Wednesday, 4 May 2016

1 MAY 1913-13 APR 1973 BALRAJ SAHNI

Balraj Sahni

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Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni.jpg
Balraj Sahni in Garm Hava (1973)
BornYudhishthir Sahni
1 May 1913
Rawalpindi, Punjab, British India
Died13 April 1973 (aged 59)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
OccupationActor, writer
Years active1946–73 (his death)
Spouse(s)
Damayanti Sahni
Santosh Chandhok
ChildrenParikshit Sahni
Shabnam
Balraj Sahni (1 May 1913 – 13 April 1973), born Yudhishthir Sahni, was a noted Indian film and stage actor, who is best known for Dharti Ke Lal (1946), Do Bigha Zameen (1953), Kabuliwala (1961) and Garam Hawa (1973).
He came from Bhera, now in Punjab, Pakistan, and was the brother of Bhisham Sahni, noted Hindi writer, playwright, and actor.

Early life[edit]

Balraj Sahni with his wife Damayanti, 1936.
Sahni went from his native Rawalpindi to study at Lahore University. He completed his master's degree in English Literature from Lahore and then went back to Rawalpindi and joined his family business. He also held aBachelor's degree in Hindi, followed by a Masters in English from Punjab University.[1] Soon after, he married Damayanti Sahni.
In the late 1930s, Sahni and his wife left Rawalpindi to join Tagore's Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan in Bengal as an English and Hindi teacher. It is here that their son, Parikshit Sahni was born, when his wife Damayanti was doing her bachelor's degree.[2] He also went to work with Mahatma Gandhi for a year in 1938. The next year, Sahni, with Gandhi's blessings, went to England to join the BBC-London's Hindi service as a radio announcer. He returned to India in 1943.

Career[edit]

Sahni was always interested in acting, and started his acting career with the plays of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA).[1] He started his film career in Mumbai with the film Insaaf (1946), followed by Dharti Ke Lal directed by KA Abbas in 1946, Door Chalein in 1946, and other films. But it was in 1953, with Bimal Roy's classic Do Bigha Zameen, that his true forte as an actor was first recognised. The film won the international prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
He followed it up with an encore in the 1961 classic Kabuliwala penned by Tagore.
Sahni's wife Damayanti, who was the heroine of his film Gudia, died at a young age in 1947. Two years later, he married his first cousin, Santosh Chandhok, later known as an author and television writer.
Sahni's acting was very well liked and appreciated in all his films. He acted opposite top heroines like Padmini, Nutan, Meena Kumari, Vyjayantimala, and Nargis in films like Bindya Seema (1955), Sone Ki Chidiya (1958), Sutta Bazaar(1959), Bhabhi Ki Chudiyaan (1961), Kathputli (1957), Lajwanti (1958) & Ghar Sansaar (1958).his character roles in films like "Neelkamal","ghar ghar ki kahani" "Do raste"and "ek phool do mali" were greatly appreciated. However, he is perhaps best remembered by the current generation for the picturisation of the legendary song Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen from the movie Waqt (1965) on him. Sahni appeared opposite Achala Sachdev in the number.
He also starred in the classic Punjabi film Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar (1970) as well as the critically acclaimed Satluj de kande.
His role as the angst ridden but stoical Muslim man who refuses to go to Pakistan during partition, in his last film Garm Hava, has often been called his best performance by critics. Balraj, however, could not see the completed film to rate his own performance, as he died just the day after he finished dubbing work. The last line he recorded for the film, and hence his last recorded line is, Hindustani:- "Insaan Kab Tak Akela Jee Sakta Hai?" which can be translated in English as:- "How long can a man live alone?"

Later life[edit]

Sahni was a gifted writer; his early writings were in English, though later in life he switched to Punjabi, and became a writer of repute in Punjabi literature.[3] In 1960, after a visit to Pakistan, he wrote Mera Pakistani Safar. His book Mera Rusi Safarnama, which he had written after a tour of the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1969, earned him the 'Soviet Land Nehru Award'. He contributed many poems and short stories in magazines and also penned his autobiography, Meri Filmi Aatmakatha. Sahni was an extremely well-read and politically conscious person.
He and P K Vasudevan Nair worked on the idea of All India Youth Federation with firebrand Delhi communist, Comrade Guru Radha Kishan to organise the first national conference of AIYF in Delhi. Their wholehearted efforts were visible as more than 250 delegates and observers representing several youth organisations of various states of India attended this session. Balraj Sahni was elected as the first president of All India Youth Federation, the youth wing of Communist Party of India. The organisation was a huge success and strong presence of the organisation was noticed by other political groups and the senior communist leaders everywhere.
Sahni also dabbled in screenwriting; he wrote the 1951 movie Baazi which starred Dev Anand and was directed by Guru Dutt. He was also a recipient of the Padma Shri Award (1969). Balraj Sahni also wrote in Punjabi and contributed to the Punjabi magazine Preetlari. Very few people know about his love for the books, In 1950s he was first to inaugurate the Library and study centre for underprivileged class in Delhi.
Sahni was undoubtedly one of the greatest actors ever to come on the Indian screen: a highly natural actor who reminded the audience of the actors like Motilal because of his simple persona and a sophisticated style of acting. He was looked up to as a role model as he was never involved in any scandal. 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.
Balraj's brother Bhisham Sahni was a well-known writer who wrote the book Tamas. His son Parikshit Sahni is also an actor. Balraj Sahni died on 13 April 1973, of a massive cardiac arrest, less than a month before his 60th birthday. He had been depressed for some time by the untimely death of his young daughter, Shabnam.
'Punjabi Kala Kender', founded in 1973 at Mumbai by Balraj Sahni, gives away the annual Balraj Sahni Award',[4] and also the 'All India Artists' Association'.[5]

Filmography[edit]

YearFilmRole
1946Door Chalen
Dharti Ke Lal
Badnami
1947Gudia
1951Maaldar
HumlogRaj
HulchulThe jailer
1952Badnam
RahiDoctor
1953Do Bigha ZaminShambu Maheto
Bhagyawan
Akash
1954Naukari
Majboori
Aulad
1955Tangewali
SeemaAshok 'Babuji'
Garam CoatGiridhari
TaksaalJatin Mukherjee
1957Pardesi
Mai Baap
Lal Batti
Kath PutliLoknath
BhabhiRatan
1958Sone Ki ChidiyaShrikant
LajwantiMr. Nirmal
KhazanchiRadhe Mohan
Ghar SansarKailash
Ghar Grihasti
1959Satta BazaarRamesh
Heera Moti
Chhoti BahenRajendra
Black CatAgent Rajan
1960Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi TerePanchu Dada
BindyaDevraj
AnuradhaDr. Nirmal Chaudhary
1961Suhag SindoorRamu
Sapne Suhane
Bhabhi Ki ChudiyanShyam
Batwara
KabuliwalaAbdul Rehman Khan
1962ShaadiRatau
AnpadhChoudhary Shambhunath
1964Punar MilanDr. Mohan/Ram
HaqeeqatMajor Ranjit Singh
1965Dak GharAndhe Baba
WaqtLala Kedarnath
FaraarDetective Officer
1966Pinjre Ke PanchhiYaseen Khan
Neend Hamari Khwab TumhareKhan Bahadur
AasraSurendra Nath Kumar
Aaye Din Bahar KeShukla
1967NaunihaalPrincipal
Ghar Ka Chirag
AmanGautamdas' dad
HamraazPolice Inspector Ashok
1968SunghurshGaneshi Prasad
Neel KamalMr. Raichand
Izzat(Hindi Film)Thakur Pratap Singh
DuniyaPublic Prosecutor Ramnath Sharma
1969TalashRanjit Rai
Nanha FarishtaDr. Ramnath
Ek Phool Do MaliKailash Nath Kaushal
Do RaasteNavendru Gupta
1970PehchanEx-Firefighter
Pavitra PaapiPannalal
Naya RaastaBansi
Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar
Mere HumsafarAshok
Holi Ayee Re
Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani
DhartiBharat's dad
1971Paraya DhanGovindram
Jawan MohabbatDr. Sarin
1972Shayar-e-Kashmir MahjoorGhulam Ahmed Mahjoor
Jawani DiwaniRavi Anand
Jangal Mein MangalThomas
1973Pyaar Ka Rishta
Hindustan Ki Kasam
Hanste ZakhmSP Dinanath Mahendru
Garam HawaSalim Mirza
1977Jallian Wala BaghUdham Singh
AmaanatSuresh

Works[edit]

  • Balraj Sahni: An Autobiography, by Balraj Sahni. Published by Hind Pocket Books, 1979.
  • Mera Pakistani Safarnama (Punjabi),
  • Mera Russi Safarnama (Punjabi).
  • Kamey (Labourerers) (Punjabi)
  • Ek Safar Ek Daastaan (Punjabi)

Government recognition[edit]

A postage stamp, bearing his face, was released by India Post to honour him on 3 May 2013.

Further reading[edit]

  • Balraj Sahni: An Intimate Portrait, by Puran Chandra Joshi. Published by Vikas Pub. House, 1974.
  • Balraj, my brother (National biography series), by Bhishma Sahni. National Book Trust, India, 1981.
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      Balraj Sahni
      Film actor
      Balraj Sahni, born Yudhishthir Sahni, was a noted Indian film and stage actor, who is best known for Dharti Ke Lal, Do Bigha Zameen, Kabuliwala and Garam Hawa. Wikipedia
      Born: May 1, 1913, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
      Died: April 13, 1973, Mumbai
      Children: Parikshit Sahni, Shabnam Sahni
      Siblings: Bhisham Sahni
      Songs
      Baabul Ki Duaayein Leti Ja
      Neel Kamal
      1968
      Dharti kahe pukaar ke
      Do Bigha Zamin
      1953
      Chali Chali Re Patang
      Bhabhi
      1957
      Mere Dushman
      Aaye Din Bahar Ke
      1966
      Suno Sajna
      Aaye Din Bahar Ke
      1966
      Waqt Se Din Aur Raat
      Waqt
      1965
      Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu
      Waqt
      1965
      Yeh Kali
      Aaye Din Bahar Ke
      1966
      Aaja Tujhko Pukare Mera Pyar
      Neel Kamal
      1968
      Aaja ri aa nindiya tu aa
      Do Bigha Zamin
      1953
      Kya Miliye Aise Logon Se
      Izzat
      1968
      Yeh Kaisa Nyay Tera
      Chhoti Bahen
      1959
      Hum Jab Simat Ke
      Waqt
      1965
      Mera Mehboob Hai Bemisaal
      Aaye Din Bahar Ke
      1966
      Betaab Dil Ki Tamanna Yahi Hai
      Hanste Zakhm
      1973
      Sharma Ke Yun Na Dekh
      Neel Kamal
      1968
      Yeh reshmi zulfein (DO RAASTE)
      Do Raaste
      1969
      Jyoti Kalash Chhalke
      Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan
      1961
      Bagon Mein Baharon Mein
      Chhoti Bahen
      1959
      Aap Ki Najron Ne Samjha
      Anpadh
      1962
      Rom Rom Mein Basne Wale Ram
      Neel Kamal
      1968
      O Nanhe Se Farishtey
      Ek Phool Do Mali
      1969
      Hai Isi Mein Pyar Ki Abroo
      Anpadh
      1962
      Kar Chale, Ham Fidaa, jaan-o-tan
      Haqeeqat
      1964
      Zara Si Aahat Hoti Hai To Dil Sochta Hai
      Haqeeqat
      1964
      Falsafa Pyar Ka Tum Kya Jano
      Duniya
      1968
      Masti Me Chhedke Tarana Koi Dil Ka
      Haqeeqat
      1964
      Hoke Majbur Mujhe Usne Bhulaya Hoga
      Haqeeqat
      1964
      Aai Ab Ki Saal Divaali Munh Par Apane Kun Male
      Haqeeqat
      1964
      Khelo Naa Mere Dil Se O Mere Saajanaa
      Haqeeqat
      1964
      Meri Tamannaon Ki Taqdeer
      Holi Ayee Re
      1970
      Neele Gagan Ke Tale
      Hamraaz
      1967
      Movies
      View 45+ more
      Kabuliwala (1961)
      Kabuliwala
      1961
      Do Bigha Zamin (1953)
      Do Bigha Zamin
      1953
      Seema (1955)
      Seema
      1955
      Bhabhi (1957)
      Bhabhi
      1957
      Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1970)
      Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani
      1970
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