Shriram Lagoo

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Dr. Shriram Lagoo

Born	November 16, 1927 (age 87) Satara district, Maharashtra
Other names	Shreeram Lagoo
Occupation	actor
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Deepa Lagoo

Dr. Shreeram Lagoo (born 16 November 1927) is an Indian film and theatreactor, in Hindi and Marathi. He is known for his character roles in films. He has acted in over 100 Hindi and Marathi films, over 40 Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati plays, and has directed over 20 Marathi plays. He is considered one of the greatest actors of Marathi stage during the second half of twentieth century. He has also been very vocal and active in furthering progressive and rational social causes, for example in 1999, he and social activist G P Pradhan be undertook a fast in support of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.^[1] He won the 1978 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Hindi film Gharaonda. Hisautobiography is titled Lamaan (लमाण), which means 'the carrier of goods'.^[2]^[3]

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Early life[edit]

Shreeram Lagoo was born in Satara district, Maharashtra, India to Dr. Balakrishna Chintaman and Satyabhama Lagoo, the eldest of four children. He attended Bhave High School, Fergusson College (University of Pune), and B.J. Medical Collegein Pune, India. ^[4]

Career[edit]

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Shreeram Lagoo started acting in plays while attending Medical School. Once bitten by the theatre bug, he continued his dramatic activity through the group "Progressive Dramatic Association" which he started with like-minded senior friends likeBhalba Kelkar. ^[5] Meanwhile he trained as an ENT surgeon in Mumbai in the early fifties and practised in Pune for 6 years before going to Canada and England for additional training.

He practised medicine in Pune, India and Tabora, Tanzania in the sixties but his theatre activity through Progressive Dramatic Association in Pune and "Rangaayan" in Mumbai continued when he was in India. Finally, in 1969 he became a full-time actor on Marathi stage, debuting in the play "Ithe Oshalala Mrityu" written by Vasant Kanetkar.

He was the first protagonist of the famous Marathi play Natasamrat written by Kusumagraj (Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar) and is best remembered for that role.

He has a legend status in Marathi cinema^{[citation needed]}, where he has done many memorable movies which include successful movies like Sinhasan, Pinjra, Mukta And many more

His wife, Deepa Lagoo is also a noted theatre, television and film actress.^[6]

Religion[edit]

Shriram is a known non-religious rationalist. Once after being conferred with an award called Punyabhushan (Pride of Pune) on behalf of the organization called Tridal, he was interviewed by Sudhir Gadgil. When asked about Jabbar Patel's play, wherein Dr. Lagoo had to stand before Lord Vitthal, "did you stand there as a devotee or only as per the demand of the script?" Lagoo replied "I stood there as if I was standing in front of a 'stone' that is known as Panduranga".^[7]

He has written an article titled "Time to Retire God" which provoked hot discussions in the print media and other public platforms in India. This article was written as an introduction to a book on Dr. Abraham Kovoor. In this article Lagoo logically came to the conclusion that the concept of God is defunct.

He is actively associated with the Anti-superstition movement in Maharashtra. He used to call god as another superstition and his lectures during the ANS programs used to go like this:^[8]

“I do not believe in God and I feel it is now time to retire God. Concept of God is a very beautiful product of poet’s imagination and was essential during the initial stages of civilization but the time has come when one should face the world with a completely rational attitude. For the past five thousand years, there has been no proof of the existence of God and faith in a phenomenon, which cannot be proved scientifically, is nothing short of superstition. Many inhuman practices, atrocities and wars have taken place in the name of ‘God’. It is not only necessary, but also our duty to abolish the concept of God to end these consequences because it is a great injustice committed against humanity.

"Only rational thinking has the capacity which places person above all living beings but when he/she believes in God he/she gives up this ability and blindly accepts what has been told. He/she submits his/her intellect to passive conditioning and then there is no difference between him/her and an animal.
"In the early stages of civilization, when human beings began to live in a society, the concept of superior being was necessary to maintain morality, which came out of fear. Also many of the natural phenomena which scared human beings and to which they could not attribute any reason, came to be regarded as manifestations of the divine power. But today when man has the mastery over nature and accepts any theory only after verifying it on a scientific basis, there is no need for the concept of a supreme being. What is needed is a broad based value system of humanity.”

Filmography[edit]

Marathi Movies[edit]

Sinhasan (1980) with Arun Sarnaik, Datta Bhat, Shrikant Moghe, Nilu Phule, Madhukar Sarpotdar, Rima Lagoo, Satish Dubashi, Raja Mayekar, Arun Joglekar, Nana Patekar, Sushma Tendulkar, Lalan Sarang and others
Saamna (1974) with Nilu Phule and others
Pinjra (1973) with Sandhya, Nilu Phule, Ganpat Patil and others
Zaakol (1980) with Tanuja, Urmila Matondkar, Sarla Yeolekar. Directed bt Dr. Shreeram Lagoo
Khichadi (1987) with Ashok Saraf, Atul Parchure, Ranjana Deshmukh and others

Marathi Plays[edit]

Vedyache Ghar Unhat
Jagannathacha Rath
Gidhade
Kachecha Chandra
Himalayachi Sawali
Natsamrat

Hindi Movies[edit]

Aurat Aurat Aurat (1996) Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, Aruna Irani
Khuddar (1994) Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor
Dushman Devta (1991) Dharmendra, Dimple Kapadia, Aditya Pancholi
Kala Bazaar (1989) Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Anjana Mumtaz
Ek Din Achanak (1988) Shabana Azmi, Roopa Ganguly, Uttara Baokar
Majaal (1987) Jeetendra, Sridevi, Jaya Prada
Mera Rakshak (1987) Mithun Chakraborty, Abhi Bhattacharya
Avam (1987) Rajesh Khanna, Ashok Kumar, Smita Patil
Insaf Ki Pukar (1987) Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Anita Raj
Kala Dhandha Goray Log (1986) Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Khan, Anita Raj
Muddat (1986) Mithun Chakraborty, Jayaprada, Manik Irani
Samay Ki Dhaara (1986) Shatrughan Sinha, Shabana Azmi, Vinod Mehra
Saveray Wali Gaadi (1986) Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Poonam Dhillon
Singhasan (1986) Jeetendra, Jayaprada, Mandakini
Sitamgar (1985) Dharmendra, Parveen Babi, Rishi Kapoor
Ghar Dwaar (1985) Sachin Pilgaokar, Ashok Saraf, Tanuja, Kadar Khan
Ankahee (1984) Amol Palekar, Deepti Naval
Maqsad (1984) Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Jayaprada
Tarang (1984) Amol Palekar, Smita Patil
Bad Aur Badnaam (1984) Sanjeev Kumar, Anita Raj
Pukar (1983) Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Randir Kapoor
Kalaakaar (1983) Kunal Goswami, Sridevi, L V Prasad
Mawaali (1983) Jeetendra, Sridevi, Jayaprada
Sadma (1983) Kamal Hassan, Sridevi, Silk Smitha
Souten (1983) Rajesh Khanna, Tina Munim, Padmini Kolhapure
Chorni (1982) Jeetendra, Neetu Singh, Jalal Agha
Gandhi (1982) Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox
Ghazab (1982) Dharmendra, Seema Deo, Krishan Dhawan
Kaamchor (1982) Rakesh Roshan, Jayaprada, Tanuja
Main Intequam Loonga (1982) Dharmendra, Reena Roy
Raaste Pyar Ke (1982) Jeetendra, Rekha, Shabana Azmi
Samraat (1982) Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Hema Malini
Vidhaata (1982) Sanjay Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Padmini Kolhapure
Ghungroo Ki Awaaz (1981) Vijay Anand, Rekha
Laawaris (1981) Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Mumtaz Begum
Chehre Pe Chehra (1981) Sanjeev Kumar, Rekha, Vinod mehra
Gehrayee (1980) Anant Nag, IndRani Mukherjee
Swayamvar (1980) Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Moushumi Chatterjee
Insaaf Ka Tarazu (1980) Deepak Parashar, Zeenat Aman, Raj Babbar
Sargam (1979) Rishi Kapoor, Jayaprada, Shashikala
Tarana (1979) Mithun Chakraborty, Ranjeeta Kaur, Bhagwan
Hum Tere Ashiq Hain (1979) Jeetendra, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan
Jurmana (1979) Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Mehra, Rakhee Gulzar, A.K. Hungal, Farida Jalal
Manzil (1979) Amitabh Bachchan, Moushumi Chatterjee, Rakesh Pandey
Meera (1979) Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Shammi Kapoor .... Raja Biramdev Rathod
Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Rakhee Gulzar, Rekha, Amjad Khan, Ranjeet
Des Pardes (1978) Dev Anand, Tina Munim, Mehmood, Pran, Ajit Khan, Amjad Khan, Prem Chopra, Bindu
Inkaar (1977) Vinod Khanna, Vidya Sinha
Kinara (1977) Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Hema Malini
Kitaab (1977) Uttam Kumar, Vidya Sinha
Gharaonda (1977) Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab
Immaan Dharam (1977) Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar .... Govind Anna (as Dr. Shreeram Lagoo)
Aaj Ka Ye Ghar (1976) Helen, A. K. Hangal, Lalita Pawar, Madan Puri .... Sajjan
Bullet (1976) Dev Anand, Parveen Babby, Kabir Bedi, Sonia Sahani
Hera Pheri Vinod khanna, Amitabh bachhan