Golden Era of Bollywood: Remembering V SHANTARAM on his 115th Birth Anniversary

V. Shantaram, renowned Indian producer-director-actor, most known for his films like Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957) and Navrang (1959), to the path breaking Duniya Na Mane (1937) and Pinjara (1973).
He was born on 18 th November 1901 in the erstwhile princely state of Kolhapur.He started his film career doing odd jobs in Maharashtra Film Co. owned by Baburao Painter at Kolhapur.He went on to debut as an actor in the silent film, Surekha Haran in 1921.
He directed his first film, "Netaji Pulkar" in 1927, and in 1929, founded the Prabhat Film Company along with V.G. Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B. Kulkarni, which he left in 1942 and to form "Rajkamal Kala Mandir" in Mumbai, in time 'Rajkamal' became one of most sophisticated studios of the country.
The highest accolade of the Indian film industry, for lifetime achievement, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was conferred on him in 1985. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award in 1992.
He married thrice; His first marriage was with Vimla, his second marriage was to the actress Jayashree and the third marriage was with Actress and Dancer Sandhya who was his co-star in Do Aankhen Barah Haath as well the heroine of his films like Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje and Navrang.
V.Shantaram was truly a "complete" filmmaker. In an illustrious career spanning well over seven decades, from silent films to talkies, from B&W to Technicolor, cinemascope and stereophonic sound, he produced 92 feature films, directed 55 films and acted in 25 films. Every film he made dealt with the social, economic and political problems of a society struggling under colonial rule
Apart from his own multi-faceted activities as a Producer, Director, Actor, Distributor, Exhibitor, and Studio Owner, he was closely associated with various film industry welfare and trade organisations and thus helped to lay a sound foundation for the systematic growth of the Indian Film Industry. He was also responsible for establishing in scientific, methodical and systematic manner the present Films Division of the Government of India after independence, which today has grown to large proportions.
Shantaram died on 30 October 1990 in Mumbai.A postage stamp, bearing his face, was released by India Post to honour him on 17 November 2001.

Songs From Shantaram's Films