banu.
As of 2022, he holds the record for winning 8 Filmfare awards for Best Actor ( later equalled by Shah Rukh Khan) and was also the inaugural recipient of the award. He has also won numerous other awards including Dadasaheb Phalke award in 1994. He is the recipient of Padma Vibhushan (in 2015) and Padma Bhushan (in 1991), India's second and third highest civilian honour respectively. He is also the only Indian recipient of Pakistan's highest civilian honour, Nishan-e-Imtiaz (in 1998). As of 2021, he holds the Guinness World record for having received the most awards by an Indian actor.
He holds several long standing box office records including giving at least 1 clean hit for 15 years straight, which is at least an Indian record, according to a trade analyst. Since independence till late 2010s, he held the record for giving the maximum number of highest grossing film of the year, 9 times which was then surpassed by Salman Khan. However as per latest Box Office India reports, highest grossing Indian film of 1991 was Kumar's Saudagar (1991) and not Salman Khan's Saajan (1991), thus perhaps re-establishing his long standing record. In regards to his films' success ratio, he is the most successful Bollywood actor (quite possibly, Indian actor) of all time, by a distance, as of 2022. These gigantic records, his overwhelming popularity across Indian subcontinent, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and beyond, especially among South Asian diaspora around the world, makes him easily among the biggest stars cinema has ever seen across the globe. He famously turned down David Lean's offer of the role which ultimately went to Omar Sharif in one of West's greatest critical and commercial success, Lawrence of Arabia (1962), which made a major Hollywood star out of Sharif. Justifying his decision, Dilip Kumar had remarked, "In your own bazaar you enjoy a certain status. What's the point of venturing out into fields unknown where you have no say? No contact with the subject matter." He was also considered for a role in another film Lean was working on, titled "Taj Mahal". Elizabeth Taylor was supposed to play the part opposite Kumar. However, the project was eventually shelved.
According to many, he is probably the first person to perform method acting on screen in mid 1940s. Despite not knowing what it meant by then, he had been practising it since a time when, perhaps, the term wasn't even coined. Kumar, who never went to any acting school, was described by the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray as "the ultimate method actor", despite not having worked with him. There are innumerable such complements by numerous luminaries across professions to quote, which is quite not possible; from the likes of the recent statement by Indian born naturalised British economist Lord Meghnad Desai, claiming Kumar to be the greatest actor on global scale to age old statements like the one by, V. Shantaram, one of founding fathers and pioneers of Indian cinema, prompted by Kumar's versatility expressed, "Had Shakespeare met Dilip Kumar, he would have added one more character to the already well-defined ones he had created." Most importantly, Dilip Kumar's complete impact is realized definitely in the fact how he changed the rules of acting and influenced generations of future artistes in Indian subcontinent (even his contemporaries), but also in the truth that at his best, he was the catalyst in expanding the reach of quality cinema, from metros to rural India, from classes to masses, from serious connoisseurs to common entertainment seekers. Some of the greatest critical successes became some of the biggest hits when he acted in them, liked, revered and celebrated by classes and masses alike. His intense, in-depth performances, eloquent silences and the most nuanced expressions observed and enjoyed and celebrated at the same time by the most casual entertainment seekers of his time. There have been some great artistes across the history. And there have been some huge stars across the history. But the instance of both of them being a single entity, elevating and expanding the art form to an even greater point, is true, an extremely rare sight, but equally magical while it lasts.He has been described as one of the most successful film stars in the industry and is credited with bringing a distinct form of method acting to cinema.
For his contributions to film, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015, the country's third and second-highest civilian awards respectively.
He was also awarded India's highest accolade in the field of cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994.
In 1998, the Government of Pakistan conferred Kumar with Nishan-e-Imtiaz, their highest civilian decoration, making him the only Indian to have received the honour.- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Dr. Rajkumar was born in 1929 in Gajanur and brought up in a poor family. He only studied up to 3rd standard before he dropped out of school. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a traveling actor who performed in various villages. He joined the Gubbi Veeranna drama company to play drama. There he met people like T.R. Narasimharaju, Nandamuri Balakrishna and G.V. Iyer, who co-starred with him in his first film, Bedara Kannappa (1954).
His three sons--Shivarajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar--are all Kannada film actors. His other films have included Havina Hede (1981), Dashavtara (1960), Yarivanu? (1984), Kamana Billu (1983) and he had the lead role in Odahuttidavaru (1969). His last film was Shabdavedi (2000). After this movie he declared that he was about to act in another film, "Bhakta Ambareesha", but he suffered a mild heart attack, and decided to retire from acting altogether.He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1983 and also received several national and state awards.
He is the only lead actor to win National Award for singing. His films have been remade more than 50 times in various languages—33 movies have been remade 55 times in 7 languages.
Upon his death, The New York Times had described him as one of India's most popular movie stars.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Akkineni Nageswara Rao was born on 20 September 1923 in Venkataraghavapuram, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was an actor and producer, known for Meghasandesam (1983), Laila Majnu (1949) and Devadasu (1953). He was married to Annapurna Akkineni. He died on 22 January 2014 in Hyderabad, India.He is a recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, the highest Indian award in the field of cinema.
He was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, for his contribution to the film industry.
Manam (2014) was the last film of Rao, who died on 22 January 2014 during the film's production phase. The film was a "befitting swansong", as he always famously said that he wanted to die acting. The film was screened at the 45th International Film Festival of India in the Homage to ANR section on 29 November 2014.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
The legendary Bengali Actor of Calcutta, Uttam Kumar (Guru, Mahanayak as fans say), widely regarded as one of the Greatest actors ever in India, was an Indian film actor, director, producer, singer, music composer, playback singer who predominantly worked in Indian Cinema. Though he was a commercial success and widely accepted as the Greatest Actor of Bengali film, he also achieved great critical appreciations for his natural way of acting. When the Indian government instituted the National Film Awards for National Film Award for Best Actor and National Film Award for Best Actress in 1967, Uttam Kumar was the first-ever recipient of the Best Actor Award for his performances in Antony Firingee and Chiriyakhana in 1967. Acted in over 250 films with different experimental and complicated characters. Among which "Nayak", "Bicharak", "Jatugriha", "Chiriyakhana", "Khokababur Protyabarton", "Chowrongiee", "Ekhane Pinjar", "Thana Theke Aschi" etc. shows his genius.Though there were problems regarding editing, co-stars and others in contemporary Bengali films, still his genius acting made him the most popular film star. He is well acclaimed due to the successful depiction of several kinds of characters in films apart from his romantic image. He received the Best "greatest Actor" MAHANAYAK award for the same film from the Government of India on 25 November 1975. The price was worth 500000 rupees. Besides 8 times Bengal film Journalists' Awards for his incomparable acting he got many prizes and acclaims throughout his life. Got the Indian national award Padmashree for his contribution to Bengali films. He produced "Saptapadi" which was a commercial hit and approved Uttam Kumar along with Suchitra Sen the romantic Icon of Bengali Film forever. It got Certificate of Merit for Second Best Feature Film in Bengali in 1961 National Film Award, India. He starred in Hindi films like "Kitaab", "Dooriyan", "Plot no. 5", "Amanush", "Anand Ashram" etc. which approves his popularity and also shows beauties of natural acting. He composed music for the film "Banpalashir Padabali", which was a great commercial hit. He was very generous to poor co-workers in Film Industry but he lived an alcoholic reckless life. Workaholic Uttam Kumar died while filming "Ogo Bodhu Sundari" one of the greatest comedy films of Bengal, in Belle Vue Clinic on 24th July 1980.The Tollygunge metro station of Kolkata Metro was renamed as "Mahanayak Uttam Kumar". Satyajit Ray paid homage to his death saying "It is the demise of a leading light of the Bengali film industry...There isn't - there won't be another hero like him."He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Chiriyakhana and Antony Firingee in 15th National Film Award (he was the first actor to get that. The very same year when actress Nargis got best actress award for Raat Aur Din).
Tollygunge Metro station in Kolkata was renamed as Mahanayak Uttam Kumar Metro Station in his honour. There is a theatre (Uttam Mancha) named after him in Kolkata. A life-size statue has been erected near Tollygunge metro station which has recently been renamed after the iconic actor by the Central Railway Ministry.
The Government of India on 19 June 2015, released the "UTTAM" Award for Best acting. In the year of 2016, a television series called "Mahanayak" was telecast. It was based on his life.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
The Grandfather & Great Custodian of Indian Motion Pictures!
Ashok Kumar was one of India's most famous actors for over half a century, from before independence to the cusp of the new millennia!
As a young assistant to Bengali film-maker Himanshu Rai, he got his start in acting by accident when he volunteered to substitute for the lead actor, Jeevan Naya (1936), who fell ill before production on the film Achhut Kanya (1936) was to start. Kumar was terrified of acting in the first place, especially opposite lead actress Devika Rani, known as 'the dragon lady' for her smoking, drinking, cursing and legendary hot temper. After finishing shooting, Kumar continued with overseeing the process of the film with editing, mixing and processing. His unexpected acclaim to his role had him in demand for more acting roles, which he pursued in a few more 'Bombay Talkies' with Devika Rani.
His breakthrough performance was in Kismet (1943) which ran for three years in Bombay and Calcutta and was one of the first Hindi language mega-hits of India and gained him national fame through his charismatic performances and his talented singing. From then onwards, Kumar became a sought-after actor who appeared in over 200 Hindi and a few other Indian language films, playing romantic leads or threatening villains and making Rs.300-400 a month during the 1940s and 1950s.
Although his roles gradually decreased to supporting and minor parts as he got older and suffered more ill health, his popularity in India never diminished and he was often in demand for cameos and live convention appearances. From the 1990s to his death, he lived in a comfortable retirement in Bombay with a slew of Indian films to show for his work.He was honoured in 1988 with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest national award for cinema artists, by the Government of India and also received the Padma Bhushan in 1999 for his contributions to Indian cinema.
He won National Film Awards for Best Actor, Aashirwaad in 1969. He was the 1st Bollywood Actor to win the National Award.
He was fondly called Dadamuni. He was one of first 5 Actors to win National Award.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Utpal Dutt was born on 29 March 1929 in Barisal, Bengal Presidency, British India [now Bangladesh]. He was an actor and director, known for The Stranger (1991), Gol Maal (1979) and Bhuvan Shome (1969). He was married to Shobha Sen. He died on 19 August 1993 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.He became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the "Little Theatre Group" in 1949. This group enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period now known as the "Epic theatre" period, before it immersed itself completely in highly political and radical theatre.
He received National Film Award for Best Actor in 1970 for Bhuvan Shome. He was the 1st Bollywood Actor to win the National Award.
He was one of first 5 Actors to win National Award.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
M.G. Ramachandran (1917-1987), popularly known as MGR, dominated like no other, the films and politics of India's Tamil Nadu state. A charismatic actor and philanthropist, he commanded the idolatrous adulation of millions of Tamilians and became Tamil Nadu's chief minister. His achievements in 3 fields, namely films, philanthropy and politics were remarkable considering his humble origins in Sri Lanka. Raised in poverty by a widowed single mother, he had nothing more than his good looks when he got his first break in "Sati Lilavati", a Tamil film of the late 1930s. In the 1940s and 50s, the Tamil film industry was being transformed by screenwriters like Annadurai, Karunanidhi and others belonging to the Dravidian movement. MGR starred in many of the movies they helped make. Annadurai became his mentor and MGR joined the DMK, Annadurai's new Dravidian party. His films made MGR a matinee idol among Tamilians. He also started monetarily helping people in need, sowing the seeds for his reputation as a philanthropist. When Annadurai died as Tamil Nadu's chief minister, MGR's rival Karunanidhi assumed office. MGR accused him of defalcation and was kicked out of the DMK. In 1977, MGR's ADMK (later renamed AIADMK) party was swept into power. In his first term, MGR cleaned up corruption and carried out reforms like having an income limit for backward class people to be eligible for the reserved seats in government colleges and jobs. His reforms proved unpopular, so MGR became another corrupt Indian politician having learned not to rock the boat. Tamil Nadu stagnated during the rest of his reign. Yet his mesmerized legions of fans continued to vote him into power. His death in 1987 created a power vacuum that soon brought his old nemesis, the corrupt Karunanidhi, back into power. MGR was a complex man who triumphed over poverty and tried to improve the lot of the people who revered him. However, in the end, he was a god that failed.M. G. R., was an Indian politician and film actor who served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu between 1977 and 1987. M.G.R. was the founder of AIADMK and mentor of J. Jayalalithaa.
In 1988, M.G.R. was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously.
Ramachandran is regarded as a cultural icon in Tamil Nadu and is regarded as one of the most influential actors of Tamil cinema.
He won the National Film Awards Best Actor Rickshawkaran in 1971. He was the 1st Tamil Actor to win the National Award.
He was one of first 5 Actors to win National Award.- Actor
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Soumitra Chatterjee is an Indian actor, playwright and poet. World-renowned film director Satyajit Ray has acted in multiple shadow films. He has made Bengali film a place in the court of the world. In his long acting career, he has received many awards from home and abroad. His films have also won numerous awards. He died on 15th November, 2020 at the age of 85. Even after his death, his performance has been and will always be remembered in the hearts of all the audience.He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian bengali cinema. He is best known for his collaborations with director Satyajit Ray, with whom he worked in fourteen films.
In 2012, he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema given by the government of India for lifetime achievement. In 2013, IBN Live named him as one of "The men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema"
He won the National Film Award Best Actor for Podokkhep in 2006.
He also won National Film Award – Special Jury Award for Antardhan (1991) and Special Jury Award for Dekha (2000).