Moti Lal- A Forgotten Star

 

Today's generation may be unaware of Motilal but he was a superstar of the late 30s and 40s. He along with K L Saigal was the two big stars of that era. Saigal was a better singer while he was a better actor. He started as a 24-year-old hero with 'Shaher Ka Jadoo' (1934). In the following years, he reeled off a clutch of box-office winners, though, few remember anything about this phase of his career. Be it a swashbuckling sword-fighter (Silver King) or a millionaire (300 Days And After) – the actor romped through roles with an easy cool'.

 Amitabh Bachchan wrote in the foreword of 'The Hundred Luminaries of Hindi Cinema', “Not much has been written in praise of a great and a very natural actor. He (Motilal) was greatly ahead of his times.

You would be surprised to know that he was picked up as a hero from a crowd of spectators collected to see a shooting of a film in a studio. It happened in 1933 when in Bombay, he went to see the shooting of a film being directed by K P Ghosh. He caught Ghosh's eye, he asked him to join films as an actor. Playing a drunken rich boy, the 24-year-old quickly racked on more film roles, becoming a star.

 In 1935, two of his films Silver King and Dr Madhurika were successful. Those days actors used to sing their songs, he also sang for his films. He worked with Mehboob Khan in Jagirdar (1937) and Hum Tum Aur Woh (1938) under the Sagar Movietone banner in Taqdeer (1943) for Mehboob Productions, and Kidar Sharma's Armaan (1942) and Kaliyan (1944). 

One of his film Achhut was the third highest-grossing Indian film of 1940. It was appreciated by Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. Another film 'Holi' released same year, he played a villain-turned-hero. He was the first to put in place the flamboyant, happy-go-lucky, unpretentious and glamourized image of the Hindi film hero cast in the Hollywood mould of that era.

 Ek Thi Larki (1949) was another hit film Motilal gave a superb comic performance. Similar comic performance became immortal in his 1952 film Mr Sampat. According to Motilal, he played the character "not as an extraordinary person, but precisely as an ordinary person" and that's what resonated through.

Another iconic performance was given by him as Chunni Babu in 1955 film Devdas. Motilal won the Best Supporting Actor for his seamless performance in Bimal Roy’s film Parakh (1960).

He also produced, acted, wrote and directed the film Chhoti Chhoti Baatein (1965), but died ( 17 June 1965) before its release. At the 13th National Film Awards, it won the award for Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film and he posthumously won the Certificate of Merit for the Best Story Writer

Song from Shaadi (1941) Motilal singing in his voice

Song of  Taqdeer 1943

Song of Pehli Nazar 1945

Song of  Jagte Raho 1956

Song of  Choti Choti Batein (1965)

Great Songs Picturized on Motilal

Motilal (4 December 1910 – 17 June 1965 ) is credited with being among Hindi cinema's first natural actors. He was offered the hero's role in Shaher Ka Jadoo (1934) .  He is most remembered for his role as "Chunni Babu" in Bimal Roy's Devdas (1955), He produced and directed "Chhoti Chhoti Batein " died before its release in 1965.
He introduced Mukesh to the Hindi Film industry. Mukesh became his voice before Raj Kapoor. The first song he sang for him became an immortal "Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne Do" of Pehli Nazar(1945). In fact, it is said that when K. L. Saigal first heard the song "Dil Jalta Hai...", he remarked, "That's strange, I don't recall singing that song"
Motilal acted in 60 films only, he played all types of roles, also sung few songs. In this blog, I am posting a few songs picturized on him.

Song of Pehli Nazar 1945

Song of Do Dil (1947)

Song of Lekh (1949)

Song of Ek Thi Ladki (1949)

Song of Mastana (1954)

Song of Jagte Raho 1956

Song of Chhoti Chhoti Baten (1965)

MOTILAL-The Natural Actor

A Tribute to Moti Lal on his 107th Birth Anniversary
Moti Lal deserves to be re-introduced to the present generation of film goers. He  should to be studied in acting schools because he is one of the all-time greats of Indian cinema.He was a natural actor.Watching his film one never felt he was acting.He was the Chunni Babu of Bimal Roy's Devdas.Perhaps his finest and most underfeted performance came in the title role of Mr Sampat (1952)
He was born in Shimla on 4th Dec 1910.He  starred in over 60 films, with at least 30 in the lead.He was a character actor and also played villainy roles in Anari and Paigham (1959).He received  Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Devdas (1955) and Parakh (1960).He also directed the film Chhoti Chhoti Baatein (1965), but died before its release.
Motilal came from a distinguished family from Delhi.^[7] His father was a renowned educationist, who died when Motilal was one year old.,he did his schooling in Shimla and later graduated from Delhi.University.
After leaving college, Moti Lal came to Bombay to join the Navy but destiny wanted him to become actor. In 1934 (aged 24), he was offered the hero's role in Shaher Ka Jadoo (1934) by the Sagar Film Company. He later featured in several successful social dramas alongside Sabita Devi, including Dr. Madhurika(1935) and Kulvadhu (1937). He worked with Mehboob Khan in Jagirdar (1937) and Hum Tum Aur Woh (1938) under the Sagar Movietone banner, in Taqdeer (1943) for Mehboob Productions, and Kidar Sharma's Armaan (1942) and Kaliyan (1944). He also acted in S. S. Vasan's film Paigham (1959) (Gemini Studios), and Raj Kapoor's Jagte Raho (1956).
Motilal had a glorious record as filmdom’s smartest hero. For over two decades, he reigned supreme over the hearts of swooning fans. At the age of 55, cinema had to bid farewell to its most dapper hero. Motilal had a passion for horse-racing. He used to have a horse called Traitor, because the animal had the nasty habit of looking back at Motilal exactly at the time of reaching the winning post and losing the race in the effort!  In 1965, Motilal breathed his last.  He died penniless.
An Audio Song  from Shaadi (1941) sung by Moti Lal

Song from Shaadi (1941)

Song from Taqdeer 1943

Song from Mastana 1954

Song from Jagte Raho 1956

Song from Choti Choti Batein (1965) 

Remembering MOTILAL on his 106th Birth Anniversary

Motilal was Born in Shimla on 4 December 1910. He is credited with being among Hindi cinema’s first natural actors.He came from a distinguished family from Delhi.He  came to Bombay to join the Navy, but he fell ill and could not appear for the test. Fate had other choices charted out for him. One day, he went to see a film shoot at Sagar Studios, where director K. P. Ghosh was shooting. Motilal, even then, was quite the man about the town and he caught Ghosh’s eye. In 1934 (aged 24), he was offered the hero's role in Shaher Ka Jadoo (1934) by the Sagar Film Company. 

By early 1940s, though, Motilal was opting for bolder plots too. He played the untouchable in Achhut (1940), a progressive film that also won praise from Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.

In Aage Kadam (1943), directed by N R Acharya, he returned to comedy. Forever experimenting, he then played a serious man in Dost (1944) and Gajre (1948). His portrayal of pathos brought tears to the eyes of audiences in cinema halls all over India. He was equally at home in Mehboob’s Taqdeer (1943) and Mazhar Khan’s Paheli Nazar (1945). Hamari Beti (1950), produced and directed by Shobhana Samarth, revealed his mastery over various branches of film-production. Besides a scintillating performance, he wrote the scenario as well, and the pointed dialogues had the stamp of a seasoned writer. He took the filmworld by storm once again with his comic role in Roop K Shorey’s Ek Thi Ladki (1949) with Meena Shorey, the larralappa girl of Indian screen. The Moti-Meena pair provided more laughs in Ek Do Teen (1953), another Shorey comedy.

He starred in over 60 films, with at least 30 in the lead. But his smaller parts prompt maximum recall. In the hands of a lesser actor, the glib Chuni babu, who leads Devdas to alcohol, dancing girl and doom, could have easily become a negative character. Motilal dripped him in charm, made him value-free and earned his first Filmfare award for the best supporting actor. Even his villainy was relaxed and refined (Anadi, 1959, Paigham, 1959).
He was  the winner of Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Devdas (1955) and Parakh (1960).

 Motilal was a calmer man. He was happily married to a doctor and the Motilal establishment at Walkeshwar, Malabar Hill, was notable for its serenity. Motilal had a passion for horse-racing. He used to have a horse called Traitor, because the animal had the nasty habit of looking back at Motilal exactly at the time of reaching the winning post and losing the race in the effort! He gave up racing when his dearest friend Chandramohan, a character actor, died. In 1965, Motilal breathed his last.
He also directed a film Chhoti Chhoti Baatein (1965) but died before its release. At the 13th National Film Awards, it won the award for Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film and he posthumously won Certificate of Merit for the Best Story Writer.
Govt Of India released a stamp on his honour in 2013.

Great Songs of Motilal

Dil Jalta Hai from Pehli Nazar 1945

Lara lappa from Ek Thi Ladki 1949

Zindagi Khwab Hai Khwab Mein from Jagte Raho 1956

Zindagi Kaa Ajab Fasaanaa Hai from Chhoti Chhoti Baatein (1965)

Insan Ka Insan Se Ho Bhaichara from Paigham (1959)

O Jaane Wale Aa ja from Taqdeer 1943

Singer Shamshad Beghum and Motilal